Austin Energy puts up AI cameras to help fight fires with wildfire season ahead

Five cameras are already up and the rest are expected to be installed within the month. Austin Energy aims to have all cameras live and operating by June 1.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The recent rain in Central Texas could actually make our fire risk more dangerous this summer.

Both city and county officials said all this wet weather is helping the grass grow, which adds more fuel for fires when the weather is drier.

"We get into our summer setting where those grasses stop growing," Pflugerville Fire Department Assistant Chief Mark Moellenberg said. "They actually die off if we get into a drought. That becomes a fuel load."

Artificial Intelligence detecting fire

Pano AI cameras are expected to help with quick response times, which is critical for fire departments.

Austin Energy is putting 13 of those 360-cameras on cell towers throughout Travis County.

"It's an early warning detection system that picks up smoke out there in the viewshed out in the environment. You'll be able to get that exact location on GPS."

Chris Vetromile, Austin Energy Wildlife Program Manager

Vetromile said an alert will be sent so fire departments can respond to these wildfires faster.

Five cameras are already up and the rest are expected to be installed within the month. Austin Energy aims to have all cameras live and operating by June 1.

"You can actually take a look and see what's around the fire itself too. Is it out in the middle of nowhere? So we can take a little bit more strategic angle at it and look at it," Vetromile said. "Or is it like bumping up on that neighborhood, and we have to get in there really quickly?"

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the city ranks number six in the nation for homes at risk in a wildfire.

"Many new homes are being built in what's referred to as the wildland urban interface. It's an interface between the unoccupied land and Human Development."

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson

How to prepare for wildfire season

While it's too early to say how this summer will be, Moellenberg said it's not too early to prepare.

Ways to prevent grass fires:

• Don't throw lit cigarettes out the window
• Check trailer chains to make sure they're not dragging
• Avoid parkin/ driving on dry grass
• Clean gutters

"Taking care of the tall grasses, cleaning up around homes and businesses clearing out gutters," Moellenberg said.