Arizona Deploys AI-Powered Cameras for Faster Wildfire Detection

Gov. Katie Hobbs calls the new technology a ‘generational leap’ in community safety.

Smoke rising from the Boulder View fire near Phoenix on June 27, 2024. Department of Forestry and Fire Management via AP

PHOENIX—A new interagency dispatch center is boosting Arizona’s wildfire response with artificial intelligence-powered cameras that officials say can detect fires earlier and speed emergency crews to the scene.

On March 27, Gov. Katie Hobbs unveiled the new camera technology aimed at strengthening wildfire prevention ahead of peak season.