At Hideout’s wildfire news and mitigation town hall on Wednesday, panelists discussed a new method for detecting wildfires: cameras.  Wildfire detection cameras, that is. Heidi Hill Drum is the founder of ABK Consultants and has helped secure funding for wildfire camera networks across commun ities including the Tahoe, California, area.  Hill Drum said that she has helped place 15 cameras in the Lake Tahoe region — almost all with private fundraising. Those cameras have used artificial intelligence to identify wildfires and risks before they become major threats.  “Those cameras have given our firefighters the information that they needed to stop over 150 fires before they reach one acre in size,” Hill Drum said.  Hill Drum said it’s no surprise that there’s a need for such technology in Hideout.  “We’ve had our share of fires all throughout the West and in Utah in particular,” Hill Drum said. “2025 is a big year in terms of the number of acres burned across the state; it surpassed the previous three seasons combined.” It’s why she is excited to implement the wildfire detection service in Hideout. She said ALERTWest is one option for wildfire detection through AI and camera use. The company’s mission is to deploy a “collaborative, situational awareness platform with AI wildfire detection” to prevent the loss of life, property and environmental damage.  That’s achieved by creating a network of cameras and a software solution for use by emergency personnel and first responders.  “They give the firefighters that early warning that they need to go and know exactly where to put the fire out,” Hill Drum said. “They have AI detection technology, so smoke detection during the day, nighttime … and so they work directly with your local Wasatch Fire District, so the alerts are verified and then sent to your fire department.” ALERTWest has been operating in the Tahoe region since 2014, Hill Drum said. Recently, she has been working to establish funding to organize camera implementation in Hideout.  Mountainside Resort Foundation and Extell Development have contributed $300,000 toward the implementation and installation of the first three cameras in the area — two on the Deer Valley side of the community and one on the Hideout end.  She said, right now, those three cameras are slated for installation this summer, before fire season begins.  Lauren Major of the Hideout Wildfire Committee said there is no sure location for the Hideout camera yet, but there is a proposed option.  “We are doing our due diligence at this point. We also are hoping that we get funding from other communities such as SkyRidge, Victory Ranch, who all benefit from the cameras,” Major said. “And hopefully we’ll get support from the HOAs and Hideout.” The wildfire news and mitigation town hall is a continuation of Hideout’s efforts to put wildfire mitigation at the top of its to-do list. The Wildfire Committee currently has about 20 members and was started by Hideout Mayor Ralph Severini and Town Councilor Jonathan Gunn. It’s been in operation for about seven months. The post Hideout considers AI wildfire detection cameras for fire safety, mitigation appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less