A growing number of fire departments across the country are turning to artificial intelligence to help detect and respond to wildfires more quickly. In Aspen, Colorado, fire officials say wildfire risk has shifted from being a seasonal concern to a year-round threat. To meet that challenge, they're using AI-powered cameras to detect smoke -- sometimes before 911 calls even come in. "They're getting a full 360-degree picture of the landscape," said Satyam. High in the mountains, rotating cameras scan the terrain for smoke.

There's a new use for 5G networks: spotting wildfires before they get out of control, an increasing worry as climate change makes fires spread faster and burn longer than before. The startup Pano AI uses a series of cameras that survey the wilderness and AI algorithms that watch for telltale smoke -- an indicator of small blazes that could grow into raging wildfires. That footage is sent to the startup's headquarters for human confirmation, and if a fire is burning, evidence is sent to clients who could be affected. While Pano AI had been sending evidence photos over 4G LTE networks at slow rates of around 20 to 30 6-megapixel images per minute, its new partnership with T-Mobile has it using the carrier's 5G network to send video at 30 frames per second, which is around 90 times more data. Ultimately, getting evidence to Pano AI's clients, which include utility companies, much quicker on 5G means a faster response from firefighters and potentially squashing big fires before they get dangerous.

The Aspen Fire Protection District is piloting new technology that will keep an eye -- er, AI, rather -- on wildfires this summer using artificial intelligence technology and strategically placed cameras, the district announced Saturday. The system uses specialized cameras at specific vantage points to monitor the skyline, coupled with artificial intelligence and intuitive software technology from wildfire tech company Pano AI to detect, locate and communicate wildfire threats almost instantly, according to a news release. "Pano's platform uses mountaintop cameras, artificial intelligence, and intuitive software to automatically detect the first wisps of smoke and put real-time fire images in the hands of first responders and emergency personnel, all with the goal of detecting flare-ups earlier and enabling a faster response before they become large infernos," the release states. Cameras stationed on Pitkin County communications towers will continuously rotate to capture 360-degree views of the area; Pano AI software will process that imagery in real time to detect smoke and alert dispatchers or appropriate agencies. When multiple cameras capture the same smoke wisps, the software can use triangulation to pinpoint the location, "helping response crews coordinate a faster, more targeted response," according to the release.