Early detection AI cameras are to be rolled out in fire towers across central and southern NSW softwood forests.
The NSW Government is installing the cameras in its fire tower network to improve firefighting response times.
The cameras can scan the landscape, track changes in pixel colour to detect smoke columns and deliver real-time alerts to fire crews, the government says.
Forestry Corporation NSW is teaming up with US firm Pano AI to install the cameras at 22 sites in major softwood regions, covering 1.2 million hectares.
Most are located in southern NSW, the central west and a few sites in the mid north coast: Tumut, Moss Vale, Bombala, Walcha and Bathurst (with three wind farm development zones near Bathurst and Tumut).
Regional NSW Minister Tara Moriarty says the cameras will be online before the start of the summer bushfire season.
“By integrating AI-powered detection into our fire tower network, we’re enhancing traditional firefighting methods with cutting-edge technology that delivers real-time intelligence and faster response times,” she says.
The roll-out is a direct response to the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfire independent inquiry call for greater remote fire detection, the minister adds.
CAMERAS WELCOMED
Local MP for Monaro, and Skills Minister Steve Whan says “softwood plantations” are vital economic resources to areas like Bombala and Tumut.
“Providing greater fire protection means protection for local jobs as well as for neighbouring lands and assets,” he says.
Forestry Corporation’s Land and Management & Innovation Manager, Jamie Carter says the rollout is a big milestone after four years of trials.
“After the Black Summer fires where 25% of the pine plantation estate was burnt, Forestry Corporation focused on aligning technological advancement with the needs of the NSW softwood estate,” he says.
The technology has given firefighters a “critical edge” in the first 30 minutes after ignition, Carter says.
“This technology won’t replace our highly skilled fire tower operators but it’s a powerful addition to our early detection suite.”
Pano AI’s Head of Australia GTM Andrew Prolov says their approach uses billions of images of different landscapes, micro-climates and seasons in Australia and overseas.
“By combining AI detection with advanced geospatial insights, it will help Forestry Corporation understand the full context of each fire detected,” he said.
LAND COVERAGE
The government says research reveals that 80-85% of the area monitored by fire towers includes surrounding private and public lands.
In regions like Bathurst, tower operators report more than half of all fires, often placing the first call to emergency services across these land tenures.
In the last 20 years, 70,000 hectares of softwood forests in NSW burnt, a government statement says.
The state’s forests produce enough timber each year to build 40,000 homes.
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