The Vernon Fire Department and SenseNet conducted controlled burns Wednesday near Predator Ridge to showcase new wildfire detection technology.
“Early wildfire detection is a big piece of the puzzle for us,” said fire chief David Lind.
“If we can get where we need to be quickly, it can have a big impact on our effectiveness.”
The City of Vernon and SenseNet have been in collaboration since 2021. The project has gone through two years of testing to help understand its capabilities and work through any issues.
“We are improving our technology with their help and they are testing it all the time to make sure the system can detect the fire as soon as possible,” said SenseNet CEO Hamed Noori about the partnership.
SenseNet uses cameras, sensors, and satellite imagery to better detect wildfires before flames are seen. Each sensor can detect fire within a one kilometre radius and multiple sensors in one area can help increase the coverage area. When a fire is spotted, the technology sends alerts to local fire departments.
Similar cameras were installed on Predator Ridge in July 2024.
“With hard terrain or very dangerous environments, they can see everything before even going to the fire,” said Noori about the advantages of this technology.
“It's an extra layer and extra protection for the community,” said Lind.
All the technology is currently located in high-risk areas around Vernon and both groups hope that it can soon be implemented within city limits.