Axis Communications has announced its continued partnership with the University of California San Diego's ALERTCalifornia. This statewide initiative focuses on enhancing wildfire detection and emergency response through advanced AI, real-time intelligence, and an extensive network of over 1,200 cameras.
By leveraging cutting-edge sensor technology and sophisticated camera systems, ALERTCalifornia provides crucial tools to help emergency managers promptly identify developing wildfire threats, offering public safety agencies essential data to evaluate situations and respond effectively. As agencies work to boost visibility in areas vulnerable to wildfires, the program is expanding its reach across California. In 2025 alone, ALERTCalifornia played a role in managing approximately 3,600 wildfire incidents, underscoring the importance of timely response in emergencies.
Boosting Fire Response Efforts
In a concerted effort with CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service, and various local and state agencies, ALERTCalifornia streams real-time visual data, enhancing the ability to detect smoke promptly and improving fire response strategies. The network incorporates AI and advanced cameras to maintain consistent situational awareness statewide. Axis's camera technology is integral to the alert system, notifying emergency personnel of potential fire hazards as they arise.
ALERTCalifornia played a role in managing approximately 3,600 wildfire incidents
Dr. Neal Driscoll, director of ALERTCalifornia and a geology and geophysics professor at UC San Diego, commented on the increased prevalence and scale of fires over the past two decades, saying, “The success of the ALERTCalifornia program is in the fires you never hear about. Deploying Axis cameras and other sensor technologies greatly improves our odds of containment and suppression.”
Detecting Potential Fire Activity
Together with Professional Telecommunications Services, ALERTCalifornia and Axis Communication have stationed over 1,200 cameras across California at fire lookout towers, infrastructure, and observation sites. The system is often instrumental in early detection.
Phillip SeLegue, Intel Program Staff Chief at CAL FIRE, noted, “We use ALERTCalifornia in all 21 of our Emergency Command Centers. In 2025, the system alerted us to 3,600 fires. Over 50% of the time, we received alerts before any 9-1-1 reports came in. That means we no longer have to wait for a human to identify potential fire activity. The cameras we have in place can detect early warning signs and send an alert immediately.”
Supporting Emergency Management Operations
ALERTCalifornia provides responders with instant visual confirmation of emergent incidents, enabling quick verification of threats and aiding in resource deployment and critical decision-making.
ALERTCalifornia provides responders with instant visual confirmation of emergent incidents
While primarily focused on wildfire detection, ALERTCalifornia also supports monitoring for storms, flooding, debris flows, and environmental changes.
Its platform offers agencies visuals for assessing vegetation risk and observing changes across California. Public access is a major component, allowing residents, researchers, and others to view live feeds and better understand local conditions.
Enhancing Situational Awareness
As environmental challenges continue to change, ALERTCalifornia demonstrates the power of collaboration among agencies, researchers, and technology partners to bolster community preparedness, enhance response strategies, and build resilience.
Joe Morgan, Segment Development Manager for Critical Infrastructure at Axis Communications, remarked, “UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia has become a model for how researchers, public agencies, and industry partners can work together to address complex public safety challenges. We're proud to support the ALERTCalifornia team and its mission by providing technology that helps deliver timely, reliable visual information to emergency responders and communities across California. Together, we're helping strengthen situational awareness not only for wildfire detection but also for broader environmental monitoring and resilience efforts.”
Axis Communications announces its ongoing collaboration with the University of California San Diego's ALERTCalifornia – a statewide program helping advance wildfire detection and emergency response through AI, real-time intelligence, and a network of more than 1,200 cameras.
Combining AI, advanced sensors, and camera technology, ALERTCalifornia’s tools help emergency managers identify emerging wildfire activity and provide public safety agencies with timely information to assess conditions and respond more effectively. As agencies seek greater visibility into wildfire-prone and remote areas, the program continues to expand coverage throughout California. In 2025, ALERTCalifornia supported response efforts for approximately 3,600 wildfire incidents, demonstrating the value of timely awareness in emergency situations.
Enhancing fire response efforts
In collaboration with CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service, local and state agencies, utilities, businesses, and technology partners, ALERTCalifornia streams real-time visual intelligence, allowing agencies to detect smoke quickly and enhance fire response efforts. The ALERTCalifornia network integrates AI and advanced camera systems to provide continuous situational awareness across California. Axis camera technology supports the broader monitoring network, alerting emergency personnel when it detects potential fire activity.
“Over the past two decades, we've not only seen an increasing number of fires, but a significant increase in the size of those fires,” said Dr. Neal Driscoll, director of ALERTCalifornia and professor of geology and geophysics at UC San Diego. “The success of the ALERTCalifornia program is in the fires you never hear about. Deploying Axis cameras and other sensor technologies greatly improves our odds of containment and suppression.”
Potential fire activity
Working alongside Professional Telecommunications Services, ALERTCalifornia and Axis Communications have deployed more than 1,200 cameras across fire lookout towers, infrastructure, and observation sites statewide. As agencies seek greater visibility into remote and high-risk areas, the deployment has steadily expanded.
“We use ALERTCalifornia in all 21 of our Emergency Command Centres,” said Phillip SeLegue, Intel Program Staff Chief at CAL FIRE. “In 2025, the system alerted us to 3,600 fires. Over 50% of the time, we received alerts before any 9-1-1 reports came in. That means we no longer have to wait for a human to identify potential fire activity. The cameras we have in place can detect early warning signs and send an alert immediately.”
Emergency management operations
With real-time visual confirmation of emerging incidents, ALERTCalifornia enables emergency responders to rapidly verify threats, deploy resources, and make critical decisions as events unfold. As a result, the platform stands as a vital asset for agencies across California, driving both wildfire suppression and broader emergency management operations.
While wildfire detection remains ALERTCalifornia’s primary mission, the system also supports storm and flood monitoring, debris-flow assessment, and environmental observation. Agencies use its imagery to monitor vegetation, evaluate risk, and understand changing conditions statewide. Public access also remains a key component of the initiative. Through the ALERTCalifornia website, residents, researchers, pilots, outdoor enthusiasts, and community members can view live camera feeds and gain greater awareness of conditions across California.
Strengthening situational awareness
As environmental threats evolve, ALERTCalifornia exemplifies how agency, researcher, and technology collaboration enhances community preparedness, strengthens response efforts, and builds long-term resilience.
“UC San Diego's ALERTCalifornia has become a model for how researchers, public agencies, and industry partners can work together to address complex public safety challenges,” said Joe Morgan, Segment Development Manager, Critical Infrastructure, Axis Communications. “We're proud to support the ALERTCalifornia team and its mission by providing technology that helps deliver timely, reliable visual information to emergency responders and communities across California. Together, we're helping strengthen situational awareness not only for wildfire detection, but also for broader environmental monitoring and resilience efforts.”
