California officials highlight AI, FireSat and predictive technologies as centerpieces in state wildfire strategy

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday showcased the state’s growing portfolio of artificial intelligence, satellite networks and predictive analytics designed to detect and fight wildfires, arguing California has become a global leader in using technology to improve emergency response as fire seasons become longer and more destructive.

Speaking at The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s Aviation Management Unit at the Sacramento McClellan Airport, Newsom said the state has invested heavily in both firefighting personnel and emerging technologies since 2019 — the year he took office — pointing to AI-powered camera networks, drones and predictive fire modeling as key tools for earlier detection and faster response.

“We don’t imitate. We’re a model for others,” Newsom told reporters at the press conference. “We have people coming from all over the United States and around the globe to look at what California is doing in orbit, in the air and on the ground.”

California’s strategy of combining traditional firefighting resources with new data technologies includes a network of 1,260 AlertCalifornia mountaintop cameras, 915 of which are now AI-enabled to automatically detect smoke and alert dispatch centers before 911 calls are received. Cal FIRE director Joe Tyler said another 200 cameras will be added this year. The agency is also expanding its use of drones for fire mapping, prescribed burns and tactical operations while incorporating lidar data to better assess vegetation and fuel conditions.

“Cal FIRE is leaning in and taking advantage of the power of technology that best supports our firefighting efforts,” Tyler told reporters. “As the technology advances, it’s important that we continue to advance with that technology.”

In addition to the state’s network of cameras, Tyler noted the agency’s plans to integrate data from four FireSat satellites now in orbit after three additional spacecraft this month launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, along the state’s central coast.

Cal FIRE joined Earth Fire Alliance’s FireSat early adopter program in 2025, giving the agency access to a new constellation of satellites capable of detecting wildfires as small as 5-by-5 meters. Once fully deployed, FireSat is expected to provide updated imagery roughly every 20 minutes, significantly improving on existing satellite monitoring.

“That’ll become part of a constellation of satellites that will do early detection, utilizing all the features of remote sensing, both mountaintop cameras, fixed-wing aircraft, and satellite technology to really detect new heat images across across California,” Tyler said.

During the press conference, Office of Emergency Services Director Caroline Thomas Jacobs said the state’s technology also allows emergency managers to anticipate wildfire threats before an ignition occurs. Through the state’s Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center, or WIFTIC, officials combine weather data, fuel conditions, lightning forecasts and fire behavior models to identify areas at elevated risk.

“Technology gives us the power to prepare earlier, to respond faster, and make better decisions when every second counts,” Jacobs said.

The intelligence produced by WIFTIC feeds into a statewide pre-positioning system that helps agencies move firefighters and equipment ahead of dangerous weather conditions. Jacobs said Cal OES has already this year approved pre-positioning requests for 20 counties, involving more than 1,400 personnel and 213 pieces of equipment.

Officials at the press conference highlighted the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System, or FIRIS, which uses fixed-wing aircraft equipped with infrared sensors to deliver real-time perimeter mapping and fire spread modeling within minutes of ignition. Since launching statewide, FIRIS has completed more than 2,000 missions supporting wildfire response, hazardous materials incidents and search-and-rescue operations.

Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said the state’s technology investments are increasingly important as climate change drives more extreme fires worldwide.

“Scientific understanding affects people, and it drives us to work faster, more broadly, and more creatively to protect people, which is where this technology comes in,” Crowfoot said.