Halifax partners with provincial government for AI wildfire detection pilot program

May 8, 2024, Halifax, N.S. — In partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia, the Halifax Regional Fire & Emergency has launched a pilot program using artificial intelligence software to detect wildfires in three areas across the municipality, the city announced in a press release.

The program will use three specialized cameras positioned in Musquodoboit Harbour, Middle Sackville, and Hammonds Plains that will monitor the landscape for signs of smoke.

This continuous feed of images is fed into an AI-powered software called FireScout, which identifies signs of smoke and alert personnel, facilitating quicker decision making and dispatching of fire crews to respond as necessary.

A press release from the fire department said the cameras and software can detect wildfires up to 29 kilometers away during daylight hours and up to 21 kilometers away during the night.

As part of the municipality’s urban wildland interface strategy, this program will provide insight for recommendations to improve wildfire detection and mitigation, the department said in a press release.