Each holiday season, Christmas wish lists include ordinary items along with some big ticket wishes, so this year for area fire officials, that big wishlist includes Pano AI wildfire detection stations in Routt County.

As part of collaboration opportunities discussed during the Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Conference on Nov. 15, two employees of Pano AI presented the benefits of the high-tech camera early wildfire detection system. The goal of cameras coupled with satellite data and human support is to provide wildfire response teams with immediate information to enhance detection, confirmation, monitoring and smoke alerts when a potential wildfire starts.

The enticing presentation at the conference pushed the technology to the top of the wish list for many area fire officials who peppered Pano AI presenters Kathryn Marra and Mason Bates with questions. The big sticking point, though, is the cost per monitoring station at $50,000 per year.

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“As chair of the wildfire council, we’ve been discussing this for a while now, and our biggest challenge is finding partners so that we all come together and help make this happen,” said Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue Chief Chuck Cerasoli.

“This has the potential to provide early recognition and early response,” added Cerasoli, chair of the nonprofit Routt County Wildfire Mitigation Council. “It’s not a foolproof program. This is another tool in the toolbox that I certainly see as a valuable and advantageous asset.”

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So far, the Pano AI fire detection technology company headquartered in California has 66 live stations in Colorado largely across the stretch of Pitkin, Garfield, Summit, Jefferson, Douglas and Boulder counties. The stations include two cameras with high-tech optical zoom covering 360 degrees, 24 hours a day from their placements on higher elevation towers.

The cost for each station location is $50,000 per year and are often paid for through collaborative funding from fire districts, utility companies and other private and government entities.

Pano AI employees currently are courting Steamboat Resort for a possible future first Routt County station location at Storm Peak at the top of the resort, said Marra, a Steamboat Springs resident.

Cerasoli said Pano AI could be a great tool to help with actionable intelligence for wildfire management especially for local departments with limited staffing levels. He said the firefighting community on the local, county, state and federal levels have a “pretty complex mutual aid agreement,” so all firefighting departments have “skin in the game” to contribute personnel, equipment and finances to the expensive process of combating wildfires.

“All fire districts in the county have a cost share involved in large fires,” Cerasoli said, noting that Routt County can be asked to pay for air tanker drops on a large fire.

Cerasoli said having high-resolution images, exact locations and specific weather conditions when smoke is identified can determine what level of response is needed in order to gain valuable time.

Currently after receiving a 911 or other call regarding a smoke sighting, fire personnel often need to drive or hike to find the exact location and then evaluate conditions, Cerasoli explained. The local fire departments are asked to provide initial evaluations when possible, but sometimes the smoke notifications are false hits, the chief said.

“If we have the cameras and they can locate it and zoom in, we might be able to decide from my desk to send a helicopter or to reach out to partners with the state or feds,” Cerasoli said. “Maybe we don’t need to send anybody at all. I do think the system warrants further evaluation and investigation by all stakeholders.”

Cerasoli said he hopes to learn more from other Colorado fire chiefs to determine “do they feel like they have had some good stops” with the early assistance of Pano AI.

“For our municipalities and local governments, this would be a big expense for them,” Cerasoli said. “The key is finding stakeholders willing to participate potentially with local governments and stakeholders like the utility companies, large HOAs.”

One of the current partnerships facilitated six stations funded by the Aspen, Roaring Fork and Carbondale fire departments. Another four stations were funded by the Telluride Fire Protection District along with San Miguel Power Association.

PANO AI sites are currently in 17 counties in Colorado in such locations as the weather station atop Berthoud Pass and scanning Aspen, Beaver Creek and Breckenridge ski areas, said Bates, community engagement coordinator for Pano AI. The first station in Colorado was installed near Aspen four years ago with funding from the Aspen Fire Department. 

Bates, who grew up in Steamboat, estimates the need for six to eight camera stations to fully cover Routt County, but the surveillance could start with less.

Future Christmas wish lists for fire chiefs may include the intelligent camera stations installed at higher elevation Routt County locations such as Storm Peak, Emerald Mountain, Walton Peak, Farwell Mountain and Buffalo Pass.