Fire lookouts have spent more than a century in towers above the western United States keeping watch for smoke. Now, artificial intelligence can do the same.

On July 17, a camera on Lewis Peak in northern Summit County spotted a smoldering, lightning-caused fire.

It was several miles north of the Tollgate Canyon area and west of Hoytsville. Battalion Chief Tyler Rowser said North Summit Fire District crews were quickly able to extinguish it.

“I was here at the office almost all day, never saw any smoke coming from the Lewis Peak area,” Rowser told KPCW. “This could have smoldered for days until we got a good heat day and winds, so then could have been a much bigger issue.”

Rowser said the camera is operated by the company Pano AI and paid for by Rocky Mountain Power. But public agencies can request free access to Pano stations in their area.

Read the full story from KPCW.

This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.