Legislation advances to make state’s wildfire technology research department permanent

The California State Assembly Emergency Management committee has advanced legislation to make the Office of Wildfire Technology Research and Development a permanent department under Cal Fire.  

The office was created through Senate Bill 109 in 2021, introduced by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, to research emerging wildfire safety technology after devastating wildfires that have impacted the state since 2017. The office’s most successful project to date is Alert California, a series of wildfire cameras placed throughout California forests that use artificial intelligence to detect smoke columns, helping firefighters attack a potential wildfire in its initial stages.