---
title: "How Machine Learning Could Help California Fight Wildfires"
description: "A combination of machine learning and new data gathering tools could help warn firefighters in California earlier and possibly even save lives."
date: "2018-11-12"
modified: "2018-11-12"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/maching-learning-california-fight-wildfires"
categories:
  - "Artificial Intelligence"
  - "Machine Learning"
tags:
  - "artificial intelligence"
  - "machine learning"
  - "wildfires"
---

# How Machine Learning Could Help California Fight Wildfires

![A combination of machine learning and new data gathering tools could help warn firefighters in California earlier and possibly even save lives.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/maching-learning-california-fight-wildfires.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/648/22797348233_8034e0dd3e_b.jpg" target="\_blank"\>Daria Devyatkina\</a\>\</em\>*

## Fire Crisis

Wildfires have torn through nearly hundreds of thousands of acres in California already this year, forcing evacuations and causing [dozens of deaths](<https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/western-wildfires/firefighters-battle-deadly-california-blazes-powerful-winds-return-n934996>).

A [new story](<https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/09/wildfire-detection-how-tech-and-artificial-intelligence-are-joining-the-fight/>) by the *Bay Area News Group* looks at whether a combination of machine learning and new data gathering tools could warn firefighters about fires earlier, help responders evacuate areas more efficiently, and even save lives. The conclusion: Those technologies hold great promise, but none will be a cure-all in the face of worsening fires.

## Silver Bullet

Alex Koltunov is a UC Davis researcher who designs algorithms that parse data from weather satellites to flag likely fires. He told the *Bay Area News* that although tech-powered fire detection methods have made strides in recent years, there's no "silver bullet."

"Each method has its limitations," he said. "How good is the data? Is the fire a barbecue in a backyard, or a campfire?"

## Cyborg Firefighters

Ultimately, experts and firefighters agreed that communication is key — the best fire detection systems prioritize sharing data between all the parties involved, be they humans, algorithms, government agencies, or other stakeholders.

And sometimes, a breakthrough is simply a new item of consumer technology. Firefighter Jim Crawford told the news group that one of the state's most valuable tools for fighting fires is the humble cell phone, which lets ordinary people call emergency services when they spot a fire.

**READ MORE:** [Camp Fire Shows Need for Early Detection: How Tech and Artificial Intelligence Can Help](<https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/11/09/wildfire-detection-how-tech-and-artificial-intelligence-are-joining-the-fight/>) \[*Mercury News*\]

***More on wildfires: [California’s Future Is Dry, Wet, and Scary](<https://futurism.com/california-climate-whiplash>)***

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)