A wildfire detection camera is now installed on Ortega Ridge in Montecito, providing coverage of the eastern portion of the Santa Barbara front country.
The ALERT California camera is part of a growing network of cameras across the western United States that help local, state, and federal agencies better detect and suppress wildfires.
The camera’s view from Ortega Ridge provides an unobstructed view of the Santa Barbara front country, including Montecito’s wildland areas. The camera provides 24/7 “eyes” on the fire-prone hillsides. It is equipped with artificial intelligence technology that is capable of alerting firefighters of new fire starts within minutes of ignition.
The camera views are publicly available so that community members can gain a better understanding of where a fire is burning. The Ortega Ridge camera can be viewed at this link.
The camera on Ortega Ridge joins a network of hundreds of cameras that provide coverage of wildland areas. Locally, there are existing cameras at Gibraltar Peak, UC Santa Barbara’s campus and TV Hill. The TV Hill camera was installed in Dec. 2022.
For more information about ALERT California, visit www.alertwildfire.org and https://alertca.live/.
