AUSTIN, Texas — The city of Austin is considering the installation of high-tech, high-resolution cameras to monitor wildfire risk areas for smoke that will notify firefighters to potential blazes.
The FireWatch America cameras are so sensitive that they can see water vapor in a cloud of particles from a far distance away and distinguish between the vapors and a cloud of dust, according to KENS5.
Developed by a German space agency studying the chemical makeup of comet tails and other planets’ dust storms, the cameras have been used in several other countries to battle fires.
Austin City Councilman and former firefighter Mike Martinez said that the cameras helped reduce forest fires in Germany by 90 percent.
“I just feel we have an opportunity here. The more eyes you have watching the community, the better,” he said.
However, some of Councilman Martinez’s former firefighting crew members said the first priority should be hiring more firefighters, not investing in new technology.
FireWatch America is pricing the installation at $1.5 million.
If the city manager deems the camera system is necessary, Central Texas will be the first place in the United States to have the technology.