New wildfire detection cameras show views from Chelan Butte, Wenatchee, Twisp and Tonasket

Views from Chelan Butte from Pano AI camera.

Live webcam feeds are now available to watch panoramic views of the Chelan Butte and 20 other areas around Washington State from phones, tablets or computers.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources has partnered with Pano AI for the newest interactive feature, which includes wildfire detection cameras.

In addition to a camera on Chelan Butte, there are real-time views of Naneum Ridge, above Wenatchee, Aeneas Mountain at Tonasket, and Little Buck Mountain at Twisp.

“When Pano AI approached us with a new publicly accessible camera feed feature, it was an easy yes,” said George Geissler, DNR’s State Forester and Deputy Supervisor responsible for Wildland Fire Management. “Early detection is a key part of DNR’s wildfire rapid response model, and now Washingtonians can peek behind the scenes at how part of that detection process works.”

Anyone can check in on the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) network of artificial intelligence-assisted cameras in 21 high-risk locations around Washington state. The cameras use a 360-degree field of vision to identify wildfire ignitions, then relay high-definition footage of potential fire starts to a team of around-the-clock Pano staff. Based on the data, the Pano team will alert DNR dispatch if needed so resources can be deployed to an emerging incident. Five additional cameras are in the process of being installed and brought online this year.

The cameras, funded by the landmark Wildfire Response, Forest Restoration, and Community Resilience Account (2021 House Bill 1168), are part of a five-year agency pilot project begun in 2023. The project boasts a track record of success on both sides of the state, identifying fires and allowing DNR to get on them quickly. However, state budget cuts are projected to have a negative impact on this sort of technological innovation in the next biennium.

“The destructive impacts of our wildfire crisis aren’t just an eastside issue, they impact everyone in Washington,” Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove said. “Our agency’s wildfire suppression model has grown and evolved to meet the worsening conditions on the landscape, and I will work tirelessly with our State Legislature to secure and protect the funding that makes innovations like Pano AI possible – now and in the future.”

The camera feeds can be viewed here and on dnr.wa.gov.