SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif — The last 360-degree camera that can see all of Tahoe was installed on Wednesday. It's part of the AlertTahoe Fire Camera Network, an early warning detection that will give firefighters information of outbreaking wildfires.
Each camera that views South Lake Tahoe costs $25,000, which includes the equipment and the labor that goes in setting it up. The camera has a box solar panel with batteries on the bottom. Firefighters can shift the view of the camera so they could narrow down where the smoke is.
They came from Nevada Seismological Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno, who built and also maintains the camera network.
Graham Kent, who is the director for the Nevada Seismological Lab from the University of Nevada, Reno, said firefighters had to do a lot of guesswork before the camera system came around. Without the camera system, firefighters do not immediately know how big a fire is or how fast it is spreading.
The AlertTahoe fire camera network takes the guesswork out of the equation, Kent said. It offers the ability to see a fire in real-time and lets firefighting agencies figure out how many people to send out before it spreads out of control.
"We are pushing out a camera every day at his point," Kent said. "We are getting ready for fire season for when the wind blows."
Kent said the goal is to install 150 cameras throughout California by the end of the year.
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The AlertTahoe Fire Camera Network began in 2013 and was initially funded by the Tahoe Prosperity Center.
"When Graham brought this idea, our board was not sure how exactly this would work. It was very much an unknown and untested," said Heidi Drum, who is the chief executive officer for Tahoe Prosperity Center.
Drum said the camera's early detection system helped firefighters put out 56 fires in the last four years.
"It is so important before [a fire] reaches one acre," Drum said. "As we saw in Paradise, they can go so fast, so getting on these fires is so beneficial in protecting our communities."
Kent said everyone should learn how the cameras work because it could be used as a tool for their evacuation plan. To access the camera feeds, click here.