VIDEO: The Anchorage Fire Department has a new tool for detecting wildfires on the Anchorage Hillside that can provide an early alert to first responders.
The system called FIRE-SPY consists of a small box that contains a sensor which is mounted on a utility pole. There are currently 25 monitors in place on the hillside, with plans to install five more by the end of July.
Anchorage Fire Chief Doug Schrage said the sensors, which monitor an area about a half-acre in size, act similarly to a home smoke detector but are much more sophisticated.
“They’re testing for temperature changes, humidity changes, looking for smoke in the air, and then sending an automatic alert not only to Chugach Electric but to Anchorage Fire Dispatch,” Schrage said.