Volunteers at El Dorado County's Pilot Peak keep watch for wildfires ...Middle East

News by : (CBS sacramento) -

The lookout offers sweeping views across three counties, giving the Pilot Peak Smoke Seekers a unique vantage point during California's fire season.

The volunteer group maintains a watch 12 hours a day, seven days a week during fire season.

"I'll stop. I'll pick up a pair of binoculars and look closer to identify the item," he said.

Of the 217 lookout towers that remain standing across the state, about 58 are currently staffed, according to the Forest Fire Lookout Association.

AlertCalifornia, a public safety program operated by UC San Diego, uses a statewide network of cameras and sensors to monitor wildfires and other natural hazards in real time.

At Pilot Peak, however, volunteers say the goal is not to replace people with technology. Instead, the two can complement each other.

That combination of human observation and technology was especially important during the Miners Fire in El Dorado County.

Derek Evans, a battalion chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's Amador-El Dorado Unit, said the human element remains critical.

The early report helped get firefighters moving within minutes.

For the volunteers who spend their time watching the landscape from Pilot Peak, that early detection is the ultimate goal.

As technology continues to expand the number of eyes watching California's wildlands, Pilot Peak's volunteers say there is still value in human experience, knowing the landscape and recognizing when something on the horizon simply doesn't look right.

Hence then, the article about volunteers at el dorado county s pilot peak keep watch for wildfires was published today ( ) and is available on CBS sacramento ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Volunteers at El Dorado County's Pilot Peak keep watch for wildfires )

Last updated :

Also on site :

Most Viewed News
جديد الاخبار