GREAT NEWS FOR WILDFIRE SAFETY IN HIDDEN HILLS!

The City of Hidden Hills is pleased to announce that, after much determination and assistance from Los Angeles County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Smith, we are now part of the statewide Cal Fire/UC San Diego camera network system, with the installation of two wildfire detection cameras that have been placed in the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (Ahmanson Ranch).

Why This Matters

This network has thousands of cameras connected across California that are actively monitored and play a key role in early fire detection, providing 24-hour surveillance with infrared capabilities. The cameras perform 360-degree sweeps every few minutes, ensuring continuous coverage of high-risk areas, including Hidden Hills.

In addition to manual monitoring at emergency command centers, the program uses AI technology to detect anomalies such as smoke in real time. Faster than 911 calls in many cases, the cameras give firefighters an early advantage, enabling them to respond more effectively. This hybrid approach—combining human oversight with AI-powered detection—enhances situational awareness for emergency responders, allowing them to monitor fires, coordinate evacuations, and allocate resources to contain wildfires quickly and safely.

The cameras, named ‘Las Virgenes 1’ and ‘Las Virgenes 2,’ were provided by Cal Fire in cooperation with UC San Diego and went live on Monday, October 14th. Anyone can view the cameras by visiting ALERTCalifornia.