The Rancho Cucamonga Fire District officially launched an AI-assisted wildfire detection system called FIREBird on Monday, July 20, 2026. This technology can identify small brush fires from a distance of 100 yards and transmit images, exact coordinates, and weather data to public safety dispatchers in three seconds. Fire Chief Mike McCliman stated that the system is critical for reducing response times in a city of 177,000 residents, particularly during the dangerous Santa Ana wind events that blow through the Cajon Pass. The initiative aims to prevent fires in the Front Country at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains from spreading into urban areas.

The FIREBird system was developed by the Azusa-based company Lindsey FireSense, which began work on the technology in 2019. Rancho Cucamonga is the first municipality in California to deploy these devices. The implementation consists of 30 solar-powered sensors installed on utility poles and Southern California Edison towers at heights ranging from 20 to 60 feet. These devices utilize thermal detectors tuned specifically to wildfire heat wavelengths, providing 360-degree camera coverage that functions during both day and night operations. The system is capable of detecting fires as small as 3-by-3 feet at the distance of a football field and larger incidents up to half a mile away or further.

The project was funded by a $1.9 million state grant secured by former Assemblyman Chris Holden, which covered engineering, equipment, installation, and maintenance costs. According to the Fire District, real-time data from the sensors is accessible to dispatchers, battalion chiefs via mobile phones, and firefighters in transit on tablets. This allows for immediate verification of potential fires and faster mobilization of resources, including fire engines and investigators. Chief McCliman noted that this deployment aligns with the department's ongoing commitment to technological innovation, following their previous adoption of electric fire engines and advanced helicopter water tanks.

The Rancho Cucamonga Fire District officially launched an AI-assisted wildfire detection system called FIREBird on Monday, July 20, 2026. This technology can identify small brush fires from a distance of 100 yards and transmit images, exact coordinates, and weather data to public safety dispatchers in three seconds. Fire Chief Mike McCliman stated that the system is critical for reducing response times in a city of 177,000 residents, particularly during the dangerous Santa Ana wind events that blow through the Cajon Pass. The initiative aims to prevent fires in the Front Country at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains from spreading into urban areas.

The FIREBird system was developed by the Azusa-based company Lindsey FireSense, which began work on the technology in 2019. Rancho Cucamonga is the first municipality in California to deploy these devices. The implementation consists of 30 solar-powered sensors installed on utility poles and Southern California Edison towers at heights ranging from 20 to 60 feet. These devices utilize thermal detectors tuned specifically to wildfire heat wavelengths, providing 360-degree camera coverage that functions during both day and night operations. The system is capable of detecting fires as small as 3-by-3 feet at the distance of a football field and larger incidents up to half a mile away or further.

The project was funded by a $1.9 million state grant secured by former Assemblyman Chris Holden, which covered engineering, equipment, installation, and maintenance costs. According to the Fire District, real-time data from the sensors is accessible to dispatchers, battalion chiefs via mobile phones, and firefighters in transit on tablets. This allows for immediate verification of potential fires and faster mobilization of resources, including fire engines and investigators. Chief McCliman noted that this deployment aligns with the department's ongoing commitment to technological innovation, following their previous adoption of electric fire engines and advanced helicopter water tanks.