How technology is helping in the fight against the Southern California wildfires NBC Bay Area [Video]

As crews try to get a handle on multiple wildfires raging across Southern California, tech companies are offering ways to help.

Companies based in Los Angeles and Silicon Valley are using artificial intelligence and drones to detect flare-ups and to try to reach new fires as quickly as possible.

Drones, capable of getting closer to the flames than humans would be able to safely, can help map the firefight along with satellites, dubbed “eyes in the sky” by NASA.

“Especially with satellites that measure the whole planet and can observe the whole planet over long periods of time,” NASA Ames research scientist Laura Iraci said. “Some of the folks here at AMES are using the sub-orbital assets to study more closely and with better spatial resolution the fires.”

The tech is often pointed toward flames by companies like Los Angeles-based PriviNet, which is fighting fires with AI-powered hardware and software that can detect smoke from massive distances and determine whether it’s a threat.

“As soon as we’ve identified with a sensor …