New smoke detection cameras are now on alert for wildfires. The first of its kind on Vancouver Island, Mosaic Forest Management has installed the cameras in Nanaimo on Mount Benson to help identify the start of nearby wildfires earlier and faster, day or night. The technology uses cameras with 360-degree coverage and up to 50 kilometres of range to continuously scan the landscape, automatically zooming in when a potential smoke plume is detected. The system can distinguish between smoke, clouds and fog and between different kinds of fires like a campfire. Detection to verification takes minutes before an alert is sent to Mosaic, where it’s reviewed by an internal team before BC Wildfire Service is notified so a response can be mobilized. …The system was developed by SenseNet, a Canadian company based in Vancouver. …nearby landowners stand to benefit as well. Any alert the camera generates, regardless of whose land it’s on, will be passed to BC Wildfire Service.