The Montecito front country is monitored around the clock by a network of wildfire detection cameras provided by ALERT California. 

Locally, cameras are in place at:

• Ortega Ridge
• Gibraltar Peak
• TV Hill
• UC Santa Barbara's campus

The ALERT California cameras are part of a growing network of more than 1,190 monitoring cameras across the western United States that provide early wildfire confirmation and real-time data to quickly scale fire resources, help evacuations through enhanced situational awareness, and monitor fire behavior.

Based at the University of California San Diego, ALERT California is a public safety program working to understand wildfires and other natural hazards and determine short and long-term impacts on people and the environment to inform management decisions.

When an ALERT camera detects smoke or flames, the AI technology triggers an alert system that notifies designated local first responders with an approximate location of the fire and a map of the area. This early notification allows firefighters to quickly determine an appropriate emergency response and understand where the fire is burning. 

Early detection and rapid response allow firefighters to combat fires before they grow. The AI technology is effective in spotting anomalies in remote locations and is proven effective at night, even alerting firefighters before 911 calls.

If you see smoke and believe it may be a wildfire, please call 911. 

To see if there are permitted burns occurring in the County of Santa Barbara, please check the map below. 

View the County Burn Permit map in a new window.