Tenerife Deploys AI-Powered Surveillance Towers to Bolster Firefighting Strategy
Tenerife has launched an automated surveillance system featuring AI-powered thermal towers to monitor 90% of its forests and accelerate wildfire response times.
Tenerife is upgrading its firefighting strategy with a new automated surveillance system. The island’s government recently launched the first of six high-tech control towers in Vilaflor, marking the start of a project designed to monitor 90% of the island’s forests in the coming months.
Known as "Los Topos," these towers move beyond traditional human observation. They use cameras equipped with thermal and optical sensors, combined with machine learning, to detect heat sources while reducing false alarms. Data is sent directly to the Island Operational Coordination Center (Cecopin), allowing emergency teams to make tactical decisions based on real-time information.
These towers are built to be resilient; they feature independent power supplies and multiple connectivity options, ensuring they remain operational even during extreme weather or emergencies.
This technology is a vital response to the growing threat climate change poses to the island’s ecosystems. By digitizing surveillance and using artificial intelligence, the local government aims to speed up response times. In Tenerife’s challenging terrain, catching a small fire early is the most effective way to prevent it from turning into a large-scale disaster.