“It’s dusty down here, but no smoke.”

“There’s a barbecue cooking near me, either teriyaki ribs or chicken.”

Officials say wildfire sensors supported by artificial intelligence (A.I.) learning algorithms will soon be sharing conversations like these in Kihei and West Maui. Two arrays of the high-tech devices are to be deployed on Maui as part of a pilot program funded by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Fire Administration. Of the 200 Beta versions of the wildfire sensors to be distributed to high-risk areas in the United States this year, the first 80 are earmarked for Hawaii. Twenty of those are pegged for Maui. This phase of the program is provided without charge to the state or county.

The program was officially announced Friday morning at Wailea Fire Station during a press conference with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen, Dept. of Homeland Security Under Secretary Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell and Maui County Fire Chief Brad Ventura. The event was held on the seven-month anniversary of the devastating wildfires that torched Lahaina and Kula on Aug. 8 of last year.

The high-tech sensors are designed to “sniff” out fires from a mile away.

“Today we are deploying dozens of state-of-the-art fire and wind sensors in strategic locations across Hawaii to enable local officials and firefighters to quickly target an initial blaze and initiate evacuation procedures,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas in a release provided following the press conference. “As wildfires and other climate change-driven challenges increase in frequency and severity, our department will continue working every day to develop innovative solutions and deploy them across the country for the safety and security of our communities.”

Officials said one of Maui’s arrays will run the length of Kihei, in the drying fields mauka of Piilani Highway. The other is to be deployed through Olowalu and Launiupoko. The weatherproof, solar-powered devices communicate via the cellphone network and can be mounted on structures such as power poles and water tanks.

The sensors were developed by the Dept. of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Fire Administration, N5 Sensors Inc., TechNexus and the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp. Maui’s two arrays are to be in service by April 8, the eight-month anniversary of the fires. The sensors reportedly detect particulate matter, chemicals and gases, and can spot unusual concentrations or spikes of particulates or carbon monoxide. They also have infrared sensors to alert firefighters to flames and hot spots. A.I. algorithms compare ambient background conditions against wildfire elements. The units are designed to detect smoke up to a mile away, but have reportedly sniffed it as far as five miles.

Officials said the devices will not only communicate with fire personnel via text and email, but also among themselves. With their A.I capabilities and data sharing, the sensors are expected to learn their surroundings to establish a baseline for what is normal. If one unit thinks it might be detecting smoke, it can confer with others for confirmation. Green joked the sensors better be able to figure out how to discern the scent of meat on the grill, because Hawaii loves to barbecue.

“We welcome this early alert system and are grateful to our federal partners for providing these wildfire and wind sensors to help keep our communities safe,” Green said. “We have seen how rapid and devastating wildfires can be. No community, throughout our island state or elsewhere, should ever have to experience so much suffering and loss. This technology will help to save the lives of Hawaii residents and visitors.”

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green snaps a selfie at the conclusion of Friday’s press conference at Wailea Fire Station.

Bissen echoed those sentiments.

“Reflecting on the tragedy our people have endured, fire mitigation remains at the forefront of our recovery efforts,” Bissen said. “With this new technology, detecting fires at the very early phases will save lives. We are already exploring ways to rebuild Lahaina safer, and the introduction of an early detection system will give our emergency responders a critical advantage in protecting our community.”

Ventura said early detection and rapid response are keys to containing a fire before it flares out of control. He said his department plans to learn from this pilot program and then add more sensors in other at-risk areas around the county.

According to the DHS website, lab testing on the wildfire sensors started in 2020. They were prototyped and tested from 2021 to 2022. In 2023, 200 units of the Alpha version were deployed throughout the U.S. and Canada. The machines’ A.I. capabilities mean each new version is smarter and has more data to draw upon.

“The wildfire challenge we face as a nation today, and the solutions to it, are complex,” Administrator Moore Merrell said. “Protecting our nation’s homelands against fire and hazardous threats requires continued collaborative research and development in the field of firefighting. The deployment of these sensors marks a major step forward in wildfire prevention and mitigation, enhancing our capabilities for predicting the incidence and spread of large-scale fires.”

Green said with summer coming there is no time to waste in getting the arrays up and running.

“Fire season is just around the corner,” he said.

* Staff Writer Matthew Thayer can be reached at mthayer@mauinews.com.