Victoria is expanding its network of AI-powered bushfire cameras to detect blazes earlier, the state government says.

The $3.8 million project is jointly funded by timber company Hancock Victorian Plantations and Green Triangle Fire Alliance – a grouping of forestry companies.

The cameras scan the landscape for signs of smoke and fire, and flag sites for further checking.

The government says seven existing AI-powered bushfire cameras will be joined by 11 more in western and eastern Victoria by November next year. 

While the cameras will be installed on private plantations, their reach is much greater and extends to country communities, the state says.

The network will cover more than 1.4 million hectares, including 211,000 hectares of plantation.

Cameras already installed detected 40 fires in 2023-24 and 46 fires in 2024-25.

The move follows the Commonwealth and Victorian governments’ investment in the Remote Sensing Bushfire Detection trial, examining the accuracy of commercially available AI technology.