Called the Fire Integrated Real-time Intelligence System, or FIRIS, it combines the fixed-wing aircraft with UC San Diego's WIFIRE supercomputer. The plane takes off at the first sign of smoke and maps the fire's perimeter within minutes of getting above it, said Chief Brian Fennessy of the Orange County Fire Authority, which manages the program.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday that he appointed two San Diego County residents to the state’s recently created California Wildfire Safety Advisory Board.

Ever wonder how fire agencies decide who and when to evacuate? It's not a decision made on a hunch. It requires making sense of huge amounts of real-time data and intelligence, and getting it wrong or late can have tragic consequences.

Southern California firefighters are tapping the University of California San Diego supercomputer to figure out where a wildfire is heading.

Real-time data from whiz-bang cameras and supercomputers has potential downsides: too many alarm bells, more blackouts and less boots-on-the-ground input.

Researchers at UC San Diego introduced a system that can forecast in real time wildfires in Southern California.

The Fire Integrated Real Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) is a 150-day pilot program funded with $4.5 million from a state grant secured by Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris.

It is another step toward the Holy Grail of Wildland Firefighter Safety.

A new program, called Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System launched September 1. The system uses a fixed-wing aircraft that can see through smoke using using infrared and radar sensors.

The new tool strives to map and predict fires in real time in order to protect residents and aid first-responders working in the field.