First-in-California deployment pairs heat-detection technology with a state-funded rollout to cut wildfire response time to minutes, not miles
In a groundbreaking step in California’s fight against wildfires, the City of Rancho Cucamonga and the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District will unveil the state’s first community deployment of the FIREBird early heat-detection wildfire system, developed by Lindsey FireSense, LLC of Azusa, California. The system will be unveiled at a public event held by the Rancho Cucamonga City Council/Fire Board, Monday, July 20, 2026 from 9:00 – 9:30 a.m., at the Banyan Fire Station (11108 Banyan St. Rancho Cucamonga CA, 91737)
Wildfires in California have grown markedly larger and more destructive since the 1980s, and ten of the state’s most costly and deadly fires have occurred since 2015. FIREBird is designed to close the gap between ignition and first response, the critical window fire officials say determines whether a fire stays small or becomes catastrophic.
“The possibilities of emerging technology in early wildfire detection today become an on-the-ground reality,” said Jack McCall, CEO of Lindsey FireSense, LLC, creator of the FIREBird system. “The deployment of FIREBird in the City of Rancho Cucamonga ushers in a new era of how local jurisdictions can more rapidly respond to wildfires and prevent greater destruction and loss of life.”
“The FIREBird system has the potential to save lives and property,” said Mike McCliman, Fire Chief for the City of Rancho Cucamonga. “Early detection allows local jurisdictions to effectively respond to wildfires at their earliest stage, with a goal to minimize fire spread and decrease the overall number of resources committed to an incident.”
FIREBird’s heat-detection technology gives first responders a decisive advantage over conventional smoke-camera systems. Firefighters cannot respond until a fire is detected and reported, and FIREBird units are capable of detecting wildfires as small as 5 by 5 feet within minutes of ignition—providing rapid detection, reporting, and response across the wildland‑urban interface.
The Rancho Cucamonga deployment is the first state-funded FIREBird installation in California, supported through state budget appropriation SB 178. The city’s northern boundary forms a wildland-urban interface between residential neighborhoods and the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, an area designated a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. The rugged terrain and Santa Ana wind events common to the area make it especially vulnerable to fast-moving wildfires.
FIREBird is the first system built specifically to provide automatic, local wildfire detection in the high-risk wildland-urban interface, where fire threatens homes, businesses, infrastructure, and lives. Each self-contained unit combines wildfire-specific thermal sensors, multiple cameras, an on-board weather station and AI-based processing to detect small fires from up to ½-mile away, day or night, in wind, cloud cover or fog, without the need for human monitoring. Once a fire is detected, the system automatically alerts designated first responders with the fire’s location, live photos, and on-site weather conditions. This deployment has been integrated directly into the City’s existing dispatch system for optimal fire response time.
The stakes of faster detection were on stark display during the January 2025 Southern California firestorm. The Eaton Fire, which killed 18 people and destroyed more than 9,400 structures, was first reported by a 911 call rather than any fire detection system. The Palisades Fire, which caused 11 deaths and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, was likewise first identified by a person, not technology. FIREBird’s autonomous, continuous heat detection is designed to identify a fire the moment it ignites, without waiting for it to be seen.
About Lindsey FireSense
Established in a foothill community in Southern California, Lindsey FireSense is itself located in a high-risk wildfire area. Its products are developed by a team of engineers and scientists with decades of combined experience in sensors, wildfire detection, the utility industry, and IoT devices and applications. Lindsey FireSense focuses on products designed to detect and mitigate wildfire-related damage. For more information, visit www.lindsey-firesense.com.