Mobile Deployment Units
Portable Wildfire Camera Kits for Rapid-Response Deployment
The Oregon Hazards Lab manages a rapidly growing network of mountaintop wildfire cameras. Deployed at strategic locations across Oregon with 365-degree views of the surrounding landscapes, these cameras provide vital tools to detect and monitor fires while keeping first responders out of harm’s way.
But sometimes a wildfire can spark far from the nearest permanent camera, making it hard for firefighters to monitor the blaze. Wildfires can also burn over locations where fixed cameras have been installed, eliminating resources for situational awareness. To help solve this challenge, the Oregon Hazards Lab is designing portable camera kits that can be rapidly deployed in remote locations in response to new ignitions.
Reserve a Mobile Deployment Unit
The Oregon Hazards Lab is seeking test users from wildfire and public land management agencies to deploy our new portable camera kits. This will improve our understanding of how these products perform in field environments so we can optimize their design.
Technical Specifications and Rental Process
Each mobile deployment unit contains a wildfire camera, a lightweight mast tower, a custom battery pack with solar panels, and Starlink technology. Unique benefits include full integration into the ALERTWest and Watch Duty platforms, including the ability to pan-tilt-zoom the cameras and receive alerts when new ignitions are detected. Oregon Hazards Lab field technicians will work with partner agencies to set up the cameras at designated locations.
Mobile Unit Technical Specifications
Camera Hardware: Axis M5526-E
- IP66 PTZ camera
- 4 MP
- 10x optical zoom
- Continuous 360° pan
Camera Mast: Total Mast Solutions Hiperpod
- 5.3m telescoping tripod mount
Power System: Solar Array and Batteries
- 400W portable monocrystalline solar panels
- 3.5kWh LiFePO₄ battery system
Connectivity: Integrated Starlink Mini (SpaceX)
- Satellite data service included and provided through OHAZ
- Remote state-of-health and telemetry monitoring also provided through OHAZ
Camera Command and Control: ALERTWest (a subsidiary of DigitalPath)
- Fully integrated into the ALERTWest wildfire camera platform
- Camera software, configuration, and onboarding provided through OHAZ
Responsibilities of the Oregon Hazards Lab
OHAZ will coordinate delivery, on-site setup, and integration testing for all mobile cameras. This includes:
- On-site installation support and system testing
- Configuration and network onboarding
- ALERTWest account provisioning
- Remote state-of-health and telemetry monitoring
OHAZ field technicians will deliver the mobile wildfire camera platform to a mutually agreed upon, accessible on-road location. OHAZ will schedule pickup at the designated on-road location upon notice of rental termination.
Responsibilities of Partner Agencies
Transportation from the delivery point to the final installation site is the sole responsibility of the renter. Any additional transport, access, or handling requirements beyond the on-road delivery point must be arranged and provided by the renter as well.
Mobile camera units are designed to be lightweight so a team can carry them into remote locations or so an individual can through multiple trips. No single component weighs more than 42 pounds.
At the conclusion of the rental period, the renter is responsible for transporting the equipment to an accessible on-road location for pickup by OHAZ field technicians. Retrieval from remote, off-road, or otherwise inaccessible locations is not included and must be coordinated and executed by the renter.
Design and Fabrication
In the fall of 2023, the U.S. Forest Service contacted the Oregon Hazards Lab with a request: could we design and fabricate a portable wildfire detection camera that could be hiked into a remote area and deployed in response to a new fire? Our Field Engineers then created a fully functioning proof-of-concept prototype, which was installed on a rocky ridge called Butler Butte in southwest Oregon to monitor the Anvil Fire.
In response to ongoing demand from public land management agencies, we continued to refine this initial prototype throughout the 2024 field season. Our goal is to create a camera kit that is sufficiently small and lightweight to be hiked into remote areas and set up by a crew of two to four firefighters without direct on-site assistance from Oregon Hazards Lab staff. The plug-and-play design could also accommodate other types of sensors needed for environmental monitoring or research (i.e., landslides, floods). Eventually, we plan to commercialize this product, so rapid-response camera kits can be rented to partner agencies to have on-hand and deploy as needed. We intend for this to generate sufficient revenue to eventually become a self-sustaining project.
Thank You to Our Partners at the Roundhouse Foundation
This project has been supported by the Roundhouse Foundation, which has provided philanthropic contributions to the Oregon Hazards Lab via the UO Foundation. This donation has enabled the Oregon Hazards Lab to upgrade the Butler Butte prototype to an engineered product and build out an initial stock of units to share with land management agencies during the 2025 field season. The Roundhouse Foundation is dedicated to supporting programs that inspire creativity, connect people with each other and their sense of place, and ensure sustainability for the long-term economic success of Oregon’s rural communities. Learn more about their work at roundhousefoundation.org.
If you are interested in contributing a donation to the Oregon Hazards Lab, please contact the UO Foundation.