Artificial intelligence-powered cameras are operating in Minnesota for the first time to detect wildfires before they spread.

Xcel Energy has installed two cameras, located in Mankato and Clear Lake. The cameras are designed to run 24/7 to provide the utility and state agencies real-time information.

Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, said this allows for a faster response. Long called the cameras “incredible.”

“They scan a 10-mile radius every minute, and can instantly triangulate the source of smoke,” Long said. The cameras provide alerts to those impacted by the potential wildfires: Xcel Energy, municipal agencies and first responders.

More camera stations are expected to be installed.

“By the end of 2026, we will have deployed 36 more

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