KAHULUI, Hawaii — The Maui Fire Department and Public Safety recently launched new technology that has the ability to detect fires.

The technology, part of the N5 Shield sensor program, samples the air and uses AI to provide early warning of possible fires in parts of Maui. The program’s launch was made possible through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Fire Administration with the cooperation of Hawaiian Electric Co.

Sixteen of the sensors have been positioned along corridors in West Maui and South Maui. MFD has four other sensors that can be placed at locations to monitor conditions of existing fires.

Specific fire department personnel will receive real-time alerts if sensors detect any factors consistent with fire. The use of machine learning will improve the speed at which fires are detected and minimize any false alarms.

“This technology, coupled with the AlertWest fire detection camera system put in place by HECO, provides the County of Maui with cutting-edge, early fire-detection capability,” said MFD Chief Brad Ventura in a news release. “Both systems are in their infancy, so we look forward to seeing their impact on fire control operations and determining how best to enhance their value in the years to come.”