Russian National Park Swaps Human Fire Watchers for AI Drones and 24/7 Cameras

In Buzuluksky Bor, technology will soon take over the role of spotting wildfires — promising faster detection and fewer mistakes.

Buzuluksky Bor National Park in Russia’s Orenburg Region is phasing out its traditional human fire lookouts in favor of advanced monitoring technology. Autonomous systems — including drones and round-the-clock surveillance cameras — will soon handle forest fire detection, transmitting real-time data directly to firefighting services.

The park currently operates nine observation towers, where staff manually scan for smoke and calculate fire coordinates. The new “electronic eyes” are expected to do the job faster and with greater accuracy, minimizing human error and ensuring constant watch over the forest.

The initiative is part of a broader push to digitize environmental monitoring across Russia. Officials say the shift will not only improve wildfire response but also free up resources for other conservation efforts.

Human watchers will remain for now, but their role will evolve into supervising automated systems — combining human expertise with machine precision to protect one of Russia’s most unique ecosystems.