{
  "id": 14962845,
  "title": "AI-powered drones to help detect hill fires during Chung Yeung Festival",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/ai-powered-drones-to-help-detect-hill-fires-during-chung-yeung-14962845",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-16T13:16:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3371201/ai-powered-drones-help-detect-hill-fires-during-chung-yeung-festival"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hong Kong's Fire Services Department plans to deploy three new AI-assisted drone technologies to bolster fire detection and response during the Chung Yeung Festival, which takes place on Sunday. Acting divisional officer Wong Tak-fai revealed that these advancements will enhance the speed and precision of fire detection, enabling the department to allocate resources more efficiently. Wong emphasized that AI algorithms can rapidly process drone imagery and enable continuous analysis of large datasets from multiple drones across various locations to identify areas requiring immediate attention.\n\nAs the festival approaches, the department will augment its manpower to monitor high-risk areas, intensify district patrols, and conduct public education initiatives with the Civil Aid Service and other district organizations. Additionally, 159 firefighters will be dispatched on Saturday to patrol 12 locations in New Territories North, 10 sites in Kowloon, and six sites in New Territories South. On Sunday, a further 166 firefighters will be deployed.\n\nIn response to the growing number of hillfires, Hong Kong recorded 693 incidents in 2025. To address this issue, the department acquired a remotely operated aerial surveillance system worth HK$1.2 million, procured from Geely, a Chinese manufacturer. The system features an off-road vehicle retrofitted with two drone docking systems and a generator. Equipped with AI-driven video analysis capabilities, the drones can conduct automated patrols within a 3km radius and receive real-time alerts for fire hazards or drowning incidents.\n\nThe new platform will allow for the instantaneous analysis of drone footage and images, reducing the need for manual review of footage after a flight. Currently, officers must manually transfer files from an SD card to a computer for analysis, a process that takes considerable time. Two high-payload drones, each costing HK$500,000, will also be deployed, equipped with water-bomb systems capable of carrying up to 150kg of water. These drones can traverse uphill terrains in just 10 minutes, significantly faster than the one-hour timeframe required by human firefighters. Wong highlighted that while AI will complement firefighters' efforts, it will not replace their roles, as all operational decisions will still be made by human personnel.",
  "summary": "Hong Kong’s Fire Services Department will launch three new AI-assisted drone technologies to strengthen fire detection and its response to heightened risks during tomb-sweeping activities ahead of the Chung Yeung Festival on Sunday. Wong Tak-fai, acting divisional officer for information and communications technology, said on Friday that the technology would improve the speed and accuracy of fire…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post - Hong Kong",
        "title": "AI-powered drones to help detect hill fires during Chung Yeung Festival",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/ai-powered-drones-to-help-detect-hill-fires-during-chung-yeung",
        "published": "2026-10-16T13:16:39.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}