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Collserola will use smart cameras to detect fires in 30 seconds
Collserola heads into summer with a new tool to monitor fires. The Parc Natural de la Serra de Collserola has installed smart cameras capable of detecting smoke columns in just 30 seconds, a crucial window when every minute counts to prevent a flare-up from turning into a wildfire.
The system has been installed in two strategic towers in the park, with four cameras equipped with artificial intelligence. Their role will be to continuously scan the horizon and alert for signs consistent with smoke, especially on hot, windy, or high-risk days.
The technology does not replace the guaitas, the lookouts who watch over Collserola from the control towers every summer. It complements their work. The idea is to combine human experience with an automated system that can spot a suspicious sign earlier and help speed up the response.
This development comes at a particularly sensitive time. Collserola is not an isolated forest: it is surrounded by neighbourhoods, towns, roads, housing developments, and areas frequently visited by locals, cyclists, runners, and families. A fire there could affect both the natural environment and the mobility and safety of thousands of people.
The smart cameras aim to reduce that margin of uncertainty. If they quickly spot a column of smoke, emergency teams can check the alert sooner, locate the possible source, and deploy the necessary resources without losing time in a first phase that is often decisive.
The project, driven by MWCapital, strengthens surveillance in one of the most important green spaces in the metropolitan area of Barcelona. Collserola covers more than 8,000 hectares and serves as a natural lung, leisure area, and biodiversity corridor just minutes from the city centre.
The measure also highlights that fire prevention no longer depends solely on watchtowers and calls from the public. Extreme heat, dry vegetation, and intensive use of the park make it necessary to modernise detection systems to anticipate risk.
This summer, those heading up to Collserola probably won't notice the cameras on their walk, but they may benefit from faster surveillance. In a park so close to the city, spotting smoke half a minute earlier can make the difference between a controlled alarm and a fire with consequences for all of Barcelona.