ALERTCalifornia cameras (UC San Diego)

1,289 wildfire-watch PTZ cameras across California; latest frame about every 15 s, no key.

Self-serve API, no key, irlpls adapter · docs

Mode
Live · minutes
Coverage
United States
Price
Free
Key
Not needed
Resale
Not allowed
AI training
Not stated

Eight links

0 of 8 links claimed · 0 evidenced

Compiled from public sources, unclaimed. What they mean

Each link
  1. 1. Real personNot stated

    Person · Not stated

    Still open: Capture is automatic. Cameras are aimed by trained first responders and emergency managers, but who aimed a given frame is not exposed.

  2. 2. Captured locallyNot stated

    Camera · Not stated

    Still open: Not a signed capture, so none (STANDARD §3). What is stated: Fixed Axis PTZ cameras operated by UC San Diego; the acquisition engine pulls images from the physical cameras over Axis VAPIX. A sampled frame's EXIF reads AXIS Q6075-E, 1920x1080. No per-image sensor proof: EXIF is unsigned, the sampled JPEG had no C2PA manifest, and Axis is not on the C2PA conforming products list.

    Place · Claimed. Fixed site coordinates in the feature service, plus pan/tilt/zoom attached to each stored image and in positionPan/positionTilt/viewZoomScale.

    Still open: What is in frame depends on the current PTZ; the provider says images may advance ahead of orientation and viewshed updates.

    Needs both: the weaker one counts.

  3. 3. Genuine deviceNot stated

    App · Not stated

    Still open: No capture-app or device attestation is published; frames carry ordinary EXIF (make, model, firmware) that is not signed.

  4. 4. Sealed captureNot stated

    Camera · Not stated

    Still open: Not a signed capture, so none (STANDARD §3). What is stated: Fixed Axis PTZ cameras operated by UC San Diego; the acquisition engine pulls images from the physical cameras over Axis VAPIX. A sampled frame's EXIF reads AXIS Q6075-E, 1920x1080. No per-image sensor proof: EXIF is unsigned, the sampled JPEG had no C2PA manifest, and Axis is not on the C2PA conforming products list.

    Content · Not stated

    Still open: No integrity checks on public frames are documented.

  5. 5. Known timestampReported

    Time · Claimed. Capture timestamp in the redirected object path, in the x-amz-meta-context timestamp and in EXIF DateTime; per-camera viewTime field in the feed.

    Still open: Not signed or time-stamped by a third party; the layer's viewTime can lag the image by hours.

    A time stated, not attested (RFC 3161, a log): Reported.

  6. 6. Tracked in transitNot stated

    Custody record (optional field) · Not stated

  7. 7. Independently verifiedNot stated

    Cross-check · Not stated

    Still open: Colocated cameras exist (colocatedCameras field), and AI fire detections are vetted by watchstanders, but no cross-check of public frames is published.

  8. 8. Delivered to youNot stated

    Delivery receipt (optional field) · Not stated

API

No account or key needed.

base
https://services8.arcgis.com/X84q166Srnyl4JMV/arcgis/rest/services/ALERTCalifornia_Camera_Feed/FeatureServer/0
auth
No key
access
Self-serve
adapter
alertcalifornia
  • GET /query
  • GET https://cameras.alertcalifornia.org/public-camera-data/{cameraId}/latest-frame.jpg

Rate limit. Up to 50 per call. No request rate published; the feature layer returns at most 50 records per query (maxRecordCount). source

Sources

15 sources
  1. Feature service: 1,289 cameras, 1,252 online, fields (pan/tilt/zoom, viewTime, imageURL, colocatedCameras), viewTime lag, extent within California services8.arcgis.com
  2. Layer metadata: query-only capability, maxRecordCount 50 services8.arcgis.com
  3. ArcGIS item: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence and OIC commercial licence; images update ~every 15 s, direction/viewsheds every 2 min; near-infrared night vision; 360-degree sweeps; 60/120-mile view www.arcgis.com
  4. Terms: copyrighted, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, commercial licence via OIC with fees; footage request routes alertcalifornia.org
  5. Credit line 'ALERTCalifornia | UC San Diego'; do not crop the information bar or partner logos alertcalifornia.org
  6. Non-commercial use with credit; trained first responders move cameras; public cannot; winter mode; first-responder log-ins; archive requests alertcalifornia.org
  7. Near-infrared night vision, sweeps every two minutes, AI fire detection vetted by watchstanders alertcalifornia.org
  8. Latest-frame redirect, x-amz-meta-context PTZ and timestamp, EXIF AXIS Q6075-E, ~2-day object expiry; sampled 24 s old (2026-10-26) cameras.alertcalifornia.org
  9. Latest frame 31 s old while the layer's viewTime for the same camera was ~24 h old (2026-10-26) cameras.alertcalifornia.org
  10. Frontend API is the operator backend behind an authenticated proxy, not a public API docs.rd.alertcalifornia.org
  11. Acquisition engine talks to physical Axis cameras over VAPIX docs.rd.alertcalifornia.org
  12. PTZ position stored as blob metadata with each image docs.rd.alertcalifornia.org
  13. No MCP Registry entry registry.modelcontextprotocol.io
  14. Axis is not on the C2PA conforming products list raw.githubusercontent.com
  15. Feed count 1,289 total / 1,251 online; viewTime field can be stale alertcalifornia.org
Notes

About. UC San Diego's statewide network of high-definition pan-tilt-zoom wildfire cameras with near-infrared night vision, aimed by trained first responders. A public ArcGIS feature service lists every camera with location, online status, current pan/tilt/zoom and a latest-frame image URL. Free for non-commercial use under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Price. Free for non-commercial use with credit. For-profit (commercial) use needs a commercial licence negotiated with UC San Diego's OIC 'with appropriate licensing fees'; no price published.

Coverage. 1,289 cameras in the feed, 1,252 online at ~22:01 PDT on 2026-10-26 (1,251 on 2026-10-27); all within California (feed extent 32.59 to 41.93 N). Ridgetop/backcountry sites that can see up to 60 miles by day and 120 miles on a clear night; not street cameras. Operators move the PTZ view and cameras sweep 360 degrees about every two minutes, so the field of view changes. Some mountaintop cameras go offline in winter ('winter mode'). Check isOnline and viewTime per camera: one feed row had a viewTime of 2026-10-25, so some cameras are stale.

Timing. ArcGIS item: 'Camera images update approximately every 15 seconds.' Live samples on 2026-10-26 were 24 s and 31 s old.

Licence. ALERTCalifornia program data is copyrighted by UC San Diego (Regents of the University of California) and licensed CC BY-NC-ND 4.0: non-commercial use with credit 'ALERTCalifornia | UC San Diego', no derivatives; do not crop the information bar or partner logos on screen grabs. For-profit use must contact OIC to negotiate a commercial licence with fees. The terms have no explicit resale clause: "forbidden" is inferred from CC BY-NC-ND (no commercial use, no derivatives). AI or ML training is not named; NC and ND make it risky. automation_allowed true only means no ban on automated access; use stays non-commercial.

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Compiled from public sources · updated 2026-10-28JSONSiteCompare