Santa Fe Wildfire Monitoring Camera — Live Webcam Online
Where the monitoring camera is located
The Santa Fe wildfire monitoring camera is located on Tesuque Peak — one of the highest points of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in northern New Mexico. The peak's elevation is 12,066 feet (3,678 meters) above sea level, providing exceptional visibility of the surrounding forest areas. The camera is located on the territory of the Santa Fe Ski Basin, approximately 16 miles east of the state capital.
The Santa Fe National Forest, where the webcam is installed, was established in 1915 and covers an area of 1,558,452 acres (6,306 km²). It is one of the largest forest areas in the region, stretching from high alpine meadows to arid foothills.
How the fire detection system works
The camera on Tesuque Peak became the first wildfire monitoring camera of its kind in New Mexico. The system uses artificial intelligence to continuously analyze the video feed in real time. When smoke is detected, the algorithm automatically determines the GPS coordinates of the fire and sends a notification to the appropriate fire department.
Each monitoring station is equipped with two cameras that rotate to provide a 360-degree view with a visibility radius of at least 10 miles. This is sufficient to cover a vast area of the forest and detect fires early at the wildland-urban interface.
Pano AI Technology
In November 2025, a new network of AI cameras for early fire detection was announced in New Mexico — a partnership between the State Forestry Division and technology company Pano AI. The Pano AI system already operates in 17 U.S. states, as well as Canada and Australia.
According to industry representatives, the new technology is comparable in speed and accuracy of early fire detection to 911 calls from eyewitnesses. Pano AI has raised $44 million in investments to expand the camera network. The equipment is installed on cell towers and connected via 5G network, ensuring real-time data transmission.
Public access to the broadcast
The cameras are available for public viewing through the AlertWest platform. This allows Santa Fe residents and anyone interested to follow the progress of prescribed controlled burns and monitor the forest situation. The live webcam on Tesuque Peak streams continuously, and any user can observe what is happening in the Santa Fe National Forest.
Earlier, the camera captured a prescribed pile burn in the Santa Fe National Forest in early December 2025. Such controlled burns are an important part of wildfire prevention, reducing the risk of uncontrolled fires in the future.
History of fire monitoring systems
The ALERTWildfire network, which includes the Santa Fe camera, grew out of the ALERT Tahoe pilot program (2016-2019), which provided critical information for more than 1,000 fires, including the Cave, Maria, and Saddleridge fires. Today, more than 1,000 cameras in California and other western states are monitored through the ALERTWest network.
The ALERTCalifornia program was recognized as one of TIME magazine's Best Inventions of 2023. The ALERTWest and ALERTCalifornia systems are integrated into the Watch Duty app for real-time fire tracking.
Natural landscape around the camera
The camera on Tesuque Peak offers a 360-degree view of the Santa Fe National Forest. In the foreground are silhouettes of coniferous trees characteristic of the high-altitude areas of the Sangre de Cristo range. In the distance, the horizon with vegetation is visible, and above the landscape — a dramatic cloudy sky typical of the mountainous regions of New Mexico.
The Santa Fe National Forest is known for its diverse landscapes: from alpine meadows above the treeline to arid pinyon-juniper woodlands in the foothills. Elevations in the forest range from 5,300 to 13,103 feet (1,600–4,000 meters), and the highest point — South Truchas Peak — is the second-highest peak in New Mexico.
What the camera shows
The live webcam shows the natural landscape with silhouettes of coniferous trees in the foreground and a cloudy sky. The camera is pointed toward the sky, showcasing a dramatic cloudscape with dark and light clouds. In the distance, the horizon with vegetation is visible — the forest areas of the Santa Fe National Forest. The location is near the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. The real-time camera allows you to observe weather changes and forest conditions via live stream.
