California Hams Provide Fire Videos

Local amateur radio operators are responding to the recent and ongoing fires in California in many ways. Several of these hams have built a high-speed multimedia AREDN mesh network which was used to deliver live streaming video of the fires in progress.

In Ventura County, Orv Breach W6BI, Paul Straus WD6EBY and Ben Kuo AI6YR installed high-definition cameras in their portion of the growing Southern California AREDN network. They were able to figure out how to send to live video stream across the mesh network to then Internet and finally to YouTube for public access.

Ben AI6YR reports that their mesh network stayed operational even when the Spectrum cable, Internet access and phone system went down across the region. People were able to use the mesh network to keep updated on emergency information.

The start of the “Woolsey Fire” from Simi Valley, courtesy of Orv W6BI and the Pleasant Valley Amateur Radio Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cowdbebnX5o

The fire in Santa Paula, California (Briggs Fire) , courtesy of Paul WD6EBY and the Pleasant Valley Amateur Radio Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64ZnydnsIBg

The fire in Simi Valley, The Peak Fire, courtesy of Orv W6BI and the Pleasant Valley Amateur Radio Club
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWvgOOmkUaw