The Cause of the LA Fires Might Never Be Known—but AI Is Hunting for Clues

A recent study found that 80 percent of wildfires were likely caused by people, with lightning responsible for just 20 percent .

The study also found that vehicles are likely to be responsible for 21 percent of fires without a known cause since 1992 .

Forests are teaming up with computer scientists to see if artificial intelligence can help crack old cases.

The study’s model had 90 percent accuracy selecting between lightning or human activity as the ignition source when tested on fires with known causes.

It had more difficulty determining exactly which of 11 possible human behaviors were to blame, only getting it right half the time.

Knowing the probable causes of a fire could help authorities warn people in high-risk areas.