SAN DIEGO -- With the help of the University of California San Diego, San Diego County firefighters have gone high-tech to track wildfires, 10News reported.

Cameras coupled with microwave links have been placed on various mountain tops in San Diego County. And with a click of a mouse, California Department of Forestry Chief Tom Gardner can do something he has never been able to do before -- get a simultaneous assessment of conditions and potential trouble spots.

"It gives you that big picture. We can decide which fire is going to need the resources and which is more important. We can determine which one will burn homes or just wildland," Gardner said.

The cameras were originally part of a grant given to UCSD from the National Science Foundation for Seismic and Environmental Research.

"The NSF allows quite a bit of flexibility with projects and finding new interests with technology involving science and education," UCSD research scientist Hans-Werner Braun said.

Real time weather data is also available, which can help determine the dryness of the brush.

Click here to view the cameras.