If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, it can still land on a power line and start a wildfire.
A Silicon Valley startup called Dispatchr Inc. is partnering with Hitachi Consulting Corp. to couple big data with machine learning to create what the developers call a Digital Immune System (DIS) for power grids. It is designed to detect patterns of tree failure and other potential fire-starters—given certain maintenance status, terrain and weather conditions—and warn electrical utilities about impending danger at specific locations, well in advance.