The City of West Lake Hills is close to a deal with FireWatch America and will become the first American contract for the Germany-based company.

The camera system, which can detect smoke from fires up to 6 miles away, will be set on a low-lying tower just north of West Lake Hills to scan the horizon, looking for smoke.

"When we get everything set up, [Emergency Services District No. 9] will set a number of controlled fires to make sure everything is working correctly," West Lake Hills Mayor Dave Claunch said.

While most areas of West Lake Hills are densely populated and fires are usually reported in minutes, FireWatch is designed to give a precise location of the fire in as small of an area as 30 feet by 30 feet, said Alfred Stanley, the Texas representative for FireWatch America.

West Lake Hills City Council set aside $200,000 in its budget to go toward the purchase of the system, and a final deal is expected to be made in early 2013.