That is the starting point of the game Firewatch, by the way:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewatch

This looks like a job that could be replaced fairly easily with pattern-recognition software connected to infrared sensors and a satellite uplink. If a potential wildfire is detected, the system could send a drone to the location to confirm.

True, though having a human posted in remote locations has additional benefits, like assisting folks who are lost / injured.

Sans the drone (at least as far as my knowledge on the matter goes ,which is not very far) they already do this and the maps are freely available:

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/

I would hope that such software is used for car alarms in order to get the false positive rate from 99.99% to perhaps 80%.

Drones are also loud, which has a cost for every false positive.