Over the course of the 4-year, $11 million XPRIZE Wildfire competition to revolutionize the way we detect, manage, and stop wildfires before they become destructive, we’ve seen competing teams push the limits of innovation. Tasked with developing cutting-edge technology that will transform our approach to fighting increasingly destructive wildfires, teams are bringing breakthroughs from concept to scalable, real-world solutions.
Now, as we approach the final phase of the competition, 8 teams, representing 4 countries, have gathered at the New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia for the Space-Based Wildfire Detection & Intelligence Track Finals Testing. These teams are putting their solutions to the test and competing for the $3.5 million grand prize, presented by Minderoo Foundation.
As the final milestone before selecting winners, this represents the most competitive stage yet—showcasing top-performing teams under real-world conditions and serving as powerful proof that incentive competitions like XPRIZE can compress timelines, de-risk breakthrough technologies, and mobilize entire ecosystems to tackle urgent, real-world challenges.
Follow along as we share the latest developments from finals testing.
- A shared vision for the future of wildfire management
- XPRIZE Teams Learn from Rural Fire Service Crews
- Testing in Real Conditions
May 01 | 1:46 pm PST
A Shared Vision for the Future of Wildfire Management
On April 15, XPRIZE Wildfire hosted a VIP event bringing together 50+ attendees across finalist teams, judges, sponsors, partners, academics, and leaders from the global wildfire community at the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Headquarters for a VIP event in coordination with the Rural Fire Service and the Minderoo Foundation. The event provided insights into the Space-Based Detection & Intelligence Finals testing and showcased real-world solutions for wildfire detection and intelligence.
Teams held presentations which provided insights on how satellites can act as "sentinels" and artificial intelligence (AI) can provide "foresight," predicting how a fire will move before it gains strength. Teams were met by real-world validation from leading experts during a panel featuring Rural Fire Service experts and XPRIZE Wildfire judges.
Peter McKechnie, Deputy Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service, spoke to how space-based detection will move the needle the same way that fire alarms in the home changed structural fire alerts, citing an urgent need for early detection. One attendee shared, “Satellites won’t replace firefighters; but, they can give them what they need most: time, precision and situational awareness. Day or night, regardless of weather, season or terrain.”
Overall, the event was an exciting moment that painted a clear image of how technology innovations will interact with traditional approaches and shape the future of wildfire management.
April 22 | 8:42 am PST
Where Innovation Meets Experience: XPRIZE Teams Learn from Rural Fire Service Crews
Last week, XPRIZE Wildfire teams, judges, and operations staff attended a planned hazard reduction burn in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia. Located 45 minutes outside of Sydney, Wahroona is a 16-hectare forest nestled within a residential area. Filled with Turpentine, Eucalyptus, and Ironbark trees, as well as native shrubs and small trees, controlled burns are conducted here to reduce the fuel supply in an area at high risk for wildfires and in close proximity to homes, businesses, and a hospital.
During the burn, teams learned about the methods and practices used by the Rural Fire Service for conducting prescribed burns and learned about active fire behavior, environmental conditions for prescribed fire, and fuel types. This was a unique opportunity to bring together technologists and firefighters to build a deeper understanding of how rapid, precise, and accurate satellite data can support wildfire management.
April 16 | 12:55 pm PST
From Space to Ground: Testing in Real Conditions
Since Finals started on April 9th, teams have been testing their solutions in real-world conditions, helping them refine and prove operational readiness. Based out of the NSW Rural Fire Service Headquarters in Homebush, Australia, teams are utilizing AI, machine learning and space-based sensing to detect and characterize fires. Weather conditions across New South Wales have offered ample opportunities for hazard reduction burns, and even bushfires in some areas.
Each morning begins with a briefing from experts at the NSW Rural Fire Service, who present teams with a real-world operational scenario to tackle based on current burn activity. Over the next 12 hours, teams operate their systems to detect and characterize all prescribed fires and brushfires across New South Wales, an area larger than 800,000 square kilometers, and must also determine false positives. Throughout testing, XPRIZE Wildfire judges, a panel of global leaders in wildfire innovation, observe teams on site, analyze data in real time, and evaluate the performance and reliability of each system."
For more information about XPRIZE Wildfire, visit xprize.org/wildfire.
XPRIZE Wildfire is supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Minderoo Foundation, Lockheed Martin, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Costa Navarino, American Family Insurance, Fairfax Financial, the Roddenberry Foundation, and individual benefactors. The Minderoo Foundation is the presenting sponsor of the XPRIZE Wildfire Space-Based Detection and Intelligence Track. Testing is conducted in partnership with the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, and with software support from ESRI.