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.
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.