XPRIZE Wildfire Resources

Welcome to the XPRIZE Wildfire resources page. XPRIZE Wildfire is an $11 million, 4-year competition incentivizing the innovation of firefighting technologies that will end destructive wildfire events so that humanity and beneficial wildfire can safely co-exist. The prize aims to transform current wildfire management approaches by developing new technologies that can rapidly and accurately detect, characterize, and respond to wildfires before they become destructive.

Why was XPRIZE Wildfire Launched?

Globally, Extreme Wildfire Events (EWEs) are becoming more frequent. EWEs burn bigger, at a higher intensity, and can quickly sprawl out of control. While they represent only around 3% of all wildfires, EWEs account for 80% of total associated fire damage. Without solutions to detect and manage them at inception, they will continue to threaten fragile landscapes with deforestation and habitat degradation and lead to the loss of biodiversity, human infrastructure, and even human lives.

XPRIZE Wildfire will lead to new technologies and methods of Wildfire management with a holistic approach to prevent the loss of life, biodiversity, and other negative, lasting effects of destructive wildfires.

Learn more about the research behind the XPRIZE Wildfire competition and the need to end destructive wildfires in the State of Prize Report: The Grand Challenge And Rationale Behind XPRIZE Wildfire.

Wildfires and Climate Change

• UNEP Special Report: Spreading like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires
• Wildfire Climate Connection from NOAA
• EU Science Hub Overview on Climate Change and Wildfires

Wildfire Maps

• Esri Wildfire Aware Interactive Map
• Tree Cover Loss Due to Fire Map from Global Forest Watch
• Fire Information for Resource Management from NASA

Biodiversity Impacts

• Fire and Biodiversity in the Anthropocene from Science
• Special Issue "Effects of Wildfire on Biodiversity" from the journal, Fire
• Guidance on how to support wildlife during an extreme weather event from the Humane Society
• Roadmap for Wildfire Resilience: Solutions for a Paradigm Shift from the Nature Conservancy and Aspen Institute

Health Impacts

• World Health Organization Wildfires Impact And Publications
• Public Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke Exposure from US EPA

Wildfire Tech

• The State of Fire Tech from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Wildfire Preparedness

• Faura Home Assessment
• Wildfire Adaptation Resource Hub from the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
• Pet Preparedness Guide from the Humane Society