XPRIZE has announced the teams advancing in its XPRIZE Wildfire competition, a four-year, $11 million global initiative focused on accelerating new solutions to prevent destructive wildfires. The competition is co-sponsored by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
The announcement comes as wildfires become more frequent and severe worldwide, with increased attention from global leaders. Recent international commitments, including actions from the G7 and a U.S. Executive Order (14308), have identified wildfire management as a key area for policy reform.
“Wildfires are growing more frequent, more destructive, and more costly, and the status quo is no longer sustainable in a changing climate,” said Andrea Santy, XPRIZE Wildfire Program Director. “The teams advancing to the next stages of XPRIZE Wildfire are showcasing the ingenuity we need not just to prepare for the future, but to help shape it.”
Teams are competing in two tracks designed to improve how wildfires are detected and managed. A panel of experts from firefighting, technology, and research fields assessed each team’s ability to meet technical criteria in their respective categories. The teams were recognized during the Esri Safety and Security Summit in San Diego.
“Technology at its best is a force multiplier for good, and wildfire is exactly the kind of global challenge that demands bold, collaborative technological innovation. The teams advancing in XPRIZE Wildfire are proving that we don’t have to accept destruction as inevitable,” said Dr. Catherine Ball, PhD, XPRIZE Wildfire Advisory Board Member. “This is what 21st-century climate resilience looks like: bold ideas, tested rigorously, and deployed at a planetary scale.”
In coming months, semifinalist teams will undergo field testing at their locations with oversight from Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI). These trials will assess autonomous wildfire response systems on detection capabilities, navigation safety features, suppression technologies, technical readiness, and scalability.
Space-Based Finalist teams will have an opportunity for live-fire exercises with New South Wales Rural Fire Service in Australia ahead of final testing planned for early 2026.
PG&E’s Vice President of Wildfire Mitigation Andy Abranches stated: “At PG&E, we are committed to ending catastrophic wildfires, and within our service territory we have implemented mitigation initiatives that provide layers of protection. We work closely with innovators to adapt and adopt tools and technologies giving us new data, insights, visibility and capabilities to prevent fires and when necessary, limit their spread and size. We recognize the need to develop the technology of tomorrow and are excited about the new possibilities being unlocked by the XPRIZE Wildfire innovators who share our commitment to preventing catastrophic fires.”
Genny Biggs of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation commented: “We are inspired by the creativity and ingenuity the XPRIZE competitors are bringing to this big and urgent challenge. We all know the risks of wildfire and we need innovative and practical solutions. These advancing teams are putting the solutions we need into action.”Â
Lockheed Martin’s Robert Head added: “At Lockheed Martin, we’re committed to harnessing the power of innovation to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges, including the growing threat of wildfires. As an XPRIZE Wildfire bonus prize sponsor, we’re excited to recognize exceptional performance in accurate wildfire detection and support the development of cutting-edge technologies that can help save lives, protect communities, and preserve our natural resources.”
The winners will be announced at the end of 2026 with $3.5 million awarded per track winner; Lockheed Martin sponsors an additional $1 million bonus prize for accuracy in wildfire detection.
More information about semifinalists can be found at https://xprize.org/wildfire.
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