Israeli AI-driven wildfire system successfully passes first real-world test

Israeli startup FireDome announced last week that its unique AI-driven wildfire system had successfully passed the first real-world test with the goal of automatically extinguishing wildfires. 

“This is the turning point,” FireDome’s CEO and co-founder, Gadi Benjamini, said. 

“Wildfires are getting bigger, costlier, and harder to insure against. Today’s demonstration shows FireDome can act in seconds to protect lives, property, and critical assets before first responders arrive,” he continued. 

Located in Tel Aviv, FireDome has developed the world’s first automated AI-driven system, which is described as "Wildfire Resilience-as-a-Service." It detects, targets and extinguishes fires in real-world conditions. The AI-based system is designed to respond in real-time, which is critical in order to stop wildfires from spreading out of control. 

Israel's famous Iron Dome aerial defense system has reportedly served as a source of inspiration for the FireDome fire extinguishing system. 

Benjamini, who is an IDF veteran, discussed the similarities between warfare and fire defense. 

“Similar to a war, to fight wildfires, there are the firefighters, which are the infantry. There are airplanes, but darkness makes it harder to fly during the night and also during strong winds, and what we develop is a kind of artillery support,” he said in an interview with The Times of Israel in January.

“The biggest challenge in the climate tech area are wildfires, and more specifically, the reaction to wildfires, because many companies focus on detection,” Benjamini added. 

The CEO placed the company’s cutting-edge product in the wider context of combating fires. 

“What we develop is a system to enhance firefighters’ abilities and capabilities to address more fires simultaneously, like spot fires and ember, and to reach places where sometimes they [the firefighters] can’t, due to different logistics constraints that they have,” he explained. 

Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell, former U.S. Fire Administrator and an advisor to FireDome, believes that the AI-driven fire defense system can become a game changer in the international field of combating wildfires. 

“FireDome exemplifies the type of breakthrough innovation needed to alter our relationship with wildfire risk,” Moore-Merrell assessed. “The integration of automated systems with precision suppression technology creates an opportunity for technology to be considered as a variable in risk-based insurance models and in community resilience strategic plans."

Once the system is fully operational, it could become crucial in combating wildfires in high-risk places such as California and Australia. 

In January, the Israeli humanitarian aid organizations IsraAID and SmartAID assisted during the large wildfires in California. 

“We are devastated to see the destruction … and our hearts go out to all those who have lost their homes or been displaced.” IsraAID’s CEO, Yotam Polizer, said. 

He emphasized the strong ties between Israel and communities in California. 

“We have long-standing ties to communities in Los Angeles and across California and have deeply felt the impact of this emergency.” IsraAID, which has also provided humanitarian aid inside Israel during wartime, is guided by the vision to “support communities experiencing crisis, no matter where they are.”