IT'S TIME TO END DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
Around the world, the severity of extreme wildfire events (EWEs) is increasing, driving over 80 percent of fire-related damages globally and costing approximately $350 billion in damages annually in the United States alone. EWEs spread faster and burn larger areas at higher intensities, wreak havoc on ecosystems, drive up global greenhouse gas emissions, cause long-term global economic burdens, and often result in devastating injuries and loss of life. Despite these high environmental and economic costs, fire management technologies have not evolved significantly in decades, and best practices have not changed in almost a century.
“We have been fighting wildfires the same way for decades – it’s not working, and the destruction is getting increasingly worse. We need a radical re-invention of how we detect and battle these blazes,” said Peter H. Diamandis, Executive Chairman of the Board, XPRIZE.