Climate change is creating conditions more favorable to wildfires. In recent years, fires have increased in Europe, the United States, and Canada, particularly during heatwaves. To address this growing threat that ravages vast areas and endangers citizens, an Israeli startup has developed a revolutionary technology capable of protecting properties from wildfires, detecting fire outbreaks, and extinguishing them. Through an innovative fire defense system, FireDome offers a two-step approach. First, a mechanical launcher quickly deploys a protective barrier to block the direct path of imminent wildfires. Then, the system detects and rapidly extinguishes localized fire outbreaks caused by embers that can spread for miles through the air.
"An American climate-focused investment fund helped us start the process of creating the startup. They consider wildfires a top priority and believe in fully investing in this sector. From January to May 2024, Dr. Adi Naor Pomerantz, co-founder and CTO, and I worked on the concept and technology, discussing with dozens of professionals in the U.S. who face fires on a daily basis: firefighters, industry professionals, and insurance companies," explains Gadi Benjamini, CEO and co-founder of FireDome.
Adi and Gadi met in January 2024 during a conference for Israeli entrepreneurs called "Epsilon," where the leading American climate investor (Sean Abrahamson from the Third Sphere Fund, one of the largest and most successful funds in the U.S. that invested in the fundraising) gave a presentation on climate-related risks. After several weeks of intensive work, Adi and Gadi submitted two preliminary versions of FireDome's core components and have since continued validating the technology and business aspects with over 100 different stakeholders (mainly in the U.S.) who possess unique knowledge and experience in the field.
A Revolutionary and Affordable Solution
The launcher is installed directly on the properties to be protected and continuously detects the first signs of fire. It activates automatically when danger is detected, ensuring efficient and rapid protection. When a wildfire or localized fire is spotted, the launcher comes into action, releasing fire retardant capsules aimed at establishing a defensive barrier between the property and the impending fire or eliminating the threats at their origin.
"We quickly realized that there was a real need to implement new and modern solutions to counter fires and react instantly to an outbreak. Today, firefighters do an excellent job, but they are insufficient in number and, above all, they can't be everywhere at once. Technically, it is also difficult for them to access all the affected areas with fire trucks. Helicopters are a good alternative, but they are expensive. In the U.S., renting a helicopter for a year costs around $10 million. This is where we come in with a highly effective and, most importantly, very affordable solution," explains Gadi Benjamini.
Once deployed, the fire retardant remains active for several weeks, providing a solid barrier against fire to protect properties. In addition to the fire retardant, each patented capsule contains advanced sensors that ensure unique and precise deployment of the material in the air, above the ground. This targeted deployment effectively creates the protective barrier and extinguishes fires by releasing the fire retardant directly onto the flames and localized fire outbreaks.
An Environmentally Friendly Technology
The autonomous technology developed has many advantages, including sustainability and real-time alerts. It is safe for humans and animals while minimizing environmental impact. It is also scalable and compatible with various types of commercial properties.
"We realized that there was a great demand and that many people were interested in this revolutionary technology. By May, we started talking with dozens of investors, and we finally closed our pre-seed funding round in July, supported by five venture capital funds, including one from the U.S., one from Germany, and three from Israel. We also received a grant from the Israeli Innovation Authority. In August, we started working with engineers and technicians to advance research and development," says Gadi.
"Our goal is to become globally recognized, especially in the U.S., as it's our primary market. We want to target the American audience to export our technology, but also Europe. Our long-term goal is to present our advancements to countries in the Mediterranean region. We want to communicate about our product with American media and organize conferences in the U.S.," he adds.
The technology sends capsules of product that immediately stop the fire, exploding several meters above the ground, and the product remains active for weeks after use. Fifty percent of fires are caused by burning leaves or branches that spread, and thanks to FireDome technology, new fire outbreaks are immediately identified when they are still manageable, and the technology automatically sends a capsule to extinguish them.
From 2006 to 2022, wildfires particularly affected Portugal, which lost nearly 100,000 hectares. Countries around the Mediterranean Basin are also particularly exposed to wildfires. Between 44,000 and 60,000 hectares of forest burn every year in Spain, Italy, and Greece. France, on the other hand, lost about 10,000 hectares of forest annually, but in 2023, the area burned by wildfires doubled.
The annual increase in the area burned by wildfires is one of the consequences of climate change. The total area of forests destroyed by fires in the EU from January 1 to June 23, 2024, was about 75,000 hectares. In comparison, in 2022 and 2023, approximately 320,000 hectares and 120,000 hectares burned respectively by the same date.
"Our long-term goal is to be able to extinguish fires in large forests, but this still requires further development of our technology. For now, we are targeting the protection of commercial properties such as vineyards, resorts, or small residential neighborhoods," says Gadi. "We also aim to form design partnerships with potential clients to better understand their needs and constraints regarding the product."
FireDome mainly targets vineyards, resorts, farms, and homeowners' associations, meaning establishments that have a lot to lose in the event of a fire and are looking for a quality solution that currently doesn't exist.
"We have contacts with Greece, which faces violent wildfires, especially in the spring, but also with Spain, Portugal, and Italy. The first tests will be conducted in the U.S. The ultimate goal is to centralize our operations in the U.S. and create our main factory there. Products will be developed in Israel, but operations will be carried out on U.S. soil," concludes Gadi.
FireDome's technology is expected to begin pilot tests during the 2025 fire season.
Caroline Haïat
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