Satellites on Fire

Wildfires are being detected too late. Current systems often fail to identify fires in time, leading to massive destruction. The Los Angeles wildfires alone cost the United States around $50 billion, and over the past two decades, the area burned has increased by 5.4% per year globally. Today, wildfires consume more than twice the land they did 20 years ago. Every hectare lost costs $17,000 in damages and takes 20 years to regenerate, devastating ecosystems, businesses, and communities worldwide. This is no longer a seasonal or regional problem; it is a global emergency. By 2050, the number of extreme wildfires is expected to increase by 50% (UNEP, 2022). And yet, the systems we rely on remain too slow, reactive, and disconnected.