XPRIZE has announced the teams advancing in its four-year, $11 million XPRIZE Wildfire competition, which seeks to accelerate 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 amid increasing global concern about wildfires. Recent international efforts have highlighted wildfire as a growing threat, with commitments from groups such as the G7 and a new U.S. Executive Order (14308) calling for changes in federal wildfire governance.
Andrea Santy, XPRIZE Wildfire Program Director, said, “Wildfires are growing more frequent, more destructive, and more costly, and the status quo is no longer sustainable in a changing climate. 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.”
The competition includes two tracks focused on developing technologies for wildfire detection and response. Teams were recognized at the Esri Safety and Security Summit in San Diego on July 13. Judges assessed each team’s ability to meet criteria related to wildland firefighting technology.
Dr. Catherine Ball, PhD, XPRIZE Wildfire Advisory Board Member stated: “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. This is what 21st-century climate resilience looks like: bold ideas, tested rigorously, and deployed at a planetary scale.”
Over coming months, semifinalist teams will undergo field testing where they will demonstrate their autonomous wildfire response systems. These trials will be documented by Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) for official judging purposes.
In August 2025, finalist teams focusing on space-based solutions may participate in live-fire exercises with Australia’s New South Wales Rural Fire Service ahead of final testing planned for early 2026.
PG&E Vice President of Wildfire Mitigation Andy Abranches commented: “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 from Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation added: “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.”
Robert Head of Lockheed Martin Government Affairs said: “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.”
Winners in each track will receive $3.5 million at conclusion of finals testing in 2026; an additional $1 million bonus prize sponsored by Lockheed Martin will go toward outstanding achievement in accurate wildfire detection.
A full list of semifinalist and finalist teams is available at https://xprize.org/wildfire.
Pacific Gas & Electric serves over sixteen million people across Northern and Central California with both gas and electric utility services (https://www.pge.com/). The company continues investing in fire mitigation initiatives throughout its territory.
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