12 Fire Grand Challenge Finalists Advance to Field-Testing
Summary
Western North America is now facing its own fire crisis, existentially threatening the regions ecosystems and communities.In collaboration with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Esri, and Planet, the Challenge called on innovators and place-based communities worldwide to submit solutions that bring together technological innovation and place-based knowledge to transform how we manage and live with fire. Teams will work closely with place-based communities to prove the technical performance of their solutions with trials ranging from controlled burns to test flights, all the while honing their business model and scaling plans through a rigorous acceleration program.Each finalist team is composed of both a technical applicant (who devised the solution idea) and a place-based community (who will co-develop and collaborate in field-testing). Envisioning Labs (BC, CAN) & San Juan Islands Conservation District (WA, USA) A wildfire detection and suppression system designed specifically for ground fires in peat and duff soils. Witching Hour (TN, USA) & The Town of Paradise (CA, USA) A robotic system that rapidly and cost-effectively installs insulation over live power lines, reducing wildfire risk and lowering electricity costs in vulnerable, wildfire-prone communities without disrupting power service.Over the next nine months, as these innovator teams field test their solutions, we invite you to follow their journey, from British Columbia, Canada, to Chiapas, Mexico, via updates on the Challenge website: https://www.conservationxlabs.com/fireConservation X Labs (CXL) operates at the intersection of biodiversity, technology and innovation to drive groundbreaking solutions to prevent the sixth mass extinction. By deploying cutting-edge technology, convening communities of interdisciplinary brilliance, and leveraging the power of the marketplace, CXL is uniquely positioned to boldly confront the planets most pressing challenges.