On the other hand

A year has passed since the wave of fires that broke out on the eve of Independence Day 2025.

These fires caused damage to about 10,000 dunams, led to the evacuation of communities, and even resulted in the cancellation of the torchlighting ceremony. Despite the passage of time, the danger of fire still hangs over many areas of Israel, especially during the summer season. Now, it may be that a new technological solution could change the rules of the game.

One of the central problems in dealing with fire management is detection that comes too late. Firewave is presenting an innovative approach to that challenge. While in most cases fires are discovered only when there is visible smoke or significant flames, the new system aims to identify fire already at its very earliest stages.

The technology is based on a network of smart acoustic sensors deployed in the field, analysing environmental sounds in real time using artificial intelligence. The algorithm identifies the unique signature of burning trees already at the spark stage, thereby allowing a dramatic shortening of detection times.

The system is currently in pilot stages in Israel, including in cooperation with KKL-JNF and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority. As part of field trials, including the KKL-Kinneret innovation competition, the company is testing the system’s ability to detect fire incidents in real time, within less than three minutes.

For now, the system is in the early stages of implementation, with initial deployments in forests in Israel. At the same time, the company is aiming at the international market, mainly the United States, and particularly areas such as California, where the wildfire problem is especially severe.

The company hopes that in the future, the system will become a standard, similar to household smoke detectors. According to them, talks are already taking place with various parties in the United States, and additional collaborations are expected to be finalised in the coming weeks.

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