Founded by three young Argentinians whose family friends lost their homes to wildfires, Satellites on Fire uses AI and thermal satellite imagery to detect wildfires 35 minutes faster than NASA, sending real-time alerts to firefighters while blazes are still containable and protecting communities across 92 million hectares in 21 countries.
Wildfires are burning more than twice the tree cover they did 20 years ago, threatening over 4,400 species globally. Wildfire smoke travels thousands of miles, exposing millions far from the flames to dangerous fine-particle pollution (PM2.5). As the fastest-growing source of fine-particle pollution worldwide, wildfire smoke is projected to contribute to as many as 1.4 million deaths a year by 2050.
Out-of-control blazes occur more frequently, requiring hundreds of firefighters and destroying lives, homes and ecosystems. Yet most organisations only learn about a fire through a phone call – too late. Traditional monitoring tools are expensive, hardwired and only confirm fires after they’ve started, leaving no time to stop them.
Satellites on Fire takes a software-first approach requiring no specialist hardware. The platform combines thermal satellite imagery, ground cameras, drone feeds, weather and lightning data with AI models to detect fires early, track their spread and send real-time alerts through WhatsApp, SMS and email – while fires are still containable.
Founded in 2020 by Franco Rodríguez Viau, Joaquín Chamo and Ulises López Pacholczak – three young Argentinians who witnessed family friends lose their homes to wildfire – the team spoke with hundreds of responders to understand their greatest need: early detection. The software adapts to local weather, terrain and vegetation using public data, making it accessible worldwide.
The platform has reached remarkable scale. It currently monitors 92 million hectares across 21 countries and five continents, serving more than 70,000 users and detecting wildfires on average 35 minutes faster than NASA. In 2025, it actively assisted on more than 2,000 wildfires. Argentina’s National Firefighters Council formally adopted it across 70 fire stations.
In June 2026, Satellites on Fire partnered with Allianz Seguros Spain to monitor the entire country, enabling over 100,000 fire warnings to be sent to insured customers within the first two months. By directly reducing PM2.5 pollution from wildfires – the fastest-growing source of fine-particle pollution worldwide – the platform is creating momentum towards a vital positive tipping point. By 2030, Satellites on Fire aims to extend coverage to 446 million hectares.
I remember seeing wildfires up close where friends of my family lived, as the sky turned black with smoke and I felt powerless to help. Together with two other friends, I decided to figure out what we could do to stop that kind of damage in the future. That’s how Satellites on Fire was born and that’s been its mission ever since.
Becoming an Earthshot Finalist six years later is an incredibly emotional moment for all of us. This recognition will help us build trust and connections and get us into the room with governments, agencies and companies that could be detecting dangerous fires in minutes, but they don’t yet know the technology exists.
You can’t fight a fire if you don’t know it’s started, so early detection is key to saving lives and protecting our environment.
