In the face of increasingly devastating wildfires, innovative solutions are emerging to protect communities and prevent it from spreading. One such breakthrough is Fire Dome’s new system, inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome Air Defense system. Founder in 2024 by CEO Gadi Benjamini and Dr. Adi Naor Pomerantz, the new wildfire defence system uses AI technology to detect and extinguish fires, providing two layers of protection.
The Times of Israel quoted FireDome Co-founder & CEO Gadi Benjamini as saying, “Similar to a war to fight wildfires, there are the firefighters, which are the infantry. There are airplanes but darkness makes it harder to fly during the night and also during strong winds and what we develop is a kind of artillery support.” Fire Dome offers a new, high-tech approach to the growing environmental crisis.
How The New System Works?
In response to an alert by the Fire Dept. on an approaching wildfire, the mechanical stationary launcher first releases capsules that deploy before potential impact to disperse eco-friendly fire-retardant to create a shield and block wildfires’ path. Secondly, an AI-Powered system that uses computer vision and sensors identifies and extinguishes spot fires, according to reports.
According to Benjamini, the first version of the system is being created to protect over 100 acres of land from wildfires. It is customized for small neighborhoods, hotels, resorts, and any place prone to forest fire. The Israeli startup aspires to get the first system ready for trial in Israel by May. The Tel Aviv-based startup also aims to start testing in the US in 2026.
Modelled on the Iron Dome, FireDome plans to detect and create a kind of dome protection around the property, incase a fire approaches. Reacting to the deadly wildfires that erupted in Los Angeles last week, Benjamini said it is premature to reach any conclusions as not all the data is available.
