ImpactAlpha, Dec. 6 – Wildfires are among the most prolific sources of greenhouse gases, producing as much as a fifth of global carbon emissions, according to space-based intelligence provider OroraTech. The Germany-based data firm has raised €15 million ($15.8 million) from investors including Belgium-based climate impact fund Edaphon, the state of Bavaria and the European Space Agency to help it spin a web of space-based thermal cameras aimed at detecting wildfires worldwide.
The firm already has one camera operating and plans to launch a further 99 to monitor surface temperatures from space that could help flag where and when wildfires are spreading.
Firmly planted on the ground, vegetation management firm Earth Force snagged $8.6 million in a seed round to fund development of its system to remotely manage forests to reduce the risk of fires and to monitor managed forests so it can suppress or stop fires before they spread.
Feel the burn
Wildfires cause some $10 billion in insured losses, OroraTech says. Its system will check global surface temperatures every 30 minutes and be able to warn when fires are spreading.
In 2020 alone, California’s wildfires released almost twice as much carbon as the state cut from 2003 to 2019 through its emissions reduction strategy. EarthForce helps prevent and contain fires with teleoperated machinery and remote sensors that manage vegetation in areas that otherwise would be tough to reach.