Burning Changes in Extinguishing Fires

Instead of reacting to massive wildfires, a new system developed by the Israeli company FireDome, a beneficiary of support from the Israel Innovation Authority’s Startup Fund, aims to stop fires while they are still small. FireDome’s revolutionary technology transforms the idea of real-time wildfire interception into reality.

As climate change erases the distinction between specific fire seasons, increases the frequency of extreme events, and exacerbates economic and environmental damage, the global toll continues to rise. The United States, Canada, Australia, and many countries in southern Europe have all experienced record-breaking wildfires in recent years. Israel, too, is facing a growing number of large-scale fires that devastate open areas and threaten communities, causing global losses estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars every year.

Solutions range from early detection systems, sensors, drones, and satellites to data analysis systems, but these often come too late to contain the fires. Firefighters still arrive at the scene with roughly the same tools they have used for a century: hoses, foam tanks, and firefighting aircraft. The gap between the speed at which the fire spreads and the speed of human response remains enormous, and the damage is catastrophic.

That’s where FireDome enters the picture. The Israeli Fire Tech startup’s innovative technology is attempting to change the equation by not just detecting fires but intercepting them and redefining how we respond to one of the most serious threats of the modern climate era.

Founded in June 2024 by Gadi Benjamini, a former senior officer in Israel’s Intelligence Corps, and Dr. Adi Naor Pomerantz, a materials engineer with extensive experience in R&D leadership, FireDome was born from a chance meeting at a climate innovation conference. Both founders were searching for an initiative with environmental impact and identified the same technological gap at the specific stage of response to the fire.

“During the company’s early days, we spoke with more than a hundred stakeholders, such as firefighters, insurers, local authorities, and property owners,” recalls Benjamini, FireDome’s co-founder and CEO. “We realized that the main challenge is that civilians lack the practical tools needed to protect themselves. Everyone is doing their best, but it is simply not enough.”

FireDome is developing an innovative interception system that combines AI, sensors, and a precision capsule deployment system that uses eco-friendly materials. The system aims to halt the spread of wildfires before they reach populated areas or critical infrastructure and operates at three levels: one that creates an immediate buffer around protected properties, a second that covers valuable assets within the property, and a third that targets smaller “spot fires” ignited by flying embers.

Since its founding, FireDome has raised USD 7.6 million, including the investment from the Israel Innovation Authority, and has already conducted field trials. “The massive fires in Los Angeles last January were another wake-up call,” says Dr. Naor Pomerantz, the company’s CTO and co-founder. “They are motivated even more to accelerate commercialization, because it’s clear this problem won’t wait for anyone.”

FireDome’s technology is reminiscent of the logic of Iron Dome, an automated defense system installed on the property designed to respond to threats in real time. But instead of rockets, the target here is fire. Installed on-site, whether in vineyards, wineries, resorts, residential areas, or critical facilities such as power or water infrastructures, each FireDome unit is intended to protect up to 300 dunams (approximately 70 acres). The system is fully autonomous, featuring its own water supply, an electromechanical firing mechanism that does not use explosives, and completes off-grid functionality even during power outages.

When receiving an external alert indicating a nearby wildfire, the system automatically begins creating a protective perimeter around the site. The process is similar to how firefighting helicopters disperse fire retardant, but it’s done on the ground, faster, and with greater precision. Each capsule launched holds about 40 liters of water or eco-safe fire-retardant, which can be sprayed directly onto vegetation, including vineyards and agricultural areas. Once launched, the capsule opens midair, spraying its contents like a rain shower in the exact location that the system’s algorithms determine they’re needed most.

Precision is based on smart simulations. FireDome’s AI calculates wind speed and direction, terrain topography, vegetation type, and the fire’s progress to determine the most effective line of defense. In this way, the protected area can be isolated, preventing the fire from advancing into it.

According to Gadi Benjamini, one of the key lessons learned from discussions with US firefighting services, especially in California, is that the main threat isn’t just the fire’s “front line,” but also the embers carried by the wind for kilometers that then ignite new blazes far from the fire’s focal point.

In large-scale events like the recent California wildfires, those embers advanced the fire deep into residential neighborhoods and triggered an ongoing chase between firefighting crews and new ignition points.

FireDome’s system is designed precisely to handle this challenge. Using cameras, computer vision, and Artificial Intelligence, it automatically detects both primary and secondary focal points the moment they ignite. It directs a smart suppression capsule that extinguishes them within seconds. This way, while protecting the site’s perimeter, the system also actively neutralizes secondary fires, preventing the blaze from “jumping” into the site.

“No existing solution offers holistic protection,” notes Benjamini. “Drones, sprinklers, and helicopters each provide distinct parts of protection, but these are not fully integrated and do not operate completely autonomously. FireDome brings all those capabilities together in one platform, with a unique advantage of operating in high winds and contending with airborne embers.”

“We’re not here to replace firefighters in large-scale operations,” clarifies Dr. Adi Naor Pomerantz. “Our role is to ensure that the designated area remains intact while a regional wildfire is still raging. It is a model of continuous, autonomous protection that allows clients to safeguard their property, infrastructures, and resources, even under extreme conditions.”

At this stage, marketing is focusing on the United States, particularly California, where the wildfire problem is most severe. The company currently targets three key sectors: vineyards and wineries, neighborhood associations, and leisure resorts. Infrastructure entities, including power and water utilities, solar farms, oil and gas facilities, and even military bases, are part of the longer-term plan. Demand in these sectors is already high, with customers placing deposits and waiting for installation, a situation that adds pressure to accelerate development and deployment.

A mobile version of the system will be developed at the request of US firefighting agencies. This new system will support controlled burns, planned fires used to thin vegetation, and provide firefighters with an “extended arm” in difficult-to-reach areas. In the US, controlled burns are a standard tool for preventing spontaneous wildfires; however, they too can spiral out of control due to the spread of flying embers. FireDome’s system protects crews on the ground and prevents the need to chase unpredictable new flare-ups. The company has built a full-scale prototype at Mikveh Israel, which was demonstrated locally and is planned to be transferred to the United States.

FireDome’s technology is protected by an international patent (PCT). Although it relies on off-the-shelf components, the unique engineering design of its launcher and capsules enables exceptionally high performance. Using readily available parts shortens both development and regulatory approval timelines.

Global Vision and Strategic Backup

Benjamini defines wildfire resilience as a service, providing clients with ongoing protection and peace of mind. The long-term objective is to deploy systems at strategic locations inside forests, enabling fires to be stopped before they spiral out of control and move toward populated areas, thereby reducing carbon emissions from wildfires and breaking the vicious cycle in which global warming fuels fires, which, in turn, accelerate warming.

FireDome has set a clear five-year goal: to deploy thousands of active systems worldwide, primarily in the United States, in collaboration with distributors and insurance companies. Benjamini emphasizes that the technology is expected to enable property owners in wildfire-prone areas to obtain insurance coverage even in regions where such coverage is currently difficult or impossible to secure. At the same time, he makes clear that even as production and sales expand in the United States, the company’s R&D center will remain in Israel.

Dr. Adi Naor Pomerantz emphasizes that the investment also holds national significance, as it promotes technologies that protect people and the environment, while positioning Israel at the forefront of innovation in areas that have a direct impact on humanity, thereby establishing a global line of defense against one of the defining threats of the climate era.

Global warming has turned wildfires into an ongoing challenge. What was once considered a rare event now occurs with increasing frequency as a direct result of climate change. This is where Israeli innovation plays a vital role, developing technological solutions that can protect people, infrastructures, and the environment, even under extreme conditions.

This article is part of a new series examining how breakthrough technologies in Israel make the difficult journey from idea to market. The series explores the work of the Israel Innovation Authority’s Startup Fund, which partners with private investors to support deep-techcompanies at every critical stage, from pre-seed through Round A: https://innovationisrael.org.il/en/article/startup-fund-success-story/