Insider Brief
- FireDome has launched U.S. operations with a demonstration site at Yuba County Airport in California, where it is testing an autonomous system designed to detect and suppress wildfires before they spread.
- The system combines continuous monitoring with stationary launchers that can fire retardant-filled capsules up to 1,000 feet to create firebreaks, protect assets and suppress small fires, with each installation designed to cover as much as 70 acres.
- Founded in 2024, the Israeli startup plans to focus first on high-risk areas of California and expects to begin customer installations in 2027.
FireDome has launched U.S. operations with a new demonstration site in California, where the wildfire technology company is testing an autonomous system designed to detect and suppress fires before they spread.
According to the Israeli startup, the site at Yuba County Airport includes offices, a control room and a dedicated demonstration area for FireDome’s wildfire defense system. The Yuba County site, where the company has already been working for several months, gives FireDome a location in a wildfire-prone region to test how the technology performs under conditions it could face during deployment.
FireDome co-founder and CEO Gadi Benjamini said the system is designed to give communities another layer of protection by detecting threats early and creating barriers before firefighting crews arrive, particularly when high winds spread embers and emergency resources are limited.
“By combining data, early detection and autonomous suppression, FireDome gives incident commanders greater visibility and adds a critical layer of security when every second matters,” Benjamini said. “The new test site allows us to put that approach to work in a real-world environment and refine how it can serve as a force multiplier for those on the front lines.”
FireDome’s System
Its system combines continuous fire monitoring with stationary launchers that can deploy capsules filled with fire retardant up to 1,000 feet. FireDome said the system can use the capsules to create defensive firebreaks, protect critical assets and suppress small fires before they spread. Each installation is designed to protect as much as 70 acres, according to the company.
FireDome said the system continuously monitors conditions and can respond autonomously when it detects a threat. It is designed to operate without depending on local water, power or personnel, allowing it to provide protection during the period before firefighting crews arrive.
The company touts the technology as an additional layer of protection rather than a replacement for traditional firefighting, adding its system is designed to give emergency personnel more information while handling some early detection and suppression work automatically. FireDome pointed out that development of the system has included input from fire-service officials in San Bernardino, Orange County and Los Angeles as well as Lori Moore-Merrell, a former U.S. Fire Administrator.
Founded in 2024 by Benjamini and CTO Adi Naor Pomerantz, FireDome plans to initially focus its U.S. expansion on high-risk areas of California, working with communities, businesses, property owners, fire-service organizations and insurers. The company expects to begin its first customer installations in 2027.
