Prince William backs teenager's idea born from devastating blaze in Argentina

Prince William has put the spotlight on an ambitious wildfire-fighting technology created by a teenager after a devastating blaze in Argentina, naming Satellites on Fire among the latest Earthshot Prize finalists.

The project began when Franco Rodríguez Viau was just 16 and still at school. In 2020, severe wildfires tore through parts of Argentina, destroying homes and leaving families in his community facing the aftermath.

Shaken by what he saw, Franco and two classmates began speaking to firefighters, forest rangers and other experts to understand why the fires had become so destructive.

Again and again, they heard the same thing about early detection can make all the difference. A fire is far easier to tackle while it is still small than once flames have spread across vast areas.

That realisation sparked an idea that would eventually become Satellites on Fire, with Franco going on to become its co-founder and chief executive.

The technology combines artificial intelligence, satellite imagery, cameras and weather data to identify wildfires and help predict their potential spread. 

Emergency teams can receive alerts via WhatsApp, SMS or email, while users can follow the location and movement of fires through the platform.

The company now operates across 21 countries and monitors or protects around 92 million hectares.

William shines light on teenage wildfire pioneer

In Stourbridge, 19 homes were destroyed and another 18 were damaged in one blaze, while fires broke out across different parts of the country. 

Satellites on Fire has emerged as one of the finalists in the Clean Our Air category. Five Earthshot winners will each receive £1 million at the awards ceremony in November.

“It was really a mix of curiosity and passion for the people who were near me,” he said. “I was 16 when we started, in 2020, and I didn’t know what a company was. 

I was just passionate about speaking with firefighters and forest rangers and understanding why these fires were becoming so catastrophic.”