Snuffed, a team composed of firefighters, engineers, ecologists and wildland activists based in Flagstaff, has advanced in the XPRIZE Wildfire competition to the semifinals. XPRIZE will host the event in April 2025.
The XPRIZE Wildfire competition began in April 2023 and aims to assist in creating new technologies that can rapidly detect wildfires before they become destructive.
At this stage in the project, the team comprises eight members, four of which are affiliated with NAU. A larger team of 25 researchers in Flagstaff assisted Snuffed with the project.
David Trilling, the chair of NAU’s Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, leads Snuffed alongside the team’s chief of operations, Captain Mike Felts from the Flagstaff Fire Department.