- Franco Rodriguez Viau developed AI wildfire detection after losing homes in Argentine fires at 16
- His platform Satellites on Fire operates in 19 countries, preventing hundreds of wildfire disasters
- The system uses satellite data combined with AI and real-time simulations to detect fires early
Most teenagers spend their days thinking about school, games or friends. But for Franco Rodriguez Viau, life took a very different turn. At just 16, he watched the homes of his loved ones burn during a devastating wildfire in Argentina.
Instead of letting fear and sadness overwhelm him, he decided to find a solution. Today, at 21, he is one of the most influential young innovators in global climate technology.
His invention, Satellites on Fire, is an AI-powered wildfire detection platform used in 19 countries and credited with stopping hundreds of fires from becoming deadly disasters.
The devastating forest fires in Cordoba during the COVID-19 pandemic shook Viau to his core. He had grown accustomed to seeing smoke rising from the rooftops, hearing distressing news, and constantly worrying about the safety of his family and friends. These fires devastated more than 60,000 hectares and claimed two lives.
He witnessed loved ones lose their homes. Although they escaped in time, the experience deeply impacted him. Instead of feeling helpless, he began to wonder why the world still relies solely on emergency calls to detect forest fires. He explains that he began this mission at just 16 years old, while his friends were busy playing video games. By speaking to hundreds of people affected by the fires, he sought to understand why early fire detection remains so difficult in the 21st century.
Viau began contacting firefighters, forest rangers, and scientists to learn how fires spread, why alerts are delayed, and what could be improved. Studying science, coding, and physics, his curiosity gradually grew into a larger project.
In high school, his group spent more than four months developing the first model of the system. They presented it at school, but they didn't want to leave it as just a project. Their dream was that it would help save lives.
Although some experts said the idea wouldn't succeed, Viau and his two fellow teenagers weren't discouraged. They wanted Satellites on Fire to be a tool that would actually be useful to those fighting fires on the ground.
The final version of Satellites on Fire uses imagery from more than eight satellites from NASA, NOAA, and the European Space Agency. This data is combined with AI models and real-time simulations. The system sends the location and spreads forecast to first responders via WhatsApp as soon as a fire is detected. It also shows the direction the fire may move in the coming hours, based on the weather and available fuel.
According to Viau, fire departments typically receive information about wildfires from emergency calls. Callers often don't know the exact location, leading to delays. And when firefighters arrive, they have no idea the direction the fire is spreading. Their system solves both problems.
