Fire Innovation Initiative
Building on the Accelerator’s fire-related projects, the initiative brings together Stanford researchers and students with local, national, and international partners to foster innovation and drive impact at scale.
In close collaboration with FireWERX, we bridge the gap between what is developed and what is needed, helping promising market solutions move from pilot to widespread adoption by connecting innovators, industry, firefighters, public agencies, and communities.
The Sustainability Accelerator’s Fire Innovation Initiative sits within, draws on, and supports a larger set of fire-related research and programming at Stanford.
Projects
Upcoming events
Big Earth Hackathon: Wildland Fire Challenge
The Stanford community is invited to join a nine-week challenge to develop innovative solutions to wildland fire problems through a user-centered approach. Work independently or in teams of up to four on real operational needs from fire agencies and industry partners or an idea of your own, with access to mentorship from wildfire practitioners, skill-building workshops, prizes, and more. Viable projects may continue beyond the hackathon through a pipeline into the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator, TomKat Center, and the FireWERX innovation ecosystem.
The hackathon runs September 21–December 1, 2026, with an optional companion course (CEE 165H/265H).
With the support of FireWERX, the challenges were identified by practitioners from different fire agencies, as well as PG&E and other partners (both local and international), who will in turn provide mentorship throughout the hackathon.
Learn more about Big Earth Hackathon: Wildland Fire Challenge
People
Faculty advisors
Inês Azevedo
Professor of Energy Science Engineering, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy, at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Professor, by courtesy, of Earth System Science
Scott Fendorf
Terry Huffington Professor, Senior Associate Dean for Research, Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Professor of Photon Science
Chris Field
Melvin and Joan Lane Professor of Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies, Director, Woods Institute for the Environment & Professor of Earth System Science, of Biology and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute and at the Precourt Institute
Jim Leape
William and Eva Price Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment and Professor, by courtesy, of Oceans
Adam Pellegrini
Assistant Professor of Earth System Science
Michael Wara
Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment
Accelerator contacts
Gemma Guilera
Managing Director for Climate Adaptation and Planetary Intelligence
Katherine Li
Program Success Manager, Wildfire Innovation