First FireSat Wildfire Images

Earth Fire Alliance, the global nonprofit coalition who work in delivering data and insights from all wildfires on Earth, in collaboration with Muon Space and Google Research, has released the first wildfire images captured by the FireSat Protoflight satellite.

Collectively, these images demonstrate the impact FireSat will have on communities and the firefighters who protect them worldwide.

Among the first images is a small fire in Oregon, USA, that was undetected by existing satellites, highlighting the opportunity FireSat presents to deliver insights missed by other space-based systems and to help first responders identify more fires in their early stages, assess their potential impact and act before the fires escalate into public safety threats.

FireSat can detect fires as small as 5×5 meters, making it orders of magnitude more precise than existing satellites.

Once fully operational, the FireSat constellation will scan Earth’s most fire-prone regions every 20 minutes, enabling unprecedented detection, monitoring, and characterization.

Executive Director, Earth Fire Alliance, Brian Collins’ statement

Brian Collins, Executive Director of Earth Fire Alliance added: “These images represent a turning point in how the world will see and respond to wildfires.

“FireSat is the result of extensive collaboration among engineers, researchers, frontline fire agencies and philanthropies—and it’s built to serve fire agencies around the world.

“Our goal is simple: ensure that every fire, anywhere on Earth, is visible and understood in near real time.”

The global wildfire challenge

FireSat was purpose-built for the global wildfire challenge. Informed by close coordination with hundreds of national, regional and local fire officials as well as fire modelers and scientists, the satellite’s advanced multispectral infrared sensors, designed and built by Muon Space, meet their real-world needs.

According to Earth Fire Alliance, FireSat can sense through smoke and clouds to reveal small fires and measure critical metrics such as fire perimeter, progression and intensity.

CEO, Muon Space, Jonny Dyer’s statement

Jonny Dyer, CEO of Muon Space shared: “These first images are a powerful demonstration of what we built FireSat to do.

“We’re seeing clear, actionable detection of wildfire activity across multiple regions, which will provide an invaluable tool for first responders.

“While early detection is important, what’s equally critical is FireSat’s ability to support ongoing fire management by tracking a fire’s progression and behavior.”

Operating in low Earth orbit, FireSat has a 1,500 km observation swath and a ground sample distance of 50 meters from directly overhead.

Its combination of resolution, thermal sensitivity and broad dynamic range allows it to sense small, smoldering fires, while simultaneously monitoring extreme wildfire events.

Three FireSats by mid-2026

Building on the successful Protoflight launched in March, Earth Fire Alliance and Muon Space will deploy the first three operational FireSats in mid-2026, which will deliver twice-daily global observation.

The full constellation will comprise 50+ satellites by 2030.

Google Research plans to use AI to compare operational FireSat data with historical images of the same location, then take local weather and other factors into account to identify small fires with low false positive rates. AI applications will also reveal insights on fire behavior for predictive modeling.

Chair, Earth Alliance Board of Directors, Chris Van Arsdale’s statement

Chris Van Arsdale, Google Research Climate & Energy Lead and Chair of the Earth Alliance Board of Directors shared: “Paired with advanced AI, this data will be invaluable for fire authorities and Earth science.

“FireSat’s first wildfire images are precisely what we envisioned when we began this research and partnership.”

Looking to the future

According to Earth Fire Alliance, projections show that the FireSat constellation will deliver significant public safety, economic and environmental benefits.

In June, Earth Fire Alliance announced the first cohort of participants in its Early Adopter Program, which offers an opportunity for fire agencies and fire scientists to help refine data products, define data delivery mechanisms and harness the potential for FireSat data when initial operational capability is reached in 2026.

Earth Fire Alliance is grateful to founding partners Google, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, Muon Space and others that have contributed scientific expertise, leadership and philanthropic support to make the FireSat program possible.

The inaugural FireSat images represent a milestone in leveraging public-private-philanthropic partnerships to advance global wildfire detection, response and understanding.

First FireSat wildfire images released by Earth Fire Alliance: Summary

Earth Fire Alliance, in collaboration with Muon Space and Google Research, has released the first wildfire images captured by the FireSat Protoflight satellite.