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How Firefighting is Stepping Up to Meet the New Era of Wildfire
After watching 36 homes burn in real time, Mike Felts knew he had to protect his community. That’s when he stumbled on a cutting-edge technology that could change the game for good.
Nissan Frontier commercial (Outside's Wild Frontiers)
Mike Felts knows all too well how destructive a wildfire can be. In 2022, he watched the Pipeline and Tunnel Fires ignite during 70-mph winds and tear through the Arizona Timberline area, burning down 36 homes.
XPRIZE Wildfire Awards $4.55M to Innovators Advancing Wildfire Detection and Response
Led by Mike Felts, Flagstaff Battalion Chief and member of Team Snuffed, 2nd Place winner at XPRIZE Wildfire for space-based fire detection.
Awardees named in XPRIZE Wildfire competition to transform the future of wildfire response.
Second Place – Methodological Innovation Awardee, $250,000: Team Snuffed.
Flagstaff Business News: Team Snuffed Wants to Deploy Satellites to Watch the West
*Note: This article was published in May 2024 before Mike Felts’s rank changed to Battalion Chief.