EmberWatch: An Internet of Things (IoT) to Reduce the Risk of Home Ignition from Wind-Borne Embers

Overview

Wind-borne embers (firebrands) are responsible for up to 90% of home ignitions in U.S. wildfires, as they ignite dry materials near buildings. Despite advances in wildfire management, thousands of properties still burn every year during wildfire events. While wildfire damage cannot be eliminated, its impact can be reduced. Existing outdoor mitigation solutions are often expensive and require significant structural modifications. This study evaluates a low-cost and easy-to-install automated detection and response system. It integrates three data sources: satellite derived thermal hotspot (active fire/thermal anomalies), real-time weather data (ambient temperature, wind speed and direction, and humidity), and local sensors (smoke, flame, and local temperature). The system uses statistical methods to auto-calibrate sensor thresholds and computes a combined Final Risk Score from all the three inputs to identify high-risk conditions. When HIGH Final Risk Score is detected, the system briefly activates sprinklers to wet lawns and nearby dry fuels, reducing ignition probability, and sends mobile notifications. In 8 controlled trials, the system successfully detected fire conditions in all cases, with one false alarm caused by sunlight, which was mitigated through multiple sensors crossing the detection thresholds. Results suggest that automated early response can significantly reduce ember-driven ignition risk and improve home protection.

Competition history

• CSEF 2026 Environmental Engineering (Track 2) (Senior Division) · Entry S-12-02

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