Tech giants unite to tackle escalating US wildfire risk

Lockheed Martin, PG&E Corporation, Salesforce, and Wells Fargo have launched Emberpoint LLC, a new venture aimed at transforming how the US detects, prevents, and responds to catastrophic wildfires.

The partnership brings together aerospace, energy, technology, and financial expertise to deliver integrated wildfire solutions using artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, and advanced command-and-control tools. The companies say the effort will help first responders detect fires earlier, slow their spread, and coordinate response efforts more effectively.

Lockheed Martin will provide space- and ground-based sensing, autonomous air and land systems, and suppression capabilities. Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E, will contribute operational wildfire mitigation experience, pending regulatory approval. Salesforce will build a digital platform to unify real-time data using Agentforce and Slack, while Wells Fargo is supporting the venture through capital investment.

The companies say Emberpoint will give agencies and utilities access to advanced systems without the cost of developing them independently.

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and destructive, causing billions in damage annually and straining communities and emergency services nationwide.

“It’s time to change the way we think about wildfires and bring the best of American technology and know-how to this growing threat to lives and property. Devastating wildfires are on the rise and this new partnership brings four leading companies … together to address this national problem,” said Lockheed Martin Chairman, President, and CEO Jim Taiclet.

Lockheed Martin recently delivered 10 S-70i Black Hawk helicopters to the Philippines.