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FireDome Launches US Operations With California Wildfire Defense Test Site
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FireDome has launched U.S. operations with a demonstration site at Yuba County Airport in California, where the Israeli startup is testing an autonomous system designed to detect and suppress wildfires before they spread. The site includes offices, a control room and a dedicated demonstration area for the wildfire defense technology. Company representatives said the location gives FireDome a base in a wildfire-prone region to evaluate how the system performs under conditions it could face during actual deployment.
Founded in 2024 by CEO Gadi Benjamini and CTO Adi Naor Pomerantz, FireDome has already been working at the Yuba County location for several months. The airport's setting in a high-risk area allows engineers to refine the technology against realistic threats, including wind-driven embers that spread fires rapidly. The company framed the launch as a first step toward a broader U.S. expansion centered initially on California.
Technically, the system combines continuous fire monitoring with stationary launchers that fire capsules filled with fire retardant up to 1,000 feet. Those capsules can create defensive firebreaks, shield critical assets and put out small fires before they escalate, with each installation designed to protect as much as 70 acres.
The system monitors conditions continuously and responds autonomously, operating without depending on local water, power or personnel. That independence allows it to provide protection during the critical window before firefighting crews arrive on scene.
Benjamini said the technology gives communities an added layer of protection by detecting threats early and establishing barriers before responders arrive, particularly when emergency resources are limited. He described the test site as a way to refine the system as a "force multiplier for those on the front lines."
Development has incorporated input from fire-service officials in San Bernardino, Orange County and Los Angeles, as well as Lori Moore-Merrell, a former U.S. Fire Administrator. FireDome stressed the system supplements rather than replaces traditional firefighting by supplying emergency personnel with more information while handling early detection and suppression automatically.
Looking ahead, FireDome plans to focus its U.S. expansion on high-risk areas of California, partnering with communities, businesses, property owners, fire-service organizations and insurers. The company expects to begin its first customer installations in 2027.
