How much wildfire prevention is too much?
A Canadian startup, Skyward Wildfire, is aiming to prevent wildfires by targeting lightning strikes, which are responsible for a significant portion of wildfires. The company proposes using metallic chaff to disrupt the buildup of static electricity that leads to lightning strikes. While the theory behind the method is sound, results from field trials and peer-reviewed studies are lacking. Experts caution that preventing lightning-ignited fires should be approached judiciously to avoid exacerbating fuel accumulation issues. Some argue that focusing on preventing ignitions may not address the root causes of increasingly destructive wildfires, which are exacerbated by human factors.
MIT Technology Review•