Lightning causes some of the largest wildfires in North America, prompting renewed interest in technologies that can reduce ignition risk before fires take hold.
Skyward Wildfire Technologies Inc. is developing a system that combines storm forecasting with targeted intervention to address this particular threat.
The company’s approach focuses on identifying storms with the greatest potential to trigger destructive wildfires and, in selected cases, reducing cloud-to-ground lightning activity.
Results from two field seasons suggest the intervention could significantly reduce lightning activity during the critical period following deployment.
Skyward estimates that its technology achieved a 76% reduction in cloud-to-ground lightning during the first hour after intervention, a finding that has undergone independent scientific and statistical review.
Addressing the impact of lightning-caused wildfires
Lightning is responsible for a disproportionate share of the land destroyed by wildfires, particularly in North America.
In Canada, it causes approximately half of all wildfires but can account for more than 90% of the total area burned.
The figures are similarly significant in the United States, where lightning has historically been responsible for around 14% of wildfires but nearly 60% of acreage burned.
Skyward’s technology aims to address this imbalance through two complementary capabilities: predictive intelligence to identify when and where lightning-related risks are greatest, and targeted lightning abatement to reduce the likelihood of ignition.
The intervention involves deploying small quantities of mineral-based fibres into a limited number of high-risk storms to reduce cloud-to-ground lightning activity.
The company’s findings have received independent statistical and scientific reviews from leading researchers at the University of British Columbia and New Mexico Tech.
Assessing the environmental impact
Alongside its potential contribution to wildfire prevention, the technology has undergone environmental and health assessments.
These evaluations found that no measurable effects are expected on air, soil, water or ecosystems, or on the health of people, livestock and wildlife under the conditions assessed.
Reducing the number of lightning-caused ignitions could also help limit the wider consequences of wildfires, including smoke exposure, habitat loss and infrastructure damage.
It could further reduce the need for emergency response operations and conventional fire retardants.
Skyward is not seeking to eliminate lightning or natural fire from the landscape. Instead, its approach is intended to give wildfire risk managers another tool for protecting communities and locations where an ignition could have particularly serious consequences.
Sam Goldman, CEO of Skyward, added: “Wildland firefighters and governments are being asked to do more every year, often under increasingly difficult conditions.
“We want to give wildfire agencies another option before fires ignite. We’ve spent years developing and testing this technology, and our focus now is working with our partners to put it to use where it can make the greatest difference.”
Preparing for the 2027 wildfire season
Skyward is working with partners to identify priority areas for initial deployment during the 2027 wildfire season.
The next phase will involve progressing regulatory and operational requirements while continuing to evaluate the technology in real-world conditions.
If successful, the approach could provide an additional layer of protection alongside established wildfire preparedness, detection and response measures, helping risk managers address some of the most destructive fires before they begin.
