Cody Chiverton, a former firefighter with the US Forest Service, has spent a decade igniting fires to prevent wildfires. Now, as part of San Francisco-based startup BurnBot, he’s doing it with a revolutionary twist—using robots that leave no flames or smoke behind. 

In June, Chiverton oversaw a prescribed burn near Palo Alto, California, where a tank-like robot, pulled by a remote-controlled tractor, turned dry vegetation into ash. This innovative approach, developed by BurnBot, offers a safer and more efficient method of fire prevention. Traditionally, prescribed burns are labor-intensive, but BurnBot’s technology requires only a five-member crew, compared to the ten people needed for a similar task without the robot. 

BurnBot’s robots, which are available for on-demand booking at prices starting around $1,000 per acre, are part of a broader effort to improve fire management amid escalating global wildfire threats. The company’s CEO, Anukool Lakhina, highlights a critical issue: the mismatch between the need for wildfire management and the current workforce’s capacity. BurnBot’s solution aims to bridge this gap by making prescribed burns more accessible and less risky. 

The robot’s design keeps combustion within a controlled chamber, reducing the risk of wildfires spreading. Additionally, the intense heat and high-concentration oxygen stream destroy particulate matter, resulting in a largely smoke-free burn. This feature has already caught the attention of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), California’s largest utility, which typically avoids prescribed burns near its transmission lines due to smoke hazards. 

BurnBot is part of the emerging “fire tech” sector, which includes companies focused on wildfire prevention and suppression. Having raised $25 million, BurnBot currently operates in California, Oregon, and Nevada, with plans to expand to Australia, six more US states, and Canada by next year, aiming to service 1 million acres annually by 2035.