Wildfire Detection Device Wins UK James Dyson Award

A group of students has won the prestigious UK James Dyson Award for designing Pyri, a device that alerts vulnerable communities to wildfires. The biodegradable detector, made of wax and charcoal, sends radio signals when wildfires are detected. As fire approaches, Pyri’s outer shell melts, activating an electronic system that sends alerts to nearby areas.

The team behind Pyri—Richard Alexandre, Karina Gunadi, Blake Goodwyn, and Tanghao Yu—hopes to help prevent wildfire devastation, a problem Alexandre has witnessed firsthand in his home country of Brazil. He says, “As this devastation continues globally, we hope Pyri can detect fires early enough to protect the earth from catastrophe.”

The James Dyson Award, hosted annually by Dyson to inspire inventors to address global challenges, rewards winners with a £5,000 prize. Dyson Senior Design Engineer Rumyana Dancheva praised Pyri for its innovative approach, combining sustainability with practical technology, and noted its potential to make a positive impact on people and the environment.