THE BLOG

Wildfires: EDHEC Climate Institute and Nice-based Climate Innov launch two AI- and satellite data-powered tools

The EDHEC Climate Institute, the research center of EDHEC Business School whose campus is located in Nice, and Climate Innov, a Franco-Tunisian research company based in Nice, launched two complementary wildfire initiatives on June 29, 2026.
Freely accessible to everyone, ensemblepourlaforet.fr provides a wildfire ignition risk forecast, featuring an interactive map with a precise 3 km resolution that anticipates risk hour by hour up to 36 hours in advance.
Reserved for public-sector stakeholders, SecuFire Action is a decision-support tool made available free of charge and on a long-term basis to fire and rescue services (SDIS), local authorities, and forest managers, capable of predicting the real-time evolution of a wildfire.
Based on artificial intelligence, satellite data, and scientific modelling, these two solutions are designed to improve risk anticipation and strengthen the protection of territories.

A risk spreading across France

Climate change is reshaping the geography of wildfires. In 2022, 62,000 hectares burned, equivalent to 60% of the area of Paris, and the risk is no longer confined to Mediterranean departments. In 2026, with the expected development of the El Niño phenomenon, meteorological services are forecasting an even more severe fire season.

Traditional forecasting models, based on unevenly distributed weather station networks, are showing their limitations precisely in the areas most exposed to wildfire risk: remote mountain ranges, scrublands, and isolated valleys, where the majority of fires break out.

ensemblepourlaforet.fr: information for everyone

To address this blind spot, ensemblepourlaforet.fr uses AI to combine data from next-generation satellite constellations in both low-Earth and geostationary orbit and relies on predictive weather models. The platform delivers a consistent 3 km resolution across mainland France with an hour-by-hour forecasting horizon of up to 36 hours. Access to the map is free and does not require the collection of personal data. Users may also register free of charge to receive, by email the day before, a notification of the expected wildfire risk level in their department.

The challenge is also behavioural. In France, nine out of ten wildfires are caused by human activity, and one out of every two originates from an unintentional act: a cigarette butt, a barbecue, an agricultural spark, or a domestic spark. One fire out of two could therefore be prevented if everyone had access to the right information at the right time. Before going hiking, spending a weekend in the forest, or carrying out everyday activities near woodland, a quick visit to the website helps people adapt their behaviour and protect their environment.

SecuFire Action: a professional tool for public services

The second initiative, SecuFire Action, is intended exclusively for public organisations involved in wildfire prevention and suppression: fire and rescue services (SDIS), local authorities, public forest managers, and operators of critical public infrastructure. It is provided free of charge and on a permanent basis upon request through a partnership agreement.

Unlike solutions designed to detect fire outbreaks using cameras, drones, or sensors, SecuFire Action comes into play once a wildfire has already been identified. Using the fire perimeter, the estimated ignition time, and a wide range of environmental data, the tool simulates the fire’s progression in the absence of intervention within approximately ten minutes, whereas a manual assessment would require several hours.

It draws on the world’s leading satellite constellations and data sources (Sentinel-2, EUMETSAT, Spire Global, GFS, ERA5), artificial intelligence, and wildfire propagation modelling. The platform integrates several decision-support modules that can be deployed progressively or as a complete suite: high-precision weather analysis, topography, vegetation characterisation, land cover, wildfire history, DFCI zoning, water points, and physical fire spread modelling through the Balbi model, developed by the Projet Feu of the SPE-CNRS laboratory at the University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli, one of the international references in this field.

The expected benefits are measurable: a reduction in burned surface area of up to 30%, a target reduction in CO₂ emissions and fine particulate matter of 10% to 30%, and lower losses of infrastructure, biodiversity, and firefighting costs.

Camille Angué, Director of the EDHEC Climate Institute, said about SecuFire Action: “Faced with the evolving wildfire risk, our responsibility is to ensure that research and innovation can be mobilised for the benefit of those who protect territories and populations. Through this initiative, the EDHEC Climate Institute is making a concrete and long-term commitment by providing public stakeholders with free access to state-of-the-art tools that strengthen their capacity for anticipation and action.”

Ahmed El Fadhel, Co-Founder & CTO of Climate Innov, added: “The technologies integrated into SecuFire Action are the result of several years of research, development, and operational validation. Our objective is not to replace the expertise of emergency services but to provide them, during crisis situations, with the most reliable and accurate aggregated information possible regarding the likely evolution of a wildfire. In the fight against wildfires, every minute gained and every better-informed decision can make a difference.”

A synergy driven by research from the French Riviera

This dual initiative illustrates the leading role played by research institutions established in the region, as both project leaders are based in Nice. The EDHEC Climate Institute, the research centre of EDHEC Business School dedicated to climate change and climate finance, provides the scientific expertise and funding for the initiative. Climate Innov, a Franco-Tunisian research company co-founded in Nice in June 2024 by Ahmed El Fadhel, Pierre-Alain Revelat, and David Clares, develops solutions combining space technology, artificial intelligence, and modelling. The young company, which brings together around twenty researchers and engineers organised into five scientific divisions, builds on strong local space expertise, with its co-founder Ahmed El Fadhel being a graduate of Université Côte d’Azur. The Projet Feu of the SPE-CNRS laboratory at the University of Corsica Pasquale Paoli complements the initiative with its physical wildfire propagation model.

By mobilising academic research as a climate shield serving local communities, this initiative born in Nice demonstrates the ability of the French Riviera’s innovation ecosystem to transform scientific excellence into practical solutions addressing a major challenge that has now become national in scope.

Sources: EDHEC Climate Institute and Climate Innov press releases (June 29, 2026).