Listening to the Forest: AI-Driven Meteo-Acoustic Early Warning System for Wildfire Detection: Harry Otten Prize 2025

The Harry Otten Prize for Innovation in Meteorology has been awarded for the seventh time. During the Annual Meeting of the European Meteorological Society in Ljubljana, the jury announced that Assaf Shmuel (Weizmann Institute of Science) has won the first prize of 25,000 Euro. His idea, Listening to the Forest: AI-Driven Meteo-Acoustic Early Warning System for Wildfire Detection, entails that that fire has unique sounds, such as the crackle of embers or the snap of dry wood, which can be detected by AI-enhanced acoustic sensors. The system represents a new class of meteorological sensors that couple atmospheric conditions with AI-driven acoustic sensing to detect ignition events and dynamically assess fire risk. By deploying a network of low-cost acoustic sensors in wildfire-prone areas, this system can significantly enhance early detection capabilities.

Previously, three finalists selected by the Harry Otten Prize Board, had presented their ideas. The recordings of all three presentations are available from the session programme of the “Harry Otten Prize for Innovation in Meteorology: Finalists’ Session“.

Photos from the awards session when the winner was revealed by Harry Otten

A recording of the Awards Session is also available:

• Harry Otten Prize 2025 Announcement

Next Harry Otten Prize: 2027

The submission of applications for the next Prize will open in autumn 2026, with the price then being awarded at the EMS Annual Meeting 2027 in Krakow. For the call for submission watch https://www.harry-otten-prize.org/