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Indian-American teen leads AI-driven fight against wildfires
The 17-year-old founder of ‘SmokeSignal’ merges artificial intelligence, education, and policy reform to mitigate wildfire risks worldwide.
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Staff Reporter - Tue, 21, Oct 2025
- 13:05 EDT
- 142
Siddhartha Patel Daswani, founder of ‘SmokeSignal,’ at the United Nations General Assembly / Courtesy: Siddhartha Patel Daswani
Indian-American teenager Siddhartha Patel Daswani is emerging as a global voice in wildfire prevention, combining artificial intelligence, community engagement, and policy advocacy to combat the growing environmental threat.
Through his initiative, 'SmokeSignal,' 17-year-old Daswani is empowering youth and communities across continents to take localized action against a global crisis.
His journey began at age 10, when the Napa wildfires disrupted his school life. “For 36 hours, the sun disappeared,” he recalls. “That moment changed me—I knew I had to do something to prevent this from becoming normal.”
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What started as curiosity evolved into a technological mission with global reach. SmokeSignal’s team has built AI-based systems that detect and predict wildfires in real time. The first tool identifies smoke from imagery, providing an early warning system without hardware dependence.
The second, a predictive model trained on over 831 million data variables from six U.S. government agencies, forecasts wildfire spread within a minute—enabling faster response from firefighters.
SmokeSignal, the platform created by Siddhartha Patel Daswani to devise AI solutions for wildfires / Courtesy: Siddhartha Patel DaswaniSiddhartha’s vision extends beyond algorithms. SmokeSignal also focuses on education and community mobilisation, training young people to take local climate action. The organisation has hosted wildfire prevention seminars on four continents, from Los Angeles and Maui to Zambia, Argentina, and India.
Additionally, Siddhartha has worked with BAPS charities to lead its reforestation initiative, powered by over 50,000 youth volunteers, which has already planted 45,000 trees across Kenya, India, and the US. In addition, Daswani launched the “Be the Change Incubator”, which trains students across Asia, Africa, and North America to create their own sustainability projects.
“Technology is powerful,” he says, “but when combined with education and community action, it becomes unstoppable.”
His efforts have drawn widespread youth participation—more than 3,000 people have joined climate walk-a-thons, 1,000 students have launched sustainability projects, and 200 children participate weekly in temple-based mindfulness and environmental programs.
Daswani’s advocacy has also influenced wildfire management policy. In partnership with Stanford University and a fire department managing 39,300 acres, he co-developed a new framework for prescribed burns that integrates Indigenous fire stewardship methods.
The system has since been implemented in more than 100 burns across 40,000 acres. He is now contributing to a federal climate policy brief aiming to update the U.S. Clean Air Act to support controlled burns.
“Siddhartha is a wonderful young man—poised, thoughtful, and full of infectious enthusiasm for AI and wildfire prevention,” said Seth Schalet, CEO of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council.
Daswani emphasizes that his mission goes beyond technology: “Technology alone can’t solve the climate crisis—it’s people who make the difference. My goal is to empower every young person to believe that their ideas can save lives.”
This year, 'SmokeSignal' is partnering with fire departments in Hawaii and California to field-test its AI detection system. The organization is also scaling its platform globally to offer zero-cost deployment to over 20 departments worldwide.
Siddhartha Patel Daswani speaking at the UN program on global youth climate activism / Courtesy: Siddhartha Patel Daswani
“I’ve learned that being a changemaker isn’t about age—it’s about action,” he says. “Every solution begins with someone willing to try.”
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