Firebreaks: From Satellites to the Streets

This summer New York’s air quality hit hazardous levels again as wildfire smoke made it briefly the third most polluted city on earth. This is not a one-off weather event. Climate change is making wildfire seasons longer and fiercer, with dire consequences for human health, infrastructure, and ecosystems — not just in the burn zone, but thousands of miles downwind. But our tools are changing along with the climate. Advances in remote sensing and earth observation are helping us pinpoint fires in their early stages, track them in real time, and help communities prepare. The question is no longer “Can we detect this?” It’s “How fast can we move from detection to action?” After our expert panel, we will invite 3-5 guests to pitch their climate-ready city projects at the open mic and get support from the room. Please submit your idea or startup during registration. Speakers Sophie Lamparter | Founding Partner, VitaminºC Michael Falkowski | Chief Scientist, Earth Fire Alliance Franco Rodríguez Viau | CEO and Co-Founder, Satellites on Fire Haris Piplas | Director of Integrated Urban Solutions, Drees & Sommer Andy Darrell | Senior Advisor Environmental Defense Fund Program 2:45pm – Doors Open 3:00pm – Welcome Remarks 3:10pm – Panel Discussion 4:00pm – Rapid Fire Ideas 4:15pm – Networking 5:00pm – End More information and speaker bios This event is part of Assembly, the main Swiss stage at Climate Week NYC 2026. As world leaders gather in Midtown Manhattan, Swissnex assembles Swiss and global voices – from private sector innovators and researchers to artists and policymakers – in the East Village for three days of communal climate thinking and action. Assembly speaks to deliberation and democracy – the idea that communities must collectively define their futures – as well as the ongoing, creative, improvisational process of constructing those futures from the pieces of our present.