Last updated: March 31, 2026
Allianz launches in Spain an early wildfire detection system using artificial intelligence and satellite technology
At a glance:
- The initiative aims to strengthen prevention and response capacity against one of the country’s main climate risks
- The technology reduces average detection times by 35 minutes compared to reference systems such as NASA’s, and detects up to 30% more fires
- Allianz will share the information with public authorities and proactively inform clients if their assets are close to fire hotspots
During the summer, the project will be developed at a national level, monitoring more than 50 million hectares through artificial intelligence, advanced satellite observation, and predictive models capable of detecting heat sources and anticipating their evolution, in an initial implementation phase to validate the scope and effectiveness of these new capabilities.
This effort comes at a critical moment: in 2025, Spain recorded the worst fire year of the past three decades, with 354,793 hectares devastated and nearly 500,000 hectares burned since 2023.
At the same time, the economic impact continues to grow. In 2025, fires caused losses approaching 5 billion euros, while insurance sector payouts reached 770 million, according to UNESPA.
This is compounded by the climate context. A recent Allianz Trade study places Spain among the European economies most exposed to extreme heat, with potential losses of up to 104 billion euros by 2030. The sustained rise in temperatures and heatwaves is generating drier conditions that favor the spread of fires, while putting additional pressure on infrastructure, energy, and public finances, reducing response capacity.
“Wildfires have become one of the main climate risks for Spain. As an insurer, our commitment is no longer limited to supporting people when an incident occurs but extends to anticipating risk and actively helping to prevent it. Projects like this reflect that ambition: thanks to artificial intelligence and satellite observation, we can detect fires earlier and gain crucial time to protect people, the land, and economic activity,” explains Veit Stutz, CEO of Allianz Seguros.
From incident response to risk prevention
The insurance sector is evolving from a model focused on compensation after an incident to one based on anticipation and prevention. Within this framework, Allianz is exploring new technological capabilities to better protect individuals, businesses, and infrastructure.
The solution developed together with Satellites on Fire combines data from multiple satellite constellations—both geostationary and polar—increasing observation frequency and detection accuracy.
“Spain faces the same challenge that led us to create Satellites on Fire in Argentina. Fires don’t wait and conventional systems arrive late. Working with Allianz allows us to bring our learnings from Latin America to Europe, where we have already demonstrated that earlier detection saves forests, communities, and lives,” states Franco Rodríguez Viau, CEO and co-founder of Satellites on Fire.
According to the project, the technology can reduce detection times by about 35 minutes compared to systems like NASA’s, identify up to 30% more fires, and reduce false negatives by 40% in early stages.
More protected clients through technology
A distinctive element is its direct application to clients. Allianz will be able to proactively inform policyholders when insured assets are near fire sources with potential for spread, facilitating decision-making and improving response.
“We want our clients to be better prepared for future risks. Technology allows us to move towards smarter, more preventive, and more useful protection,” says Stutz.
The company has also explored ways to collaborate with public authorities to share information and strengthen prevention at the territorial level, in a context where cooperation among the private sector, technology, and institutions is key.
This initiative is part of Allianz’s innovation strategy, focused on collaborating with startups and accelerating solutions with real impact, combining technological innovation, prevention, and protection against major climate risks.
About Allianz Seguros
Allianz Seguros is the main subsidiary of the Allianz Group in Spain and one of the leading companies in the Spanish insurance sector. To deliver the best results for its clients, the company is committed to physical proximity (through its branches and regional offices with more than 2,300 employees and its network of over 13,000 agents) and technological advancement (through tools such as its app for smartphones and tablets, its eClient area on the corporate website, and more than 500,000 SMS messages sent annually to its clients).
It offers one of the most comprehensive and innovative product ranges on the market and is based on the concept of total security. For this reason, the products and services provided by the company cover personal and family needs as well as business needs, offering life, auto, home, accident, and health insurance, as well as multi-risk insurance for companies and businesses, up to the most complex personalized insurance solutions.
About Satellites on Fire
Satellites on Fire is a climate-tech startup that detects, alerts, and monitors wildfires in real-time. Its software-based platform integrates satellite information, tower cameras, and proprietary artificial intelligence models—including fire propagation simulation—and sends automatic alerts via WhatsApp, email, and SMS. On average, it detects fire outbreaks 35 minutes earlier than NASA’s system. It monitors territories in 21 countries across 4 continents for forestry, agricultural, and energy companies, carbon projects, insurers, and governments. It has been backed by organizations such as MIT, Techstars, the United Nations Green Climate Fund, and Draper Associates.
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About Allianz
The Allianz Group is one of the world’s leading insurers and asset managers, active in almost 70 countries and serving around 97 million private and corporate customers*. Our customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, including property, life and health insurance, as well as assistance services, credit and global business insurance. Recognized for the seventh consecutive year as the number one global insurance brand in Interbrand’s Best Global Brands 2025 ranking, Allianz’s success is built on technology-enabled customer centricity – providing peace of mind, protection, and prevention for our customers and strengthening the resilience of individuals, communities, and societies. We are one of the world’s largest investors, managing around 770 billion euros on behalf of our insurance customers. Furthermore, our asset managers PIMCO and Allianz Global Investors manage about 2.0 trillion euros of third-party assets. Thanks to our systematic integration of environmental and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, Allianz received an MSCI ESG Rating of AAA (as of March 2026). In 2025, our 156,000 dedicated employees achieved a total business volume of 186.9 billion euros and an operating profit of 17.4 billion euros for our shareholders.
* As of December 31, 2025. Customer count reflects Allianz customers in consolidated entities that are part of the customer reporting scope only
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