HARRY STATTER
Founder & CEO of Frontline Wildfire Defense
Fire in Landscape Ecology
For centuries, humans have viewed fire as a destructive force to be controlled. But in reality, wildfires are an integral part of natural ecosystems, shaping landscapes and maintaining biodiversity. Human intervention has drastically altered fire behavior, often with unintended consequences. Historically, fire suppression efforts aimed to protect communities, but in doing so, they disrupted natural fire cycles, allowing excessive fuel to accumulate. This build-up has led to more intense and uncontrollable fires, highlighting the need for a more ecologically informed approach.
We need to challenge conventional wildfire management strategies. Instead of completely suppressing fires, we should be asking: How do we coexist with them?
We are offering our Project Starter Services complimentary for anyone rebuilding due to the fires. Email info@famearchitects.com if you have any questions or need recommendations for contractors, debris removal, expeditors, etc.
“Historically, we think that we can control nature. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t think you could point to any natural process that has ever been controlled by humans...let alone one that is assisted by human management.”
Misconceptions of Fire Suppression
For over a century, fire management policies have prioritized suppression, measuring success by the number of acres saved from burning. However, this perspective ignores the ecological necessity of fire. Many landscapes rely on periodic burns to regenerate, and the absence of fire leads to dense, overgrown vegetation that fuels even more destructive wildfires in the future. Rather than focusing solely on fire prevention, the goal should be to manage landscapes in a way that allows fire to play its natural role safely.
Despite efforts to manage vegetation and reduce fuel loads, the reality is that landscape management alone cannot protect built communities. Fires spread primarily through wind-driven embers, which can travel for miles and ignite buildings in unpredictable patterns. Instead of solely focusing on the land, the solution lies in designing fire-resistant homes and communities that can withstand fire events without relying on external firefighting resources.
This realization led to the development of Frontline, a new technological approach to fire defense, which focuses on structure-specific solutions rather than broad land management policies.
“The management of plant communities won’t have a significant contribution to protecting our built communities. The reality is that we need to assemble our homes and communities in a manner that safely lives with fire. That’s why I developed the Frontline.”
© Harry Statter
© Harry Statter
A Technological Fire Defense System
Wildfires are not only spread by flames but also by embers—tiny, wind-driven firebrands that can travel miles ahead of a fire and ignite structures. With traditional firefighting resources stretched thin, a new system was needed to proactively protect homes and businesses before firefighters even arrive.
Recognizing the need for a more proactive approach, Frontline was developed as a platform that integrates data from multiple sources to predict fire behavior and automate fire defense. By analyzing real-time data from satellites, weather patterns, and fuel moisture levels, the system activates sprinkler defenses around homes and buildings, providing firefighter-level protection even when first responders are unavailable. This technology bridges the gap between fire science and practical defense, offering a scalable solution for wildfire-prone areas.
© Harry Statter
“There are way too many structures to protect than available firefighters on the ground.”
Water Management and Fire Prevention
One of the key challenges in fire prevention is ensuring that at-risk structures have sufficient moisture levels to prevent ignition. The Frontline system not only monitors fire conditions but also controls water distribution to maintain non-combustible surroundings. By pre-wetting landscapes and buildings before embers arrive, the system reduces the likelihood of fire spread, minimizing destruction without excessive water waste.
The Frontline system integrates sprinklers in multiple locations, including rooftops and surrounding landscapes, to keep surfaces non-combustible. Unlike traditional fire suppression methods that rely on manual intervention, this automated approach enables continuous protection, even in the absence of firefighters. Rather than relying solely on municipal water, it can pull water from multiple sources, including wells, pools, and city water supplies, ensuring continued operation even if infrastructure fails during a fire. By controlling the timing and distribution of water application, the system minimizes excessive use while maximizing protective coverage, making it both efficient and sustainable.
© Harry Statter
“You need very, very little water to avoid a fire. You need a lot of water to put a fire out.”
The Future of Wildfire Defense
Traditional building codes evolve slowly, yet climate-driven wildfires are accelerating in frequency and severity. Architects and developers must take a proactive stance, designing homes with built-in fire defense rather than relying on reactive measures. The current approach, with codes that update every five years, fails to keep pace with the rapidly changing fire landscape. By integrating fire resilience systems into new construction and retrofitting existing structures, communities can better prepare for future fire events.
The discussion surrounding wildfire management is shifting from suppression to adaptation. Historically, fire has been viewed as a threat to be eliminated, but the reality is that it is an essential part of many ecosystems. Over time, efforts to suppress fire have only made the problem worse by allowing fuel to accumulate. The future of wildfire resilience lies in designing structures that can withstand fire and implementing technology-driven solutions that respond in real-time to fire threats.
Innovations like Frontline are paving the way for a new approach to fire defense, one that relies on data, automation, and proactive design. Beyond technology, there is also a need for widespread changes in how communities approach fire safety. Updated regulations, guidelines, and shifts in construction practices all play a role in creating fire-adapted communities. By combining ecological understanding with smart design and technology, we can move towards a future where wildfires no longer mean inevitable destruction, but rather, a natural part of a balanced ecosystem that we have learned to coexist with. The key to long-term safety lies in embracing a new philosophy: living with fire rather than fighting against it.
© Harry Statter