Prisha Shroff: The Arizona Teen Using Science to Fight Wildfires

Chandler student Prisha Shroff was driving home from Los Angeles when her life—and her scientific direction—changed in a single moment. As smoke billowed and flames swept across the landscape around her, her family was forced to turn back. Their friends evacuated their homes. It was the August Complex Fire—the biggest wildfire in California’s history. It lasted 86 days, burned over 1 million acres of land, and destroyed hundreds of homes in 2020.

“It was destroying everything in its path,” Prisha later recalled. “We saw the devastating impacts on people’s lives and health.” That scary experience made Prisha want to help. She decided to use science and technology to find a way to stop wildfires before they get out of control.

A Big Idea with a Big Goal

By the time she was 14, Prisha had invented something amazing: the Wildfire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression System—or WPDSS for short. It uses real-time data from satellites in space to watch for areas where wildfires might start. Her system checks things like temperature, wind, soil moisture, and even how dry the plants are.

If it sees something potentially dangerous, it sends out a warning to local fire agencies, just like a weather alert. Someday, Prisha hopes it will even control drones that can fly out and drop fire-stopping materials to stop the fire before a blaze spreads.

Her system is incredibly advanced—it can pinpoint “hotspots” and detect active fires with almost 99% accuracy!

Winning Awards and Making a Difference

Prisha’s innovation didn’t go unnoticed. She has earned multiple honors, including:

  • The Lemelson Award for Invention, with a $10,000 prize
  • A spot in the Broadcom MASTERS national science competition
  • Recognition as one of Arizona’s “18 Under 18”
  • The Prudential Emerging Visionary Award for creating real change in her community

But more than the awards, Prisha is proud that her work could help keep people safe.

Another Smart Invention

Prisha didn’t stop there. She also created a self-cleaning solar panel to help people in Arizona get clean energy more easily. Normally, solar panels get dusty in the desert, which makes them less powerful. Her design cleans them without using any water—saving both energy and resources.

Helping Other Kids Become Changemakers

Now 18, Prisha has started a group called Sustainability Stars, where she helps other students work on important science projects. She teaches kids how to take on big problems like climate change, clean water, and food safety. So far, she’s taught over 1,000 students and reached thousands more with her message: you can make a difference.

Prisha’s Message to You

Prisha says her motto is: “Be curious, dream big, and never give up. You don’t have to change the whole world—but you can change someone’s whole world.”

Her story shows that other kids can do amazing things when they care about others, ask big questions, and take action. She’s living proof that you’re never too young to spark real change.