Student-Created 'InfernoGuard' Could Stop Forest Fires From Spreading

From 2011 to 2020, there were an average of 62,805 wildfires annually and an average of 7.5 million acres impacted annually, according to statistics from the National Interagency Coordination Center.

Although other fire detection devices are available on the market, Sherman said, InfernoGuard is different because it’s mounted six feet above the ground, not higher like others, which means it can detect fires before they get larger and more destructive.

InfernoGuard uses a series of sensors to collect environmental data such as temperature, humidity, levels of smoke, types of gasses and particulate matter. That information is sent to a database where it’s run through an algorithm, and if a fire is detected, an alert is sent to landowners and the local fire department, Sherman explained.

When she came to Baker Institute last fall, Sherman connected with Chris Kauzmann ’13 ’14G, an adjunct professor teaching entrepreneurship and design thinking, and innovator-in-residence at Baker. Sherman was eager to take advantage of all the programs Baker offers, and Kauzmann became a mentor.

She and her co-founders had recently re-ignited InfernoGuard after a short hiatus since graduating high school. They were inspired to start it up again by the raging wildfires that engulfed Australia between 2019-2020.

“The environmental aspect of it is really important to us,” she said. “One of the goals in our mission statement is to protect land, people and their investments.”

In high school, Sherman and her team did a lot of research on their competitors in the fire detection market, but during her first meeting with Kauzmann, he pointed out there was a lot more competition than they previously thought. He suggested the team do more research and finesse their product.

“Baker helped me consider things I hadn’t previously and taught me about resources I wasn’t aware of,” Sherman said.

Kauzmann helped her hire two Lehigh data analytics interns, Sam Miller ’25 and Matthew Schneiderman ’25. Kauzmann also connected Sherman to other programs Baker offers, such as the Startup Job Fair to connect Lehigh students with local startups and “Founders’ Circle,” a monthly meeting of students who went through the EUREKA! Pitch Night process and are working on their own entrepreneurial ventures. The group shares what it’s like being a student starting a venture project and what the struggles are.

"We don't tell students if their idea is good or bad but instead push students on the rationale behind their ideas and venture decisions," Kauzmann said.

Sherman’s pitch during EUREKA! was impressive because she was able to articulate the problem she was trying to solve, why it mattered in the world and why her solution was relevant to particular users.

The team tested InfernoGuard in Yosemite National Park this past summer. Currently, Yosemite checks for wildfires using watch towers and relies on commercial planes to call it in if they see anything suspicious. Sherman plans to do further testing in California and Oregon this spring.

The co-founders found out they won the Arizona State University Innovation Open last month. The competition is designed to challenge and advance university student innovators who aim to develop hard tech ventures. The team went up against more than 30 semi-finalists in the competition, which awarded a total of $325,000.

“It still doesn’t feel real. It’s insane, honestly,” said Sherman, who found out in the middle of a Lehigh Student Senate meeting when her cellphone started blowing up with phone calls.

"Zoe is a great example of the value of showing up and executing on ideas" Kauzmann said "Executing on ideas through this process exposes students to an entrepreneurial mindset, which adds value to whatever life path they choose, and Zoe has taken full advantage of this so far in her first year at Lehigh."

Even if students don’t think they are an entrepreneur, they should take a chance, he said. They can show up to the monthly EUREKA! Venture Program Pitch Nights Baker offers, even if it’s outside of their comfort zones, and talk to Baker staff members and student entrepreneurs.

"So much about entrepreneurship is showing up,” Kauzmann said. “Show up, learn what you don’t know, find a community to help and move forward with your ideas.”