I will not promote. Seeking Funding Advice for Wildfire Prevention & Suppression Technology

I'm in the early stages of developing technology for wildfire prevention and suppression, starting with a small-scale proof of concept that I plan to self-fund initially. Given the complexity of the problem, the project will require a modular, phased approach to scale effectively. Since this is a big vision, I realize that working alone would take years, and I’d love to understand how others have secured funding to bring technical ideas to life. My goal is to eventually work with more resources and hire engineers to accelerate development. For those who have raised funding for deep-tech, hardware, or climate-related startups, how did you navigate this? What funding sources (grants, accelerators, investors, government programs) worked best for you? Any insights or lessons learned would be greatly appreciated!