Sessions
Description
Forest fires pose several threats to both human health and those on the front lines of wildfire combat. Among the general population, especially the elderly, pregnant women and children are among the most vulnerable to the health effects of toxic smoke exposure from wildfires. The occupational activity as a firefighter has been classified as carcinogenic to humans. This session aims to shed light on the urgent need to prioritize human health in forest fire management and to foster a deeper understanding of the critical role that public health and firefighter safety play in addressing the growing challenges of forest fires. This session includes a broad discussion of the consequences related to exposure to toxic smoke, extreme heat, and the physical demands of battling unpredictable and intense fires, physical health, mental well-being, and community exposure and pressure on public health systems. The discussion of indirect effects of forest fires, such as the displacement of populations, and the implications for public health preparedness and the importance of protecting both civilians and firefighters by implementing strategies to mitigate these risks are welcomed.Description
As wildfires become increasingly frequent and severe, there is an urgent need to strengthen our resilience against these destructive events. This session focuses on the integration of advanced machine learning (ML) techniques with Earth system models to improve the understanding, prediction, and management of wildfire risks. Attendees will explore how ML algorithms can be employed to analyze large datasets, uncovering critical factors that drive wildfire occurrences and behavior. The session will also highlight the integration of historical observations with Earth system model outputs to refine and constrain projections of future wildfire activities. This integrated approach enables the development of high-resolution regional wildfire risk maps, which are crucial for both immediate response strategies and long-term planning. Additionally, the session will present innovative efforts to create hybrid wildfire models that combine the strengths of ML with traditional process-based approaches in Earth system modeling. These hybrid models are designed to enhance the accuracy and reliability of wildfire predictions under various climate scenarios. By bringing together experts in ML, Earth system modeling, and wildfire risk management, this session aims to advance the field of wildfire resilience. Participants will gain valuable insights into cutting-edge methodologies that can inform and support policy and management decisions, ultimately mitigating wildfire risks.Description
Wildfires have long been recognized as a natural evolutionary driver of forest ecosystems, playing a crucial role in maintaining and shaping ecosystem dynamics, while also promoting biodiversity and productivity. However, the current wildfire regime has been drastically altered by human land use changes and global climate shifts, leading to an increasingly severe and complex global challenge. The consequences of wildfires extend far beyond immediate socioeconomic impacts, such as the tragic loss of human lives, property damage, and the immense costs associated with fire suppression. They also pose significant threats to environmental health, including the destruction of wildlife habitats and vegetation, and the disruption of ecosystem services. Among the less visible but equally critical impacts of wildfires are those on atmospheric, terrestrial, and particularly aquatic ecosystems. Wildfires can release large quantities of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) into the environment, contaminating air, water, and soil, and posing serious risks to species and human health. Of special concern is the effect on aquatic ecosystems, where the increased runoff generated by wildfires leads to the transport of sediments, ashes, and PTEs into downstream water bodies. This not only degrades water quality but also disrupts aquatic habitats, potentially leading to long-term ecological damage. This session seeks to explore the broad spectrum of short- and long-term environmental impacts of wildfires on aquatic ecosystems. We invite contributions that address the complex interactions between wildfires and aquatic environments, including coastal and marine ecosystems, as well as the implications for human health. Additionally, discussions on restoration and mitigation strategies to alleviate wildfire impacts on aquatic systems are highly encouraged.
Description
Models are a necessary tool for predicting future changes in the Earth System and are useful for understanding the causes of past changes. Modelling fire is particularly challenging because many factors can influence fire occurrence, including climate factors, vegetation properties, topography, and the direct and indirect effects of human activities including management. The importance of different factors changes with spatial scale and in different vegetation types. Further complexity is added because fires have different properties and fire seasons vary substantially across the world. Intentionally lit and managed fires may be influenced by different factors than wildfires. Many different approaches have been used to model both wildfires and managed fires, ranging from purely conceptual models, through empirical modelling or machine-learning methods to process-based models. None of these models incorporate the full complexity of the controls on fire and the interactions between them. In the face of increasing fire risk under future climate change, and with changes in the magnitude, intensity and timing of fires already being observed in many regions, there is an urgent need to improve our current modelling capacity. In this session, we will explore how we can learn from different types of fire models to improve the current state of fire modelling and our ability to predict what will happen in the future. We encourage submissions that apply models of any level of complexity and at any spatial scale under past, present and future states that can further this discussion.Description
As urban expansion continues to encroach upon natural landscapes, the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) has emerged as a critical zone of vulnerability for wildfires. This session explores the unique challenges associated with WUI areas, where human development meets wildland vegetation, significantly increasing the exposure to wildfires. We will discuss the primary factors contributing to the rising frequency and severity of WUI fires, including climate change, land-use planning, and human activities. Key topics will include fire behavior in WUI zones, the role of community preparedness and education, and the need for integrated fire management strategies that involve local governments, urban planners, and environmental agencies. Case studies from recent wildfires will illustrate the urgent need for comprehensive policies and technologies to mitigate wildfire risks, protect lives, property, and ecosystems, and ensure sustainable development in fire-prone areas. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for improving fire resilience in WUI regions, including innovations in firefighting techniques, landscape management, and fire-adaptive building designs. This session is vital for policymakers, urban planners, emergency responders, and environmental professionals dedicated to addressing the increasing threat posed by wildfires at the WUI. This session encompasses the key issues surrounding the Wildland-Urban Interface and wildfires, appealing to a broad audience interested in disaster management, urban planning, and environmental sustainability.Description
This section aims to analyse the main challenges and opportunities in forest governance and wildfire risk management, focusing on models that involve collaboration between multiple stakeholders. The governance of forest, even if it is on State property, private or communal land, requires effective coordination between local communities, national, and regional authorities, state forest services, NGOs, academia, and the private sector. While the decentralisation of forest management is a growing trend in several countries, its implementation faces significant obstacles, such as bureaucracy and inconsistent State support. Throughout the section, we will examine various governance models adopted in different countries, highlighting the strategies used to address wildfire risk. We will analyse models such as Baldios Clusters, ZIF, AIGP in the context of Portugal and similar ones in other European countries. In this way, we intend to discuss the successes and challenges all these models have faced in their implementation, evaluating their contribution or lack thereof to reducing wildfire risk and promoting sustainable forest management. Additionally, we will consider the economic and social factors that directly impact the effectiveness of these models. We aim to identify barriers and synergies in legislation and practice and propose ways to improve coordination among the different actors involved. This critical analysis is essential for developing more effective public policies to increase forests' resilience and ensure their sustainability in the face of the growing wildfire threat. Furthermore, we hope the insights gained from this session will serve as a foundation for future international collaboration. KEYNOTES- Collaborative Forest Governance Models for Wildfire Risk Mitigation. Explore how different collaboration models between various stakeholders can contribute to wildfire risk mitigation.
- Decentralisation in Forest Management: Opportunities and Challenges. Analise the decentralization of forest management in various countries, highlighting the challenges such as bureaucracy, overlapping regulations, and lack of State support, as well as the opportunities to enhance forest resilience through more effective governance.
- Best Practices in Reducing Wildfire Risk: Lessons from European Forest Governance Models. Compare different forest governance models adopted in European countries, in different kind of state property, private or communal land, to reduce wildfire risk, highlighting the lessons learned and the successful strategies in terms of sustainability and resilience.
- The Role of Economic and Social Factors in Sustainable Forest Management. Discuss the impact of economic and social factors on the effectiveness of forest governance models, with a focus on the implementation of public policies that promote sustainability and enhance resilient against wildfires
Description
Fire is a natural disturbance of ecosystems, a necessary element for the ongoing survival of ecological communities. Negative impacts arise when fire cannot be controlled in time and space. The co-occurrence of several factors, such as high temperature, low humidity, and the lack of moisture in fuels drives wildfires. All these factors are directly or indirectly related to climate variability and climate change. Recent climate changes induce warmer and drier weather conditions, increasing fuel aridity, leading to longer and more active fire seasons and increasing the burned area in several parts of the world. There has been reported an increase in extreme wildfires in Chile, North America, Australia, and Brazil, among other regions and several climate models projected that these tendencies will continue. Understanding the link between wildfires and current and future climate patterns and variations in the fire regime in response to climate change is crucial for better-defining management and prevention measures. The impact of climate on fire behaviour is still a challenging research topic due to the role played by individual and composed factors, such as climate, vegetation and fire activity. This session aims to encourage experts to analyse this topic from different perspectives, contributing to the increase of our understanding of the nexus between climate and wildfire, namely using new methods in remote sensing, ground observation, and field campaigns.Conveners
Description
Soil erosion is a key process to understand the landforms and their evolution. Forest fires determine the spatial and temporal changes in soil erosion rates. This is therefore that forest fires induce changes in vegetation and soil properties that finally trigger changes in soil infiltration, soil water retention, sediment transport, and runoff generation. The measurement scale highly affects the impact of fire on soil and watershed hydrology and soil erosion. Measurements and experiments carried out at different scales show that fire induces a sudden increase in runoff (less interception, lack of soil litter, water repellency ..) and an increase in sediment transport, soil crust development, and finally a more degraded soil. There is a need to understand better the impact of fire on the connectivity of flows and sediments, the role of water repellency, and the strategies to recover the ecosystems after the forest fire. This session welcomes pure and applied scientific research to discuss the best methods to manage fire and avoid the impact on soil and watersheds due to fire. Experimental and theoretical research with site demonstration and literature review are welcome. Soil erosion measurements, estimations, models, and case study sites will be shown in this scientific session in Setubal, in June 2025.Conveners
Description
Spain is one of the EU countries with the largest history of forest fires, but both the causes and the impact differs enormously across the different Spanish biogeographic regions. The combination of prescribed/controlled fires is a technique used across the globe to reduce biomass and therefore forest fire intensity to allow fireman to extinguish the fires as fast as possible. However, the efficiency of these prescribed/controlled fires can be promoted if after the vegetation sprout grazing is allowed. This session will discuss the last advances of the pyric herbivorism in three biogeographic regions of Spain (Andalucia, Navarra and Galicia). Papers from other regions linked to this topic will also be more than welcome.Description
Understanding the intricate links between climate patterns and wildfires is essential for advancing fire management and developing proactive prevention strategies. Despite progress in recognizing how climate influences wildfire behavior, this field remains complex due to the interplay of factors such as climate variability, vegetation (fuel), and the feedback mechanisms they create. This session will bring together experts exploring these critical connections across various spatial and temporal scales. The focus will be on the use of climate indicators (such as fire weather indices) and modeling techniques to assess the role of climate in driving wildfire occurrences, severity, and patterns. Contributions are encouraged from studies employing novel methods in remote sensing, ground-based observations, statistical analysis, and simulations that enhance our understanding of wildfire dynamics in the context of ongoing and future climate change. We welcome submissions that provide insights into how shifting climate conditions will influence fire regimes globally and in specific ecosystems, offering a platform for advancing our ability to predict and mitigate wildfire risks in a changing world.
Description
In many regions, traditional land use practices incorporated fire as a management tool for hunting, grazing, and agriculture. Historically, there were no fire breaks, organized management systems, or formal training for the public. Fire regimes developed through the intentional use of human-set fires alongside natural occurrences, which evidence suggests were ecologically beneficial. However, the traditional knowledge that helped manage and rejuvenate vegetation is often overlooked by modern fire managers.
Recent changes, driven by climate change, population growth, political policies, and technological advancements changed land use practices, have disrupted these long-standing fire regimes, leading to an increase in catastrophic fires. Today, scientific advancements have provided crucial insights into ecological systems and their needs.
Researchers have identified effective methods for using fire to restore degraded ecosystems and mitigate the risks of uncontrolled fires. With this growing understanding comes the responsibility to apply this "rediscovered" knowledge. Key questions arise: Who should be educated and trained? Who will deliver these services? What should be included in our strategies, and how will we fund them?
Scientists, educators, fire managers and fire authorities are invited to share their views and research to provide answers to these questions.
Description
This session will explore the sequential changes that occur after fires in various ecosystems, highlighting both the immediate post-fire impacts and the long-term transformations that shape the landscape over time. We invite researchers who deal with shifts in vegetation, soil processes, hydrology, and biodiversity through a chronosequence lens, drawing on case studies and interdisciplinary research methods. By comparing yesterday and today, the session aims to provide fresh insights into how fire-adapted systems recover, adapt, and ultimately inform better management, restoration, and policy decisions in fire-prone regions.
Description
The session's focus is on actionable, community-driven solutions in wildfire resilience. By integrating technical expertise with the lived experiences of fire-prone communities, we can move beyond a technology-driven approach to wildfire preparednessensuring that resilience strategies are both scientifically robust and deeply grounded in local knowledge, needs, and capacities. This session challenges conventional paradigms by exploring how governance, social innovation, and participatory engagement can complement advanced technologies to create fire-adaptive landscapes. Through real-world examples, we will highlight how communities can drive meaningful change in wildfire management. Call to Action: Join us in rethinking wildfire resilience placing communities not as passive recipients of solutions but as key actors in shaping the future of fire management.Workshops
Conveners
Description
This 2-hour training session will introduce participants to the use of R for reading and processing fire and climate data. The session will focus on how to calculate and analyze the relationships between climate variables and wildfire burned area. Participants will gain hands-on experience with data manipulation, visualization, and basic statistical techniques. This course is designed for those who want to enhance their skills in understanding the connection between fire and climate, using R as a practical tool. Basic knowledge of R is recommended but not required, and all relevant materials will be provided.
Conveners
Description
In this 2-hour training session, participants will learn how to calculate and interpret the Fire Weather Index (FWI), a critical tool in assessing fire danger based on weather conditions. The session will cover also how to perform trend analysis on FWI data using R, offering insights into both short-term fire weather conditions and long-term climate trends. This hands-on course will provide elements of fire science, climatology, and statistical analysis, equipping participants with the skills to apply FWI calculations in their research or fire management practices. Basic R skills are beneficial, and all materials will be supplied.
Description
The training school “Vegetation fuel management for fire prevention and rural population retention. Pyric herbivory: prescribed burning and targeted grazing.” aims to provide participants with knowledge of techniques and methods for managing vegetation fuel, such as prescribed burning, grazing, and pyric herbivory. Participants will learn how to make strategic decisions in landscape management, analyze fuel management plans, and apply these concepts to practical cases. The course is divided into two parts. The first will be theoretical, covering an introduction to pyric herbivory, prescribed burning, and grazing. The second part will be practical and involve the analysis of management plans from different regions of Spain, where participants will identify strengths and weaknesses, propose improvements, and present their proposals. This training combines theory and practice, encouraging active participation and critical analysis to achieve a deep and applied understanding of vegetation fuel management for forest fire prevention and rural population retention. Organizers: Spanish National Research Council – Estación Experimental del Zaidín, the University of Santiago de Compostela, the Public University of Navarra, and the Association of Shepherds for the Mediterranean Forest.