Fire Webinar | Fire in Human Landscape
the chair
Fire Webinar
Fire in Human Landscape
While trends in fire occurrence vary across the globe, researchers and managers are increasingly identifying the importance of understanding the interactions between landscape fire and human land use. Humans come in into contact with landscape fire in the densely settled and expanding wildland–urban interface (WUI), as well as in less-populated but modified agricultural and pastoral areas. The human impact in fire occurrence in these zones is complicated; there is the potential for greater ignitions, either accidental or deliberate, but also increased suppression, and the opportunity for fuel treatment and other vegetation and landscape planning activities to moderate fire occurrence and severity
In recent years, significant fires in a number of countries (for example, Australia, the United States of America, Greece and Chile) have impacted human lives, property, and infrastructure in human-modified landscapes. These events have drawn global attention to the interaction of landscape fire with human settlements and have provided novel research opportunities.
In this webinar we present research from three recent papers providing insights into the drivers and impacts of fire in human landscapes. Associate Professor Owen Price, from the University of Wollongong will discuss factors determining house loss associated with two wildfires in eastern Australia, and his findings on the importance of householder preparation and active defence. Dr Natalia Flores Quiroz from Stellenbosch University will present research on fires in informal settlements in South Africa and the similarity of their behaviour to wildfires. Finally, Professor Noam Levin from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem will present results from a satellite-based analysis of the drivers of Australia’s Black Summer fires, and conclusions regarding management actions that can reduce fire risk to communities.
We invite researchers and practitioners involved in studying and managing fire and its interaction with human settlements to join this webinar and discussion
Date: 24 February 2022
Time: 9:00am CET | 3:00am EST | 4:00pm CST Asia
Webinar ID: 851 9352 1676
Webinar Secretariat: fire.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Grant Williamson
School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Australia;
Dr Grant Williamson is a landscape ecologist and spatial scientist, whose research has focused on the climatic and human drivers of wildfires and fire danger across Australia, the dynamics and human health impact of smoke wildfires and prescribed fires on human health, and the application of novel geospatial methodologies to fire analysis. Grant is currently a work package leader with the NSW Bushfire Risk Management Research Hub, and a affiliate with the Centre for Air Quality & Health Research and Evaluation (CAR-CRE).
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
On Thursday, 24 February 2022, MDPI and the Journal Fire organized the 1st Webinar on Fire, entitled "Fire in Human Landscape”. This online seminar was chaired by Dr. Grant Williamson from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Australia. The webinar reviewed the effects and interactions of significant fire disasters in populated areas.
The first speaker to kick off the webinar was the webinar’s chair Dr Grant Williamson. Dr Williamson provided an overview of the distribution of extreme and disastrous fires globally, and new strategies to manage risk in vulnerable landscapes. Prof Noam Levin then presented and analysed the drivers of the various large fires that comprised the 2019/20 Black Summer fire season in Australia. Dr Natalia Flores Quiroz followed and discussed fires in informal settlements in South Africa, and new ways fire authorities can understand and catalogue the causes of these fires. Finally, Dr Owen Price presented an analysis of the factors that prevented damage and destruction to houses in Australian Wildfires. The talks were followed by a Q&A session moderated by the chair.
The webinar was offered via Zoom and required registration to attend. The full recording can be found below. In order to stay updated on the next webinars on Fire, be sure to sign up for our newsletter by clicking on “Subscribe” at the top of the page.
Fire in Human Landscape
Guest Editor: Dr. Grant Williamson
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 21 February 2022