- Extreme Wildfire
This workstream aims to deliver tools and information that can be applied in fire prediction, risk mitigation and fire-fighting operations.
Four prototypes for firefighter sensors and tools, and four prototypes for the integrated fire information systems, are under various stages of exploration.
- a slash sensor tool is under development, which monitors temperature in slash piles and delivers information via satellite or cell-phone to smart phone app. This gives forest managers time to act to reduce the risk of spontaneous combustion
- weather stations installed near slash piles are enabling researchers to link weather data with slash pile heating, resulting in enhanced predictions of spontaneous combustion
- a structural firefighting infra-red ‘head up’ display is being explored for wildland firefighters. Existing units are being modified to work in outdoor fire environments and help firefighters identify where mop up is needed during fire suppression
- a rapid assessment observation platform (easy-to-use drone) is being explored. This would be deployed on initial attack during a fire to assess the conditions on the ground and the fire behaviour
- spatially explicit probability maps of wildfire hazard and risk are being developed, based on a ensemble modelling approach
- a prototype to automate fire spread models from the fire line using an Application Programming Interface (API) has been developed
- a fire occurrence database as a foundational dataset to better understand fire within the NZ context is under development.
Explore the Extreme Wildfire Research Programme workstreams:
Extreme Wildfire News
Building for a wildfire future
As part of Scion’s five-year Extreme Wildfire research programme, social scientists are investigating how decisions throughout planning, design and construction lead to homes being built
New slash sensor operational
A sensor which monitors temperature in slash piles has had extensive testing in forest environments to make it more robust and reliable. The sensor delivers
Experimental burns a world-first
Two new series of extreme wildfire burns was completed near Twizel in autumn 2023, as part of Scion’s Extreme Fire research programme. The burns follow
Related searchable documents and reports
| Title | Date | Report Number | Author | Link | hf:doc_categories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Research Publications | February 18, 2015 | 00 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Fire Research Documents pre-2008 | September 30, 2014 | 01 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Aerial fire suppression research – 2008 | February 1, 2008 | 18 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Spatial Techniques for Grassland Curing Across Australia & New Zealand – 2008 | February 1, 2008 | 19 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Impact of climate variability on fire danger – August 2007 | August 1, 2007 | 17 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Forest Biosecurity & Protection – Review of methods and data on rural fire suppression resource productivity and effectiveness – June 2007 | June 1, 2007 | 16 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Forest Biosecurity & Protection – Communication of Fire Danger Warnings in New Zealand and Overseas – May 2007 | May 1, 2007 | 15 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| New Zealand Experimental and Wildfire Observer Guide : Forms – 2006 Fire Weather Recording Form | February 1, 2006 | 13 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Applying fire spread simulators in New Zealand and Australia – 2006 Results from an international seminar | February 1, 2006 | 14 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Forest and rural fire danger rating in New Zealand – 2006 | January 1, 2006 | 10 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Wildfires and Communities: Australasian Perspectives | January 1, 2006 | 11 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| New Zealand Experimental & Wildfire Observer Guide – 2006 Guide Version 1.1 – January 2006. | January 1, 2006 | 12 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Spatial Prediction of Wildfire Hazard Across New Zealand: A Significant Upgrade – September 2005 | September 1, 2005 | 08 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Impact of Climate Change on Long-term Fire Danger – June 2005 | June 1, 2005 | 06 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| New Zealand Vegetation Fire Database Summary and Initial Data Quality Findings – June 2005 | June 1, 2005 | 07 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| patial Prediction of Wildfire Hazard Across New Zealand – A Significant Upgrade – 2005 | May 1, 2005 | 05 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Forest Biosecurity & Protection – Wildfires and Communities: International Perspectives March 2005 | March 1, 2005 | 04 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Determination of field sampling methods for the assessment of curing levels in grasslands – 2005 | January 1, 2005 | 09 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| Fire Danger Climatology Analyses and Tools | May 1, 2003 | 01 | G Pearce, J Moore, L Douglas | extreme-wildfire-public | |
| A fire danger climatology for New Zealand, plus Appendix 2 – 2003 | May 1, 2003 | 02 | extreme-wildfire-public | ||
| A Fire Danger Climatology for New Zealand – 2003 | May 1, 2003 | 03 | extreme-wildfire-public |
