FIREWISE: Proactive wildfire resilience assessment and management

Climate change is unequivocally amplifying both the frequency and intensity of wildfires, both in Europe and on a global scale, as underscored by the recent catastrophic megafires. Despite recent efforts in wildfire risk management, there is still a lack of integrative approaches and tools. FIREWISE aims to develop a robust framework for analyzing the wildfire risk to ecosystems and critical infrastructure. Fragility and vulnerability curves for key European assets will be generated, incorporating data from past disasters, wildfire simulations, and forensic analyses. Additionally, a spatial optimization system for firefighting resources will be designed, considering factors like property value, population density, and terrain. An evacuation plan will be established using agent-based modelling, accounting for demographics and fire behavior. These tools will be implemented in two high-risk European areas, evaluating scenarios considering climate and land changes. The outcomes will inform strategies to enhance resilience and align with EU guidelines, offering risk indicators at local and regional scales to aid stakeholders in proactive disaster management

People

	Name	Telephone	Email	Office
	Dr Sotirios Argyroudis Reader in Infrastructure Engineering (Principal investigator) T: +44 (0)1895 267728 E: sotirios.argyroudis@brunel.ac.uk	+44 (0)1895 267728	sotirios.argyroudis@brunel.ac.uk	Howell 230