Here are the six keynote speakers for the Wildland Fire Canada Conference and Canadian Smoke Forum 2026 who will share their knowledge and experience on different wildfire communities around the world.
Register now for the Wildland Fire Canada Conference and Canadian Smoke Forum 2026.
#WFCC26 is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada from 19-23 October 2026.
Edward Alexander represents the Gwich’in on the Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response working groups of the Arctic Council and is Co-Chair of the Arctic Council’s Initiative on Wildland Fire.
Erin Tassell is Fire Aviation Manager for the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and is the state’s first female State Duty Officer. She started her fire career in northern Alberta and has worked in fire management, operations and strategic planning as well as frontline firefighting.
Loressa Mike is the Emergency Management Coordinator Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation. She oversees fire and emergency services for the Nation, working to enhance preparedness, response, recovery and resilience. Her commitment to safety and self-determination is rooted in a belief that Indigenous Nations are best positioned to lead and manage their own emergency services.
Mathieu Bourbonnais is Director of the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program and Principal’s Research Chair in Wildfire Risk and Fire Management at the UBC Centre for Wildfire Coexistence.
Kerry Anderson is a retired fire research scientist from the Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada. His is working on the Canadian Forest Fire Emissions Prediction System that predicts the amount, distribution and concentration of wildland fire smoke.
Erick Thompson will close the conference with his story of the Bald Range Wildfire of August 2026, when he livestreamed community updates from the Regional Emergency Operations Centre. Erick is Senior Manager of Communications and Engagement at the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, in Penticton, British Columbia.
The full program is ready!
The last WFCC was in 2024 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The first was in 2010 in Kitchener, Ontario.
The theme for 2026 is Connecting Operations, Research and Community Action.
Registrations are OPEN for the Wildland Fire Canada Conference and Canadian Smoke Forum 2026.
#WFCC26 is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada from 19-23 October 2026.
#WFCC26 will bring together wildland fire management agencies, Indigenous knowledge holders and experts, scientists, partners, and collaborators from across Canada and around the world.
This biennial conference focuses on wildland fire management, science and knowledge-sharing.
Don’t forget to choose a Workshop and a Field Trip.
• 11 Workshops – with most over half a day.
• 3 Field Trips – including one overnight.
The full program is ready!
The last WFCC was in 2024 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The first was in 2010 in Kitchener, Ontario.
The theme for 2026 is Connecting Operations, Research and Community Action.
WFCC26 is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada from 19-23 October 2026.
At a laboratory in Australia, researchers are trying to develop rapid, accessible tests that can protect firefighters, military personnel, and the wider community from the escalating health burden of wildfire smoke and polluted air.
The olfactory tissue, located high in the nasal cavity, directly connects the outside world to the brain, making it uniquely vulnerable to toxic particles in polluted air and wildfire smoke. By studying cells and molecular changes in this tissue, researchers can potentially identify early biological warning signs of harm before symptoms appear.
The team at the QIMR Berghofer Institute in Brisbane is pioneering the use of the nose as a frontline sensor of environmental harm. Using cutting-edge approaches such as stem cell-derived models, advanced imaging, and profiling of genes, and proteins, the lab investigates how air pollutants trigger inflammation, damage protective barriers, and accelerate risks for neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and motor neuron disease.
This work is helping to establish olfactory tissue as a powerful, non-invasive biomarker source for monitoring exposure and predicting long-term brain health impacts.
Understanding the role of the nose
Where there’s fire, there’s smoke, and our noses have been reading that signal for millions of years. Smell is one of our most primal senses, hard-wired to memory and survival. Fire first burned on Earth about 360 million years ago and has been shaping animal, and then human, behaviour ever since.
In Australia, for example, bushfire smoke awakens Gould’s long-eared bats, and fat-tailed dunnarts from rest, triggering escape behaviours. Other species detect smoke and fire in different ways; birds of prey follow smoke columns for hunting opportunities, while fire beetles actively seek out burnt wood to lay their eggs. By about 300,000 years ago, humans were managing fire themselves. For Indigenous cultures across the planet, fire and smoke became a part of seasonal rhythms and land stewardship. Cultural burning practices were designed not only to manage vegetation but to protect biodiversity, including giving animals time and cues to move away from danger. For many early people, the scent of smoke wasn’t just a warning, it was the smell of home. But in today’s climate, as wildfires become more frequent, intense, and prolonged, and smoke plumes drift across continents, what does the smell of smoke mean to us now? Can our noses still help us make sense of this modern environmental threat?
What’s in wildfire smoke, and why it matters
Smoke Pollution Alert – Public Health Notice: Air quality in your region has reached hazardous levels due to wildfire smoke. Children, elderly adults, and people with heart or lung conditions should stay indoors. Avoid physical activity outside. Use air purifiers if available. The smell of smoke may be present even when skies appear clear.
We see alerts like these more often now. But why do we need such warnings? What’s in the smoke that makes it so dangerous?
Wildfire smoke is more than just the scent of burning wood, it’s a complex, shifting mix of thousands of gases and particles. Fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) is especially concerning; these microscopic particles are small enough to bypass the nose and lung natural defences and enter deep into the bloodstream.
Mixed into this airborne soup are harmful gases such as carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, acrolein, and benzene, many of which are known to damage cells, irritate tissues, and disrupt bodily systems.
The specific chemical makeup of the smoke can also change depending on what burns: forest, grassland, peat, or homes and vehicles packed with synthetic materials. This matters, as these pollutants can trigger asthma, bronchitis, and cardiovascular issues. They can damage blood vessels, and some have been linked to changes in brain function, increasing the risk of neurological disease with prolonged exposure. Our noses may register that familiar campfire aroma but science tells us it may be a toxic warning signal.
First contact: the nose as a sensor
The nose is more than a breathing gateway, it’s a carefully tuned chemical detection system and our first responder to air pollution. As we inhale, air passes through narrow nasal passages lined with mucus and tiny hairs (called cilia) that trap particles and pathogens. But higher up, near the roof of the nasal cavity, lies a key tissue: the olfactory epithelium. This small, specialized patch of nasal cells contains olfactory (nasal) receptor neurons, cells capable of detecting thousands of different airborne molecules, including those in wildfire smoke. When these molecules bind to the receptors, they trigger electrical signals that travel directly to the brain’s olfactory bulb, bypassing many of the filtering systems other senses rely on. This fast-track connection to brain regions controlling emotion and memory explains why the scent of smoke (and other aromas) can evoke vivid memories or instinctive fear. The nose also plays a frontline protective role, filtering harmful particles and engaging the immune system in response to what we inhale. In the context of wildfire smoke, this makes the nose not just a detector, but a biological barrier, and the first to suffer damage when we breath toxic air.
Nose to brain particle delivery. Photo: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute.
Smell to science: sampling the nasal airway
The nose doesn’t just react to smoke; it also records what’s coming in. Inside its delicate lining, wildfire smoke can leave behind markers of biological changes, like a molecular fingerprint of exposure.
Researchers can potentially use this, turning the nasal passage into a powerful site for non-invasive health monitoring. Using simple tools like a nasal brush or swab, scientists can gently collect cells from the olfactory epithelium, the same region that detects smell. This is similar in practice to a COVID-19 nasal test. In some cases, specialists may also perform a nasal mucosal biopsy, using a small surgical tool under local anaesthetic to collect a more in-depth tissue sample. Once gathered, researchers can apply techniques such as RNA (gene) sequencing, protein analysis, and microscopy to uncover how smoke is affecting cellular responses.
Biological clues in the nose
The nasal lining responds quickly to environmental insults, and wildfire smoke is no exception. When exposed, nasal cells may begin to express what researchers call biological clues (or biomarkers) – measurable signs that the body is reacting to harm. These clues can include inflammation signals like cytokines (inflammatory signal proteins released by cells), oxidative stress (free radical) markers, and DNA injury. In high-risk groups, these changes often show up earlier and more locally in the nose than in blood or lung samples, making nasal testing a potentially powerful, and accessible tool.
A gateway to the brain
The brain is normally thought of as well-protected, shielded by a blood-brain barrier (a layer of cells that control movement of substances from the blood into the brain). But there’s one route where this barrier can be bypassed: through the nose. The olfactory nerve, which carries smell information directly into the brain, passes through tiny holes in the skull, directly linking the nose and the brain (Figure 1). This close contact means that toxins or particulates from smoke can, in theory, reach the brain. This pathway is now being studied as a possible link between repeated wildfire smoke exposure and neurological symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, and even long-term disease risk. The nose may be a critical warning system not just for the lungs, but for the brain as well.
Firefighters, veterans, and other vulnerable groups
Wildland firefighters are among the most exposed people on the planet when it comes to wildfire smoke. Many spend days on the frontline with limited respiratory protection, season after season. Military veterans, particularly those with past exposure to burn pits or combat environments, may carry additional respiratory and neurological vulnerabilities, especially when they transition into firefighting roles. But the risk is also wider. Children, whose lungs and brains are still developing, older adults, whose systems are more fragile, and people with asthma, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes, are all more sensitive to smoke, even at levels lower than what firefighters face.
That’s where nasal testing could make a difference. By identifying early biological changes in the nose, scientists may be able to detect exposure impacts before damage becomes irreversible. These tests could help guide rest periods, determine when a responder needs support, or help families make informed decisions about smoke exposure in high-risk regions.
The potential for early detection
The idea is simple: a quick, low-cost test using a nasal swab that could reveal whether smoke exposure has begun to take a toll on your body, before you feel sick. This could be done in clinics, field stations, or potentially as part of mobile testing units deployed during major fire seasons.
Researchers are developing tools that can read inflammatory markers, stress signals, and other biological clues in nasal tissue to understand how smoke exposure is progressing. The goal is to offer real-time feedback for those on the front lines, and early reassurance (or warning) for the broader public.
With climate change driving longer fire seasons and heavier smoke loads, early detection could become a cornerstone of future health response, and the nose, the unlikely frontline of wildfire resilience.
Protecting the nose and the body
Protecting ourselves from wildfire smoke starts at the source. Indigenous cultural burning has long offered a safer, smarter way to reduce fuel loads, protect biodiversity, and minimize smoke intensity. Supporting these methods, alongside prescribed burns, forest restoration, and land-use reform, helps tackle the problem before it reaches our lungs.
For those on the front lines, modern protective tools, from high-quality respirators and improved shelter infrastructure to air quality monitors and ventilation systems, are crucial. Researchers are also exploring nasal sprays, filters, and anti-inflammatory treatments to help reduce harm where exposure starts.
At the public health level, early warning systems, clear air-quality messaging, and potentially even nasal-based health testing could offer communities more agency and real-time decision-making during fire season. By protecting the nose, we may be able to help safeguard the brain, lungs, heart, and future health of those most affected by our changing air.
Anthony White works at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Queensland and has been awarded an NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship. His research has contributed to the development of first-in-class metal-drugs as a potential new therapeutic approach to treat motor neuron disease. He is currently developing new human patient-based models of neurodegeneration and has established a new research direction examining the impact of wildfire smoke on the human brain.
By Josh Hyde, Eva Strand, Peter Noble and Kim Ernstrom
Land and fire managers are often tasked to plan complex fuel treatments and apply the best available science across jurisdictions to prioritize, plan, and conduct prescribed burns and other fire mitigation tactics.
Decision support systems – information systems designed to support management decision making – are a key tool for fuel treatment planning.
Historically, models and systems for fuels management have been developed independently without a great deal of coordination, leading to varying degrees of overlapping functionality.
Additionally, as Gail Wells noted in the December 2009 issue of Fire Science Digest, the onus of reviewing, selecting, and using a specific tool often falls on the fire manager.
To increase efficiency, reduce redundancies, and make the tool-selection process easier for fire managers, a solution was needed that incorporated several fuels management tools in one framework.
The Joint Fire Science Program, a collaborative initiative led by US federal agencies and researchers to sponsor and deliver science to the fire management community, initiated a study to design a system to meet these needs. The result was the Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System (IFTDSS). Initially, a proof of concept was developed by the consulting firm Sonoma Technology in concert with Joint Fire Sciences. Later, the system was approved for use by federal agencies in the United States and was redeveloped by IBM under the stewardship of the interagency Wildland Fire Management Research and Development Applications team in 2017.
BACKGROUND
In the United States, the National Cohesive Strategy in 2014 emphasized the importance of fuel treatments to proactively address wildland fire concerns. The Wildland Fire Crisis Strategy of 2022 built on this and other approaches by outlining a vision of large-scale fuel treatments over millions of acres of land of various ownerships, supported by funding from the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act passed the prior year.
In 2022, the National Prescribed Fire Program Review by the US Department of Agriculture recommended better training and incorporation of spatial modeling for contingency planning.
Fuel-treatment strategies often require detailed and collaborative planning across multiple agencies and ownerships. The importance of detail was underscored in the spring of 2022 when escaped prescribed fires in New Mexico burned several square miles and forced a 90-day pause on USDA Forest Service prescribed fires. The pause triggered a National Prescribed Fire Program Review and among its recommendations were better training and incorporation of spatial modeling for contingency planning.
WHAT IS THE IFTDSS?
The system uses a landscape planning cycle approach to fuels management to bring together tools for fuels planning and decision support, including national geospatial landscape data from the LANDFIRE program, fire behavior models from the Fire Modeling Services Framework program, and several geospatial references layers used by land management agencies to help inform decision making. For those tasked with monitoring on federal lands, the system also allows users to enter data into a Fuel Treatment Effectiveness Monitoring repository. All these are included in one convenient online system (Figure 1). Managers can model and examine results in a map, export data for planning documentation, and create stand-alone summary reports for documentation, presentations, and briefings (Figure 2).
Figure 1. The Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System framework, pulling together tools from several sources.
In the United States users may also be familiar with decisions support systems designed to support multiple land management activities, such as Vibrant Planet’s Land Tender or those intended to support wildfire such as the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS). The Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System differs from these applications in that it is purpose built for cross-boundary planning of fuel treatments and is developed by an interagency team of fire management practitioners who are experts in planning and implementation; this is reflected in the affiliations of the more than 8,000 user accounts in the system. Roughly 60 per cent of users are federal, state, and local government, with most being United States Forest Service users. The remainder are non-government users including non-profits, universities, utility companies, and others. The system may be used for public and private lands, and anyone may access the system regardless of their affiliation, at no cost; this facilitates interagency collaboration by removing any cost and agency-specific barriers.
LISTENING TO USERS
The development of the Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System is ongoing and is informed by the needs of the fuels and wildfire management community, so user feedback is key. During the operational life of the system, feedback has been solicited in several ways. In 2023, a formal survey was commissioned through University of Idaho partners who conducted hour-long interviews with 47 system users from a variety of agencies and backgrounds.
The goal was to gain a better understanding of a) how users employ the system b) what they find valuable, c) what they would like to see changed, and d) how they prefer to learn to use the system. That information provides an overall snapshot of how the fuels management community learns and uses the system and how well it supports the needs of the users in the field.
HOW THE SYSTEM IS USED
The most widely reported use of the Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System among interviewees was prescribed fire planning and treatment planning, followed by National Environment Policy Act planning, and risk assessment (Figure 3).
Other uses included drafting community wildfire protection plans, developing prescriptions, assessing potential treatment impacts, and estimating contingency resources. Some interviewees also noted the use of the system in developing materials for funding or grant proposals to support fuel projects.
Participants in different positions tend to use the system for different goals. Those who worked as fire management specialists and assistant fire management officers tended to use the system more for prescribed fire planning and National Environment Policy Act planning, while those in fire management officer positions use the system more for treatment planning and risk assessment. For those who worked in a private or consulting role, risk assessment was typically their primary goal.
Figure 2. Common parts of the system interface. – A treatment polygon overlaid on a landscape in Map Studio. – Fire behavior summary report indicating flame lengths. – User interface for comparing fire behavior outputs under various weather conditions.
PERCEIVED BENEFITS
When participants described their use of the system, the primary aspects they found valuable included the following.
Ease of use
Participants described the layout of the system as simple and navigable, especially compared to existing modeling and mapping systems, an example being the way in which tasks were laid out in a process that approximates the landscape planning cycle.
“So, the way that the steps are set up, as in, it’s pretty clear from the get go. You can get in there and say, ‘start here’. Build the landscape, then do this, then do that, so the way that it’s laid out leads you through the entire process pretty clearly.”
The most common feature interviewees found useful was the relative ease of learning and using the system. Participants felt the quantity of data readily available in one system, combined with the relative ease of generating summaries, helped make the system easier to use. This was aided by the availability of helpful information in the system.
“There is an excellent set of resources and guides, along with [the system] that are very understandable in terms of what the inputs are, what inputs are required, what they mean and working through that is very good and easy.”
Increased efficiency
Several interviewees indicated the system saved time. Time savings came from the ease of use discussed above, the availability of existing data within the system such as landscape layers, and the ability to quickly create summary reports. Instead of implementing multiple systems, participants could save time by using one.
“I don’t have to go to Landfire and figure out an extent for a fire or project and then request that information. [The system] does that for me. It saves some time and saves some confusion with that.”
Facilitating communication and collaboration
Communication was also among the top areas in which users found value. Interviewees often spoke positively of the visual aids produced by the system reports and their utility in communicating potential fuel treatment alternatives and the reasoning behind them. Fuels planning is often a collaborative effort in which multiple landscape values must
be discussed among experts from several fields. When discussing communication using the system, multiple participants noted the benefits of being able to visually demonstrate their plans and the reasoning behind them to convey information to planners and collaborators regardless of whether they had background in wildland fire.
“It has helped us defend our scale of treatments on the forest. By having the tool available to us, it allows us to defend why we want to do the treatments we want to do to the public and to internal, both.”
“I really think that it’s just such a better visual tool to communicate what we expect with fire behavior in both the burn unit and the adjacent fuels outside the burn unit. Hands down, it’s just simpler and everyone can understand it regardless of specialty or training or education.”
RECOMENDED CHANGES
When asked about what changes they would recommend, interviewees tended to focus on features to enhance analysis capabilities or better facilitate collaboration among individuals using the system.
More modeling features and integration
Many participants wanted more weather and contingency planning features, such as querying weather data to generate fuel moisture and weather conditions within specific percentiles. Users also recommended having more control over which weather stations data was retrieved from, often expressing these as ways to better utilize data from within a single system.
Additional features for containment and contingency planning were also recommended. Participants explained the need to calculate resources needed to contain a prescribed fire in the event of an escape, an especially pertinent need following the prescribed fire escapes in 2022.
“So [containment] is the big one that’s being promoted right now because of the prescribed fire- the lens that prescribed fire is being looked at through right now.”
Landscape editing tools
The Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System provided a way to easily edit landscape information by creating custom edit rules or using a simplified set of editing rules. These simplified rules were appreciated by users but were found to be lacking in availability. They could only be used with older landscapes and several users recommended updating and expanding these rulesets.
Suggestions included offering a wider range of thinning treatments to the rules and allowing them to project out for longer periods of time to help model fire behavior further into the future.
Collaboration
The ability to share data with other account holders, as can be done with the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) was another common suggestion. Participants suggested this would increase efficiency by reducing duplicated efforts among team members and ensuring everyone was working from the same dataset.
Figure 3. The most common uses for the system and the relative proportion of responses for each for each. Categories are not mutually exclusive.
LEARNING METHODS
Time isn’t just spent using a system but also learning to use it. Interviewees commonly described the methods they used to learn the system such as videos, the system’s online knowledge base, experiential learning, and online courses.
Videos were one of the most often cited learning methods that were used, preferred by users, and recommend for new users. Some participants found short videos focused on a specific task to be helpful, others found value in the way in which steps were laid out as part of a process.
“I’d have to say that’s probably one of the things that I like about where [the system] has put effort and time, is in the training. I could find and watch a video. I’ve become a big fan of watching a YouTube video.”
Experiential learning was another common method – logging into the system, exploring the interface, and running through various tasks. If needed, users would draw on additional learning methods such as an online knowledge base, videos, or consulting others. Some participants also noted the benefit of example tutorials to use as an overall framework into which they could substitute their own data and learn the system.
“I like watching things demonstrated, but I learned by doing and getting to really put that stuff together myself. I really like those step-by-step tutorials.”
Courses and workshops, in-person or online, were the fourth-most cited way of learning the system for participants. When it came to recommended methods for new users, courses, workshops, and instructional videos were most frequently recommended. In-person classes and workshops tended to be preferred to online ones. Some valued the dedicated interruption-free time that comes with an in-person environment, others found it an easier environment in which to ask questions. Self-led methods such as the online knowledge base and tutorials were also mentioned here, but less frequently than classes, workshops, or the use of videos.
BRINGING THE FINDINGS TOGETHER
Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System users interviewed perceived value in a system that is easy to use and enhances efficiency and communications. But more work is needed. Interviewees recommended additional capabilities in the system to help them perform their duties, allowing them to do more within a single system and better collaborate with others.
Interviewee feedback has been invaluable in better understanding the needs of the fuels management community. Because fuels management evolves over time, the system and other tools must do the same. As these needs evolve, continued dialogue with system users to involve them in development, will ensure newly developed features are addressing the users’ needs and providing the services they require for collaborative fuels management planning and actions into the future.
To summarize key interview points:
There were multiple reasons users employed the system, depending upon their roles.
The aspects interviewees valued most from the system included ease of use, efficiency, and facilitating communication.
The most recommended changes involved adding capabilities that would allow users to do more within the system, which would reduce the need to use multiple systems or models and provide more of a one-stop-shop approach.
Multiple methods are used to learn the system, often in combination with each other.
The authors wish to thank all the interview participants who generously provided their time, input, and perspective to inform the development and enhancement of the Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System for the wildland fire community.
Josh Hyde works for the University of Idaho developing and managing application support for the Interagency Fuels Treatment Decision Support System.
Eva Strand is a Professor in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Fire Sciences at the University of Idaho.
Peter Noble works for the US Forest Service in Salt Lake City, Utah, as a fuels assistant fire management officer.
Kim Ernstrom recently retired from the National Park Service (Wildland Fire Management Research Development and Applications team). Ernstrom was the technical lead for training and technology transfer and assisted in developing the Interagency Fuels Treatment Decision Support System.
The European Commission’s integrated wildfire strategy covers prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. It cites European Environment Agency’s European Climate Risk Assessment on how fire risk is spreading well beyond the Mediterranean, to Scandinavia, central Europe and the northwest. What was once a regional seasonal threat is becoming a continent-wide, year-round reality.
Wildfire damage to property and infrastructure costs Europe an estimated €2.5 billion (USD 2.9 billion) every year. The likelihood of such extreme fires is expected to more than double by the end of the century.
The action plan for the EU is long and detailed, and includes many steps on landscape management and restoration, support for prescribed burning, promotion of grazing and forestry to reduce wildfire risk, enhancement of the Copernicus European Forest Fire Information System for fuel mapping, more opportunities for research through Horizon Europe, initiatives to raise community awareness and education through its European Citizens Panel, increase coordinated response across Europe, and support post-fire recovery of communities and landscapes. The list goes on.
Two highlight actions include:
A new European firefighting hub in Cyprus, serving as a centre of excellence for training and seasonal readiness across the region. The new European firefighting hub will have a dual role: operational, to respond to wildfire emergencies; and capacity building. It is expected to host a centre of excellence, focusing on capacity building, training, exercises, and seasonal readiness, relying on the technical expertise and resources of the EU. Cyprus media is reporting that the EU has confirmed the hub will be co-financed between the EU and Cyprus. “Cyprus is responsible for the infrastructure, while we contribute through the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM) in training, exchange of best practices, preparedness and so on,” the EU said.
An expanded EU firefighting fleet, known as rescEU, with 12 new “medium amphibious” firefighting planes and five helicopters. The planes will be hosted by six EU countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Croatia, and Greece. The 5 helicopters will be hosted by Czechia, Slovakia, and Romania. The first new helicopters will be operational in 2026 and the first new airplanes by 2028. The first helicopter has already been delivered to Romania.
The statement makes it clear that this announcement poses no new costs. “Today’s communication does not impose any costs on Member States. On the contrary, it seeks to promote more efficiency in wildfires management.”
Roxana Mînzatu, the Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness at the European Commission, explained the need for the statement.
“Europe must be ready before the first fire starts. That means building a real culture of preparedness: equipping people with the right skills, supporting firefighters and first responders, and helping communities understand the risks they face. Today’s strategy shows that prevention, preparedness and solidarity must go hand in hand if we want to save lives and strengthen Europe’s resilience against worsening wildfire threats.”
With many significant wildfire events across the United Kingdom in recent years the scale and impact of these events are increasingly straining the ability to prepare and respond. With that in mind, the 2026 UK Wildfire Conference has launched with the theme New Perspectives, Shared Solutions.
The 2026 UK Wildfire Conference is from 10-11 November at Headingley Stadium in Leeds. The website has details on how to participate as a delegate, a speaker, a poster presenter or as a sponsor. The deadline is 24 April 2026 for speaker submissions.
Photo above. The devastating effects of wildfire on Dava Moor in the Scottish Highlands 2025 is a scene that is becoming more frequent across the UK. Credit The Heather Trust.
Professor Gareth Clay, Chair of the 2026 Wildfire Conference Steering Group, explained why this event will appeal to a wide audience:
“The conference will appeal to anyone who has an interest in UK wildfires, how we can learn from international examples and how lessons from the UK can be applied elsewhere. We welcome attendance from across sectors from those who currently work on wildfires, or who are looking to expand their activities and knowledge of wildfire – which is an increasing threat to both rural and urban communities and landscapes. You may be a conference regular, or this may be your first time – all are welcome.”
Delegates will hear from experts about the latest research and innovations in prevention, preparedness, response and recovery, and have the opportunity to discuss with colleagues, ways to enhance working together.
Event hosts – the England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF) – are keen to encourage collaborative thinking and promote cross-sector planning and preparedness. “The conference will be a showcase for the whole UK wildfire community,” said Prof Clay. “We hope that all delegates leave the event with a greater understanding of the latest research and practice and an increased awareness of opportunities to share knowledge across different sectors.”
The conference is being organised by The Heather Trust charity on behalf of EWWF.
This biennial conference focuses on wildland fire management, science and knowledge sharing with the latest research, technology and practices. The last WFCC was in 2024 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The first was in 2010 in Kitchener, Ontario.
The theme for 2026 is Connecting Operations, Research and Community Action.
Get involved. Contribute. Participate. 👩🦱As a Presenter – share your work, your experience, your knowledge. 👨👨👧 As a Workshop host – create a forum to exchange ideas and knowledge. 🚒As a Sponsor or Exhibitor 🚁 – show your support and get access and exposure to the decision makers.
Submit presentation and workshop proposals by March 30, 2026.
WFCC26 is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada from 19-23 October 2026.
The four day program for the 8th International Fire Behaviour and Fuels conference in Hobart, Tasmania, in April, is now online.
Following on from the success of the 2024 conference in three cities across three countries – Canberra/Australia, Tralee/Ireland and Boise/US – the 2026 conference will be held only in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 28 April to 1 May 2026.
After an overwhelming response to the Call for Presentations, conferences organisers have sorted through the abstracts to settle on a full program for the week. It includes a three-day conference schedule of keynote speakers, panel sessions and topical presentations over four streams.
Here are the three keynote speakers:
Amanda McKenzie – CEO of the Climate Council
Prof David Bowman – Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Director of the Fire Centre at the University of Tasmania
Robb Clifton – Director Field and Traverse Operations at the Australian Antarctic Division
A fourth day offers the choice of four workshops and three field trips to get a deeper understanding of the application of the science to fire behaviour and fuels management.
Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are still available at a range of levels.
Early registrations have now opened for the 8th International Fire Behaviour and Fuels conference in Hobart, Tasmania next year.
Following on from the success of the 2024 conference in three cities across three countries – Canberra/Australia, Tralee/Ireland and Boise/US – the 2026 conference will be held only in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, 28 April to 1 May 2026.
After an overwhelming response to the Call for Presentations, conferences organisers are now sorting through the abstracts. The full program will be out early in the new year. It will include a three-day conference schedule of keynote speakers, panel sessions and topical presentations over four streams.
Here are the three keynote speakers:
Amanda McKenzie – CEO of the Climate Council
Prof David Bowman – Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and Director of the Fire Centre at the University of Tasmania
Robb Clifton – Director Field and Traverse Operations at the Australian Antarctic Division
A fourth day offers the choice of four workshops and two field trips to get a deeper understanding of the application of the science to fire behaviour and fuels management.
Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are now available at a range of levels.
Mark your calendars for this important event and stay tuned for more details.
