The Department of Fire Protection Engineering at the University of Maryland recently concluded its Summer School focused on “Fire Safety Science – Wildland/WUI fire behaviour” from June 5-9, 2023.

In an exciting update for those keen on the topic, all the PowerPoint presentations and video lectures from this event are now available for viewing on the summer school website.

Notable lectures and their esteemed presenters

The programme featured a robust list of lectures delivered by global experts:

• “Introduction to Wildland and Wildland-Urban-Interface Fires,” presented by Alex Filkov from the University of Melbourne.
• “Fire behaviour” by Albert Simeoni of Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
• University of Maryland’s own Stas Stoliarov and Arnaud Trouvé discussing “Ignition and Pyrolysis” and “Combustion” respectively.
• And many more covering diverse topics from “Flame Spread” to “Technology: Real-Time Fire Forecasting”.

Panel discussion delves into challenges of large outdoor fires

A panel was also convened, which comprised notable figures like Danielle Antonellis of Kindling, USA, Erica Kuligowski from RMIT University, Australia, and Albert Simeoni from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, among others.

These panellists deliberated on the pressing challenges in large outdoor fires, offering invaluable insights into the domain.

IAFSS remarked: “Learn from 20 international experts. Listen to the engineering point of view on wildland/WUI fire behaviour: Join us in trying to develop solutions to these growing fire problems!

“Also, please spread the word on these resources and share this material with fellow students and colleagues!”

IFSJ Comment

As urban areas continue to expand and intertwine with natural landscapes, understanding the science behind these fires becomes imperative.

The University of Maryland’s effort in bringing together global experts to deliberate, discuss, and share knowledge is a commendable step.

We encourage our readership to delve into these resources, as collaborative learning is key in our collective quest to enhance fire safety in such vulnerable terrains.