Wildfires are changing and so must our response

Canada faces an average of 8,000 wildfires annually, a number that appears to be rising and increasingly threatening populated areas. At the University of Waterloo’s Fire Research Facility (UW FRF), co-leads Dr. Beth Weckman and Dr. Vinny Gupta are modernizing wildfire research to better protect communities. Their work focuses on understanding how various plant species and environmental conditions fuel fires, especially in the context of climate change. They stress the need for interdisciplinary approaches and updated models, as many current systems rely on outdated data from the 1970s. UW FRF is also developing new sensing tools for localized fire and air quality analysis. Notably, researchers highlight that outdated fire models hinder the effective use of advanced technologies like AI in wildfire prediction and response, making their research critical for future resilience.