On average, Canada experiences 8,000 wildfires each year. That number is said to be on the rise as fire behaviour evolves and affects more populated areas.
Dr. Beth Weckman and Dr. Vinny Gupta, both professors in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, are advancing our understanding of wildfires and how to respond to them through their work at the University of Waterloo’s Fire Research Facility (UW FRF) — one of the most advanced facilities in Canada dedicated to fire safety and science.
Weckman and Gupta stress that outdated fire models, based largely on data from the 1970s, are ill-equipped to guide modern firefighting and evacuation strategies. The growing complexities of wildfire behaviour caused by climate change, invasive plant species and expanding urban development call for new response models — and require interdisciplinary solutions.
“Our understanding of forest fuels and how they burn hasn’t been updated in decades,” said Weckman. “We study fires from multiple fronts, including how different species and moisture levels affect combustion — especially as climate change alters vegetation patterns.”
Both researchers emphasize that local, small-scale studies, supported by new sensing technologies developed at UW FRF, are essential to improving public safety. Their work is helping to inform smarter wildfire models, evacuation planning and structural protection strategies for communities at the wildland-urban interface.
As wildfire risks intensify near populated areas, the researchers are focused on ensuring that emergency responses evolve alongside them.
“This is about protecting people and their homes,” Gupta said. “The right science can make communities more resilient.”
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