Extreme wildfires are a global threat, and the European Commission is investing significant resources in researching and developing new models for their investigation. One of the European projects under development. FIRE RES – Innovative technologies and socio-ecological-economic solutions for fire resilient territories in Europe,- aims to develop a comprehensive strategy for managing these fires in Europe and beyond. Some of the main goals of the Fire-Res project are knowledge sharing, awareness raising, and community involvement.
Why is it important?
Extreme wildfires are not a common or well-studied event in Europe. Society must disseminate and organize knowledge in a shared framework to build a common risk culture. The Fire-Res team is developing an online tool called the Fire Education Platform, which aims to gather and share best practices for informing and disseminating information on wildfires between countries.
How does it work?
This international multimedia tool collects information from different countries for different audiences (policymakers, teachers, students, local communities, and the general public). It aims to explore the concept and scope of fire culture in Europe and beyond, analysing topics such as fire ecology, fire risk, and its social dimension (oral and artistic practices, traditions, and fire use by local rural communities). The platform will follow an interactive model in which citizens and scientists from different countries will provide local knowledge covering various stages of the fire cycle. All information in the platform will be free to access and displayed in five languages.
The Fire Education Platform is expected to be launched in 2024. Future users’ needs are currently being assessed through a survey of 24 questions and an average duration of 8 minutes:
We appreciate your help answering and circulating the survey among your family, friends, and colleagues.
Joint efforts can help to build more fire-resilient landscapes and communities!
