Projects
NERO - European Network on Extreme fiRe behaviOr
| Project website | https://nero-network.eu/ |  |
| Title | NERO - European Network on Extreme fiRe behaviOr |
| Abstract | While rare and large wildfires have occurred in the past, recent catastrophic events point to the emergence of novel fire regimes characterised by extreme wildfires. Researchers argue that these regimes are the new normal, as they are associated with increasing size, intensity, and severity. Extreme fire behaviour (very rapid fire spread, massive spotting, crowning, deep flaming, pyroconvection) characterises this new wildfire context. Although there have been significant advances over recent decades in understanding extreme fire behaviour, the deep knowledge gained falls short in predicting the intensity and size of recent extreme events. There is still much work to be done to improve our ability to identify situations where extreme fire behaviour may occur. This is a challenging endeavour that calls for re-evaluating current knowledge and introducing new paradigms.
NERO addresses this challenge by bringing together wildfire researchers and practitioners to advance the current state of the science, thus making a crucial step in improving fire management, firefighter training and safety, and public safety planning. NERO will establish and promote a new European culture that supports the effective transnational exchange of expert knowledge, including data and tools. More importantly, NERO will help narrow the gap between science and practice, thereby promoting efficient, science-based wildfire management. To this end, it exploits COST networking tools to train a new generation of highly qualified researchers and practitioners, specialised in addressing the challenges of the dawning era of extreme wildfires. |
| Project objective | The objective of the project is to overcome disciplinary divisions and introduce new methods in understanding the extreme forest fires. Combining science and practice, it aims to improve operational capabilities in the fight against forest fires in Europe and beyond. NERO fosters cooperation between scientists and experts from practice, strengthening their capacities and raising awareness of extreme wildfire events among operational forces and the wider public. The project brings together data and expertise to improve extreme wildfire analysis. It also contributes to raising awareness and strengthening capacities for better prediction and effective response to such events in the fields of science, operations and public policy.
The main goal of the Short Term Scientific Mission (STSM) activity for DHMZ called Integration of Advanced Meteorological Analysis in High-fidelity Reconstruction of Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Zone Wildfires Methodology - Reconstruction of the Pisak wildfire, June 2025 is to advance the understanding of forest fire spread patterns and conditions that contribute to the development of extreme fire behaviour. As part of the activity, a detailed reconstruction of the forest fire near Pisak from 2025 will be made. The transfer of knowledge will enable DHMZ employees to independently carry out high-fidelity forensic reconstruction of future forest fires, which, among other things, will be the basis for validating the results of the combined fire-atmosphere model. The goal of the Virtual Mobility (VM) activity for DHMZ called Coupled fire-atmosphere modelling is to coordinate and implement the combined fire and atmosphere modelling system, the WRF-SFIRE model, within DHMZ’s computer infrastructure. This strengthens human and infrastructural capacities and enables the simulation and forecast of the spread of fire, taking into account the complex interplay between fire and the atmosphere. This activity strengthens resistance to wildfires and provides an opportunity for the scientific community to analyse past fires and improve forecasts of future fires, contributing to mitigating the risks associated with these extreme events. |
| Key words | wildfires, extreme fire behaviour, fire environment, firefighter safety, public awareness and preparedness |
| Contact person from DHMZ | Ivana Čavlina Tomašević, PhD; e-mail: ivana.tomasevic@dhz.hr
Tomislava Hojsak, Jasmina Dobranić |
| Duration | 17/10/2023 ‒ 16/10/ 2027 |
| Cooperation | Flevo Ltd., Cyprus
National Observatory of Athens, Greece Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Machanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split |
| Financing | The EU (150.000,00 € per year) |