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Call for abstracts opens:  15 August 2023

Call for abstracts closes:  15 October 2023

Authors to be notified:  15 November 2023

Call for Abstracts

Canberra, Australia

Call for Abstracts

IAWF is inviting abstracts to be submitted for the 7th International Fire Behaviour and Fuels Conference.  The conference will take place from 15 – 19 April 2024 in three locations:

  • Canberra (ACT), Australia
  • Boise (Idaho), USA
  • Tralee (County Kerry), Ireland

There will be a separate conference program for each venue and therefore, separate processes to submit abstracts.

Presentation types and submission categories vary for each location.

Please review this information and submit your abstract below. 

Dates:

  • Open:  15 August 2023
  • Close: 15 October 2023.
  • Authors to be notified on 15 November 2023

Code of Conduct

The International Association of Wildland Fire places high importance on integrity, responsibility and reputation and expect members to display high standards of behavior that are conducive to creating and maintaining diverse and inclusive practices. This includes the manner in which we conduct ourselves in normal business practices and at our conferences.

To better assist conference presenters, panel members, and other participants, we have prepared these guidelines to help improve understanding of our changing social environment, the importance of considering audience perception, and how to prepare to ensure that appropriate language and images are used during presentations at conferences and workshops. In this guide we provide some helpful advice on presentation ethics; oral presentation language in terms of implications to sensitivity, respect, and inclusivity; thoughts on developing presentation visual aids; and identified areas of inappropriate behavior.

IAWF expects all presenters to:

  • Provide opportunities for others to learn and develop in ways that are in keeping with the IAWF commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
  • Refrain from demeaning, discriminatory, or harassing behavior, materials, and speech.
  • Refrain from harassment of or any form of discrimination against another participant, staff member, volunteer or others.
  • Always fully disclose and resolve any existing or potential conflicts of interest.
  • Always keep proprietary information confidential unless the appropriate person authorizes its disclosure.

This year's theme

Fuel, fire and smoke: evolving to meet our climate challenge

Wildfires present an increasing challenge to humanity and the ecosystems and atmosphere we depend on.  The ability of societies to respond to larger and more destructive wildfire events and mitigate against further climate impacts is also increasingly challenged.  As our climate changes, and the effects are experienced in unique ways across diverse settings and societies, understanding fire behavior and human responses to this is even more critical.

This conference on three continents provides an opportunity to showcase how different countries can implement newly developed fire management policies and frameworks at national, regional and local levels to address fire risks and build resilience.  The conference will unite policy makers, scientists, fire managers and Indigenous land stewards for a shared purpose and a different future living with fire.

Submission Categories

Canberra Conference

The Canberra program committee is inviting abstracts in the following seven categories.  The outlines provided below indicate the types of subject matter that would be appropriate in each category.

Abstracts will be considered for their:

  • Relevance to the category
  • Originality
  • Overall quality
Emerging Technologies and Approaches
  • Remote sensing for bushfires
  • Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning for fires
  • Robotics and unmanned systems for aerial ignition and aerial and ground-based firefighting operations
  • Innovative technologies and approaches in bushfire management
  • Socio-technical systems for fire operations
Fire Effects
  • Bushfire impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, and landscapes
  • Smoke and air quality
  • Ecological recovery and interactions with other ecological disturbances
Weather and Climate
  • Influence of weather and climate on bushfires
  • Impacts of climate change on bushfires
  • Weather forecasting and prediction for fire management
  • Impacts and adaptation strategies
  • Preparedness, operations and decision making amid uncertainty
Fuels and Fire Behaviour
  • Fuel characterisation, classification and mapping
  • Fire behaviour modelling and simulation techniques
  • Effective fuel treatment and mitigation strategies
  • Advances in fire simulation approaches and tools
  • Evaluating accuracy and relevance of fire behaviour and fire danger forecasting
Operations and Management
  • Firefighting techniques, strategies, and technologies
  • Planning, execution and evaluation of prescribed burning
  • Fuel management and operational challenges
  • Policy development, implementation, and evaluation in bushfire management
  • Risk management strategies and frameworks
  • Operational capabilities for a changing environment
Cultural Perspectives
  • Indigenous perspectives on bushfire management and land stewardship
  • Traditional knowledge and practices in fire management
  • Cultural heritage in bushfire management
  • Joint management, collaborative approaches and partnerships
Human Dimensions
  • Community trust, confidence, and resilience in bushfire management
  • Risk perception and communication
  • Community engagement and participatory approaches
  • Community-led bushfire prevention, preparedness, and recovery
  • Community recovery and rebuilding
  • Wellbeing, resilience and recovery for firefighters and incident managers
Canberra Conference - Call for Abstracts

The Canberra program committee will consider submissions for their suitability as either:

  • Oral presentations
  • Poster presentations

Authors are able to indicate their preference for a presentation type.  However, the committee will ultimately determine the type of presentation offered, to ensure suitable variety and quality of the conference program.

Submit an Abstract
Boise Conference - Call for Abstracts

The Boise program committee will consider submissions for their suitability as either:

  • Oral presentations
  • Poster presentations
  • Lightning Talks

Visit the Boise conference Call for Abstracts page for details.

Boise Call for Abstracts
Tralee Conference - Call for Abstracts

The Tralee program committee will consider submissions for their suitability as either:

  • Oral presentations
  • Poster presentations
  • Lightning Talks

Visit the Tralee conference Call for Abstracts page for details.

Tralee Call for Abstracts