Fire science call for papers open

Calling all fire scientists, the call for papers for the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC-sponsored 5th International Fire Behaviour and Fuels Conference is now open. The Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and it's Victorian partners have joined forces with the International Association of Wildland Fire for the conference, which will be held concurrently in both Melbourne and Portland in Oregon, USA from April 11-15 2016.

The conference is a chance for fire scientists to present their latest findings at a leading international conference. Submissions must be received by 1 November.

There will be a separate program for each venue but some sessions will overlap, providing the opportunity for some live presentations across both venues. The joint conference proceedings from both Melbourne and Portland will be published by the International Association of Wildfire.

Papers must be submitted via the online abstract system. There is a separate submission systems for each location, so please carefully select the correct location when submitting.

The conference theme is Wicked problem, new solutions: our fire, our problem. The conference will provide government and non-government professionals at all levels a valuable opportunity to share information globally about wildland fire behaviour and fuels, especially as it pertains to physical, biological, economic and social sciences. It is a forum where past experience and lessons learned are documented, current work showcased and emerging ideas/technology presented to provide a strong foundation that will facilitate setting a course to the future that addresses and responds to developing challenges locally, regionally, and globally.

The conference objectives are:

• To create a forum where presenters and participants can integrate across disciplines.
• To describe lessons learned and discuss development of innovative and contemporary fuels management programs that reduce risks to communities and improve/ maintain ecosystem health.
• To document fire environment trends as benchmarks for future challenges and program planning and implementation.
• To raise awareness of the diversity of approaches, issues and ideas in wildland fire management.
• To showcase and promote development of innovative management and research ideas.
• To foster new collaborations among managers, researchers, firefighters, residents, communities, businesses, educational institutions and others in different regions and countries.

More information is available on the conference website, www.firebehaviorandfuelsconference.com