Following the success of the first International Conference on Modelling, Monitoring and Management of Forest Fires held in Toledo in 2008, it has been decided to reconvene the meeting in Kos in 2010.
Forest Fires are very complex phenomena which, under the right physical conditions, can rapidly devastate large areas, as demonstrated by recent events. There is also widespread awareness that the risk may increase as a result of climate change.
Different approaches are required for controlling fires in rural areas as opposed to urban environments, and this strongly depends on the physical characteristics of the surrounding region. It also depends on weather conditions, regional activities, forest type, as well as social and economic factors.
At present there is insufficient knowledge of the behaviour of fires and how they propagate. This lack of appropriate studies makes these phenomena very difficult to control and is one of the most important obstacles to the development of a reliable decision support system.
Public concern in this topic is increasing as uncontrolled fires may lead to major ecological disasters, and usually result in negative economic and health implications for the affected region.
Forest fires analysis and mitigation requires the development of computer codes that can take into consideration a large number of different parameters. This conference will discuss the latest research and applications of available computational tools to analyse and predict the spread of forest fires in an attempt to prevent or reduce major loss of life and property as well as damage to the environment.
This conference aims to address all aspects of forest fires, from fire propagation in different scenarios to the optimum strategies for fire-fighting. It will also cover issues related to economic, ecological, social and health effects.
