Call for PhD - Multiscale experimentation and simulation of wildfire SPOTting

Wildfires pose a significant risk to human and environmental assets around the world, especially in the

Mediterranean region and Australia. Firebrands generated in wildfires are one of the most dangerous

exposure mechanisms and the main cause of the house and life loss. They can be lifted by fire plume and

transported far ahead of the fire front by wind (short-range) or convective column (medium- and long-

range), initiate new fires and ignite structures. This process calls spotting and consists of generation,

transport and fuel ignition mechanisms.

Although short-, medium- and long-range spotting are parts of the same process, they are still studied

separately, and there are no multiscale models that include all mechanisms. The key idea of this project is

that spotting must be considered simultaneously at all scales in order to understand the generation

(combustion) and transport (atmospheric convection) of firebrands, as well as the ignition mechanism of

fuel beds and structures (fire dynamics).

This holistic approach is needed to develop a new generation of coupled fire-atmosphere numerical

models that will improve the predication and prevention of wildfires and their impact on communities.

The project will be let by Dr Filippi (CNRS, France) and Dr Filkov (University of Melbourne, Australia)

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