Farm Forestry New ZealandFebruary, 2015
Scion scientist helps control recent Marlborough fire
Modelling systems developed by Scion were used during the recent Onamalutu forest fire to effectively and safely manage fire fighting efforts.
Wildfires are a significant risk to New Zealand forests. The ability to predict the spread and intensity of a fire is essential to identifying the best options to safely control a fire. Scion has developed models to accomplish this task, which were utilised by Scion scientist Veronica Clifford during the recent Onamalutu forest fire. Veronica worked with the Marlborough Kaikoura Rural Fire Authority to manage the fire crews, providing advice on how to best use the resources available to fight the fire and predicting the spread of the fire to determine if and how evacuations should take place. Veronica’s involvement in this event is not over, as information will be collected from the forest to assess the extent of the damage and further improve the effectiveness of the fire behaviour models that Scion has developed.
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