Wildfire experts highlight five critical challenges to research

Hussam MahmoudA new study co-authored by Professor Hussam Mahmoud calls for a more strategic and interdisciplinary approach to pursuing wildfire research and protecting vulnerable communities.

The paper, led by a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and co-authored by 86 other fire experts from a breadth of disciplines, highlights the obstacles for fire science and provides guidance for investing in future research. The commentary is a follow-up to a five-day innovation lab, sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), that brought together diverse research communities in May 2021 to develop a roadmap for new research directions.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Nexus journal, the study outlines five key challenges to advance the study of fire. These range from promoting coordinated research to drawing on diverse sources of knowledge.

Read the full NCAR press release here.