Fighting fire with science: research and funding for wildfire control

A new interdisciplinary research initiative, INFLAMES, has been awarded nearly €1.8 million through the Dutch ‘Use of Space Infrastructure for Earth Observation and Planetary Research’ (GO) programme. The University of Twente is one of the co-applicants in this project, together with researchers from, among others, KNMI and other universities.

Wildfires are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change and human activity, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, air quality, and the global climate. The INFLAMES project – short for Interdisciplinary (Network for) Fire Research from Low Earth Orbit Atmospheric Measurements – brings together satellite observations, computational models, and fieldwork to better understand the causes and consequences of landscape fires.

Human influences on dynamics of landscape fires

At the University of Twente’s Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Marloes Penning de Vries leads the work package titled “Human influences on dynamics of landscape fires.” Together with a PhD candidate (co-supervised by promotor Anton Vrieling), she will investigate how human activities shape fire patterns in Eastern and Southern Africa, using satellite data and advanced modeling techniques. 

To truly understand wildfires, we must look beyond the flames – and recognize the human spark

Penning de Vries also co-supervises a PhD candidate at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, who will assess how wildfires contribute to urban air pollution in selected cities. This research combines satellite observations with cutting-edge air quality models.

Satellites as a key to understanding

The project leverages satellite instruments with strong Dutch involvement, including TROPOMI, SPEXone, and EarthCARE. These tools provide critical data on fire activity, emissions, and air quality. The findings will be integrated into the dynamic vegetation model JSBACH to improve future fire predictions.

Figure: Schematic of main interactions between climate, vegetation, humans and fire addressed within INFLAMES. Fire image by Greenpeace.

National collaboration and outreach

INFLAMES is a collaboration between five Dutch universities and three research institutes. In addition to its scientific goals, the project includes a strong outreach component, with three events for early-career researchers – one of which will be hosted at the University of Twente – and a summer school. Two stakeholder workshops will ensure that the project’s findings are translated into practical applications. With INFLAMES, the University of Twente contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between humans, climate, and wildfires – and to building more resilient societies in a warming world.

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