International Association of Wildland Fire

"Wildfire preparedness in the UK is decades behind others – and we are running out of time to catch up."

University of Birmingham researcher Dr Kerryn Little looks at the current wave of wildfires across the UK.

https://wildfiretoday.com/uk-wildfire-preparedness-decades-behind-others/

Check out the early program for Wildfire 2026 in the United Kingdom in November.

The provisional Wildfire2026 programme is now available to view on the conference website!

The programme includes the schedule of speaker sessions across both conference days, including presentation titles and speakers, as well as poster titles and authors. Delegates can also find keynote presentation summaries and speaker biographies, offering an early look at the range of perspectives, expertise and topics that will shape this year’s discussions.

Through keynote presentations, expert sessions, panel discussions, posters and interactive workshops, Wildfire2026 will explore wildfire governance, habitat management, community preparedness, the wildland urban interface, infrastructure risk, fire behaviour modelling, decision-support tools and lessons from major incidents in the UK and overseas.

Please note that the programme is provisional and may be amended without notice.

Explore the programme on the UK Wildfire Conference website today:
programme.ukwildfireconference.co.uk

It’s time to refresh our website. And maybe you can help?

We are seeking proposals from web developers to rebuild the IAWF website into something more modern, accessible, secure and easy to manage.

The site needs to be useful for our members and the wildfire community. It hosts all the information for our many events and conferences, past and future. It promotes news and views, issue papers, and member programs and resources.

All the information you need to know is here: iawfonline.org

🔥 Join the International Association of Wildland Fire Board of Directors!
Help shape the future of wildland fire management and contribute to our mission as a communicator and a leader in this vital field. As a global network for learning and knowledge for 36 years we thrive on uniting like-minded individuals in all aspects of the management of wildland fire.
If you are a current IAWF member and can contribute your time, energy and expertise, we encourage you to apply.
Applications close on September 25, 2026.
Tell us why you would be a great addition to the team.

For all the details on what this commitment includes and how to apply go to www.iawfonline.org

It has been a tough few weeks for many in the wildland fire community, in North America and in Europe. On behalf of our members we send our care and support to family, friends and colleagues following this tragic outcome in Utah.

Widemouth 2 Fire Helicopter Incident Update

The Sevier County Sheriff and interagency partners of the Great Basin Geographic Area are profoundly sad to announce the confirmed fatalities of two helicopter pilots while assigned to the Widemouth 2 Fire on August 7, 2026.

The victims were pilots with Helicopter Transport Services (HTS), a Forest Service Exclusive Use contract aircraft company. The families of the pilots have been notified, and the interagency partners are coordinating closely with the company and families through this difficult time.

As background, a Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter with two pilots on board crashed around 10:40am on August 7, 2026. This ignited the vegetation in the area of the crash. Ground resources attempted to respond, but access to the scene was compromised by the fire. As soon as the scene was deemed safe today, crews were able to enter. After the search and rescue mission, pilots are confirmed deceased, per the Sevier County Sheriff and Coroner.

The cause of the incident is under investigation by the NTSB and FAA. Further details will be released by them.

An abnormally dry and warm winter has led to an extremely difficult fire season. This incident is another reminder of the difficult work that wildland firefighters and support staff are asked to do. We ask that the public refrain from spreading misinformation and utilize official sources when looking for information on this and other incidents.

We stand strong in our support of the Fishlake National Forest, HTS, those supporting the Widemouth 2 Fire, and the communities affected directly by this loss. Fatalities such as this land heavily on the minds and hearts of our agencies and the wildland fire community as a whole.

We honor these firefighters by supporting those who remain on scene to fight this and other fires, and by caring for those affected by this in any way.

*Statement edited to correct an error in the original release.

Now published - a special collection of Fire and Climate articles from our International Journal of Wildland Fire.

The 2026 wildfire season shows us that with increased wildland fire risk, more intense fire behaviour, longer seasons, and fire evolving across many landscapes, a changing climate poses significant challenges to today’s fire regimes and management strategies.

The International Journal of Wildland Fire has published a Special Collection to showcase papers from the Fire and Climate conferences hosted by the International Association of Wildland Fire in 2022 in Pasadena, United States and Melbourne, Australia.

https://wildfiretoday.com/fire-and-climate-a-special-and-timely-collection/
Photo: NIFC

We are pleased to announce the four keynote speakers for the 🔥Wildland Fire Canada Conference and Canadian Smoke Forum 2026 🔥who will share their knowledge and experience on different wildfire communities around the world.

is in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, 19-23 October 2026.

🔸Edward Alexander represents the Gwich’in on the Emergency
Prevention, Preparedness, and Response working groups of the Arctic
Council and is Co-Chair of the Arctic Council’s Initiative on Wildland Fire.
🔸Erin Tassell is Fire Aviation Manager for the Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and is the state’s first female State Duty Officer. She started her fire career in northern Alberta and has worked in fire management, operations and strategic planning as well as frontline firefighting.
🔸Loressa Mike is the Emergency Management Coordinator Beardy’s & Okemasis’ Cree Nation. She oversees fire and emergency services for the Nation, working to enhance preparedness, response, recovery and resilience. Her commitment to safety and self-determination is rooted in a belief that Indigenous Nations are best positioned to lead and manage their own emergency services.
🔸Mathieu Bourbonnais is Director of the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program and Principal’s Research Chair in Wildfire Risk and Fire Management at the UBC Centre for Wildfire Coexistence.

The full program schedule is now ready to view!
All the details and registration details are here:
wildlandfirecanada.com

Our Sponsors
Conair Aerial Firefighting
Nova Software
Thunderbird Collective
WATERAX
Wildfire Resilience Consortium of Canada
Flaman Group of Companies
CCI Inc.
Tempest Technology Corporation
OroraTech
Earth Daily
Skyward Wildfire Technologies

Wildfires are no longer just a future risk, but an escalating and dangerous reality in the UK. Learn what we can do to combat this:

Wildfires arenot a future risk: There has been a surge in destructive wildfires recently
Cairngorms National Park continues to experience ‘flare-ups’ 2 weeks after a major wildfire broke out mid-July. The fire is estimated to have affected an area of around 25 sq km.

A separate blaze at the iconic Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh burned for days on the urban fringe.

The Welsh government activated "crisis management arrangements" to tackle wildfires that broke out across Wales during the recent hot weather.

2026 isnot an outlier: This has been a dangerous, escalating trend
The Dava Moor wildfire which started in June 2025 was said to be the UK’s first megafire. Together with the nearby Carrbridge blaze, the fires burned 11,827 hectares of land before being brought under control.

Researchers said the wildfire released carbon equivalent to 85% of the average annual emissions from fires across the UK from 2001 to 2021.

No single agencycan fight this alone: We need new perspectives to create shared solutions
Fire and rescue services, land managers, government, insurers, researchers, emergency planners, local communities and not to mention our friends from overseas each hold a piece of the puzzle.

Preparing for, responding to and recovering from wildfire has to be a shared effort.

Wildfire2026 is moreimportant than ever: Why the UK Wildfire Conference exists
The UK's biennial flagship wildfire event returns 10–11 November at Headingley Stadium, Leeds.

This year's theme “New Perspectives, Shared Solutions” reflects the urgent need to adapt our approach to wildfire challenges, recognising that no single perspective can address the complexity of fire risk.

We can't wait for you to see this year's programme!
Exploring the theme ‘New Perspectives, Shared Solutions’, learn more about Wildfire2026 keynote, speaker, poster and workshop topics.

Join our newsletter to get an exclusive first look as soon as it’s released:
http://ukwildfireconference.co.uk/ -newsletter

Secure your spot:
https://ukwildfireconference.co.uk/attend

The collision of two firefighting helicopters working on a wildfire west of Athens, Greece, has had tragic results with the death of two crew members, a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer.

Australian operator McDermott Aviation has confirmed that two of its helicopters were involved in the mid-air collision near Psatha, Greece, on 2 August 2026 (local time).

https://wildfiretoday.com/double-fatality-in-greek-helicopter-collision/

Photo: Hellenic Red Cross

Over 600 structures have burned and 60,000 people have been evacuated in Spokane, Washington, in what will likely become the state's most destructive wildfire event in history. Forecasters say fire weather conditions are expected to worsen by Friday as local officials urge the nation to support their city: https://wildfiretoday.com/over-600-spokane-structures-destroyed-6000-evacuated-as-washington-wildfires-near-most-destructive-in-state-history/

Photo credit: Stevens County Fire District No.1