IMMERSIVE FIRE: The Future of Firefighting in a Changing Climate with AI.

As climate change fuels increasingly destructive wildfires, the need for better preparation has never been more urgent. Fires are becoming larger, faster, and more unpredictable, creating dangerous conditions for both firefighters and communities. Traditional training is no longer enough. The question we now face is: how can we prepare for fires that defy expectations?

This main hall session will be lead by Professor Dennis Del Favero, ARC Laureate Fellow and Executive Director of the iCinema Research Centre at UNSW Sydney. He will introduce iFire, a groundbreaking Australia First immersive technology using Ai, Virtual Reality, Media Design and Data Labs to create fires of the future. He will be joined by by Supeintendent Tim Hassiotis from Fire and Rescue NSW.

iFire places firefighters inside a virtual inferno, allowing them to experience and rehearse real-life fire scenarios before they happen. This cutting-edge training system, developed by the University of New South Wales’ iCinema Research Centre, is transforming how emergency responders prepare for extreme fire events It is not just about data—it is about experiential preparedness, ensuring that those on the frontlines can anticipate and react to the chaos of future fires with greater accuracy confidence and understanding of their potential behaviour, characteristics and sounds as our planet heats to 428 parts per million (ppm) will above the Earth’s safe operating system at 350ppm, with no sign of abating.

Fire and Rescue NSW will share insights from the frontline, explaining how iFire is revolutionizing their training and decision-making. Technology pioneers will delve into the role of artificial intelligence and data-driven simulations in predicting fire behaviour, while policymakers and community advocates will explore how governments, businesses, and individuals can act now to mitigate fire risks.

We are honoured to welcome Professor Dennis Del Favero, ARC Laureate Fellow and Executive Director of the iCinema Research Centre at UNSW Sydney. A globally recognized expert in immersive visualization and AI-driven training technologies, Professor Del Favero has been instrumental in developing iFire. His work is at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge digital technology into real-world crisis training, ensuring that emergency responders are better equipped to handle escalating climate threats.

This is not just a conversation—it is an immersive experience that will challenge perceptions and drive real change. With applications extending beyond firefighting to flood, earthquake, and extreme weather preparedness, iFire represents a new frontier in climate resilience. The world is burning, and the time to act is now. Join us for this compelling discussion and discover how cutting-edge innovation is shaping the future of disaster response.

ABOUT THE IFIRE PROJECT
Understanding and preparing for unpredictable climate extreme events such as the Los Angeles fires of 2025 and Black Summer 2019/2020 is typically undertaken through graphics and text. These exist as distant abstractions that are challenging to appreciate until their actual impact when it is often too late. In a similar fashion, climate change itself exists at an even higher degree of abstraction in the public mind. Currently we are developing an AI visualisation system named iFire. It depicts these extreme fires before they occur as immersive and visceral experiences. Using that latest climate science modelling and film industry immersive technology, we translate these abstract models into geo-located life-like cinematic episodes. This allows audiences to picture and experience the potential look and feel of an extreme fire in their own neighbourhood. Its interactive capabilities allow audiences to change the weather conditions underpinning a fire, such as temperature, to better understand how a fire coul behave into the future as global warming intensifies. The system is being deployed for training of Fire and Rescue NSW commanders and crews, risk communication by the ABC and as art installations by a range of international museums.

MC for this event: Liz Courtney, International film director, author, and global winner of Women Changing the World in 2024.
Keynote speakers.
PROFESSOR DENNIS DEL FAVERO -  ARC Laureate Fellow and Executive Director of the iCinema Research Centre at UNSW Sydney
EVAN FITZGIBBON -representing FRNSW   Natural Disaster and Humanitarian Technical Capability | Fire and Rescue NSW

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