Date: 23–25 September 2025
Location: Nicosia, Cyprus
From 23 to 25 September 2025, the first NERO International Workshop on Extreme Wildfire Events (1st International Workshop on Extreme Wildfire Events) took place in Nicosia, Cyprus. The workshop was organized under the patronage of the European Network on Extreme fiRe behaviOr (NERO) — CA22164.
About Nicosia
Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, is a city where rich history meets modern Mediterranean life. As one of the world’s last divided capitals, it blends Venetian walls, Byzantine churches and bustling contemporary districts. Its warm climate, vibrant cultural scene and welcoming atmosphere created an ideal setting for hosting the international workshop, offering participants both inspiring surroundings and a memorable glimpse into Cypriot heritage. The city is also known for its friendly population of Cyprus cats, a well-loved part of local culture and daily life.
Workshop Program & Highlights
The three-day workshop featured an intensive program of plenary lectures, scientific presentations and a panel discussion focused on translating research findings into operational wildfire management and policy.
The plenary speakers included:
- F. Di Giuseppe — “The promised revolution of ML to anticipate extreme fire behavior: Hype or reality?”
- D.X. Viegas — “Oscillatory fire behavior in wildfire propagation”
- M.M. Valero — “The need to measure extreme fire behavior: remote sensing advances, challenges and opportunities”
Other presentations covered diverse topics, such as aerial firefighting risks, wildfire modeling using digital twin technologies, and using simulation tools for forecasting extreme wildfires.
The workshop concluded with a panel discussion titled “From Research to Practice: Translating Scientific Advancements to Operational Fire Management and Policies”, underlining the need to bridge the gap between wildfire science and real-world fire management.
Participation & Social Programme
About fifty participants from different European countries attended. Outside of sessions, participants enjoyed a traditional dinner of Greek mezze — a warm example of hospitality and opportunity to network informally.
Why this Workshop Matters
- The workshop marks the first concerted effort under NERO to collect and share cutting-edge research on extreme wildfire behavior.
- It provides a forum for researchers and practitioners — scientists, wildfire managers, meteorologists — to exchange knowledge and build collaborations.
- Book of abstracts: https://zenodo.org/records/17531197
