Webinar Announcement: From Risk Scenarios to Response Plans with TREEADS Simulation Technologies
2025-05-15 16:00 - 17:00 UTC
Join us for the sixth webinar in the series: “TREEADS Technologies for Wildfire Resilience”. Find the recordings of previous webinars HERE.
The TREEADS project is pleased to invite you to the sixth webinar in our series aimed at showcasing cutting-edge technologies and solutions developed to address wildfire challenges. The webinar will take place on May 15th, 2025, at 16:00 pm CEST via Webex. The webinar is free, but registration is required. This session will highlight three advanced simulation technologies designed to improve wildfire behavior forecasting, optimize evacuation strategies, and enhance emergency management planning. These TREEADS innovations demonstrate the critical role of predictive modeling and simulation in strengthening wildfire preparedness, risk assessment, and response capabilities. You may register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-risk-scenarios-to-response-plans-with-treeads-simulation-technologies-tickets-1347815786299?aff=oddtdtcreator
Webinar Agenda

Introduction to TREEADS and the Knowledge Marketplace Repository (KMR) (5 min)

Presented by Maria Pantazidou (INNOV-ACTS LIMITED)

Solution 1: High-fidelity fire and smoke propagation forecasting system (15 min)

A wildfire propagation simulation tool consisting of three physics-based models: a wind field model (HDWind) that locally enhances wind data affecting fire propagation and the dispersion of the generated smoke plume, which in turn are simulated by the corresponding fire spread model (PhyFire) and air dispersion model (PhyNX). These models work in a coupled and integrated manner within a user-friendly environment for non-expert users. The environment allows for the management of cartographic data and the interactive visualization of simulation results. The software enables proactive prevention and preparedness by simulating various wildfire scenarios and evaluating fire management strategies under different weather and fuel conditions, and can serve as a powerful decision-support tool.
Presented by Mabel Asensio (Universidad de Salamanca – USAL)

Solution 2: ICrowd Crowd Simulation Platform (15 min)

iCrowd is an advanced agent-based crowd simulation platform designed for small- and large-scale scenarios in diverse environments, including buildings, stadiums, and public spaces. It features biometric-based behavior modeling, collision avoidance, and fully customizable experiments. Utilizing Behavior Trees, a widely used AI modeling technique, iCrowd ensures realistic crowd dynamics. Built on a high-performance, multithreaded engine, it supports applications in social behavior modeling, game AI, evacuation planning, and transportation simulations. With an extensible architecture separating core services from agent behavior layers, iCrowd offers a powerful, domain-independent solution for optimizing crowd management and evacuation strategies.
Presented by Stelios Thomopoulos (National Centre For Scientific Research Demokritos – NCSRD)

Solution 3: Infrastructures fire emergency management strategy (15 min)

A novel approach that integrating data from project-developed fire modeling services and utilizes inputs for fire load distribution, fire propagation, smoke diffusion, and material characteristics, including ignition temperature. The design process incorporates simulation tools for smoke diffusion, visibility and toxis species CFD analysis, coupled with pedestrian movement and evacuation. Leveraging single-agent passenger behavior modeling, this approach verifies the effectiveness of innovative systems and procedures across a spectrum of non-standard emergency scenarios, also not limited to the pilot itself.
Presented by Antonio Retaggio (Sviluppo Tecnologie e Ricerca per l’Edilizia Sismicamente Sicura ed ecoSostenibile – TECNOSISTEM/STRESS)

Q&A Session (10 min)

Who Should Attend?
This webinar is ideal for:

Wildfire management and emergency response professionals

Disaster risk reduction and resilience planners

Fire safety engineers and infrastructure managers

Environmental scientists and researchers in wildfire dynamics

Public authorities and civil protection agencies

Urban planners and transportation safety experts

Technology developers in simulation and modeling fields

Anyone interested in innovative simulation solutions for wildfire and emergency management

About TREEADS Knowledge Marketplace Repository (KMR)
The KMR is a comprehensive platform developed by TREEADS to promote, disseminate, and commercialize solutions for wildfire prevention, preparedness, detection, and restoration. It serves as a resource hub, sales channel, and training center for wildfire technologies and knowledge. Learn more about TREEADS KMR and register here: https://knowledge-hub.treeads-project.eu/?page_id=1548
Register now to reserve your spot and be part of the wildfire resilience movement! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/from-risk-scenarios-to-response-plans-with-treeads-simulation-technologies-tickets-1347815786299?aff=oddtdtcreator
This webinar is part of the TREEADS project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101036926.

TREEADS Showcases Innovations at the Final Wildfire Risk Management Clustering Event 2025
2025-05-20 - 2025-05-21
TREEADS participated in the Final Wildfire Risk Management (WFRM) Project Clustering Event 2025, held in Brussels on 20–21 May 2025, presenting key technological advancements and strategic approaches developed within the project.
The event gathered representatives from major wildfire risk management initiatives across Europe. TREEADS was featured prominently through several impactful presentations:

Stakeholder Engagement & Public Communication – Diogo Vallim (CBS) shared systemic strategies to engage communities and disseminate vital information for wildfire preparedness.

Measuring Social, Health, Environmental & Economic Impact – John Kaldis (INNOV-Acts) introduced TREEADS’s methodology for quantifying the project’s broader societal value using Social Return on Investment (SROI).

Landscape Restoration – Victor Macadar (GBD) showcased cutting-edge techniques for environmental recovery following fire damage.

Forestry Management Decision Support System – Kemal Sarp Arsava (FRN) presented TREEADS’s data-driven approach to informed decision-making in forest management.

TREEADS’s participation highlighted its multi-disciplinary innovations, built through collaboration with international partners and addressing the needs of stakeholders, public authorities, and the research and industry community alike. The project emphasized synergy across EU-funded initiatives and contributed to the joint efforts in advancing wildfire prevention, detection, and recovery technologies.
The event was attended by over 70 participants representing various European countries, fostering productive networking and cross-project collaboration.
📍 Visit the official post-event highlight page: https://firelogue.eu/blog-post-layout.php?45

TREEADS Research Presented at Germany’s Leading Fire Protection Conference
2025-05-26 - 2025-05-28
TREEADS was proudly represented at the 71st Annual Conference of the German Fire Protection Association (vfdb) by researchers from Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg (OVGU), presenting new findings from Germany’s national pilot activities under the TREEADS project.
Featured Presentation:
“Unterschätzte Gefahr Bodenbrände – Ergebnisse aus Waldbrandstudien zur Entzündung und horizontalen Brandausbreitung in Kiefernwaldböden”(English: Underestimated danger of ground fires – Results from forest fire studies on ignition and horizontal fire spread in pine forest soils)
This conference paper and oral presentation offered key insights into the ignition behavior and lateral fire spread in pine forest soils—a threat that is often overlooked but increasingly relevant in Germany’s changing climate.
Research Highlights:

Results from laboratory tests and real-scale fire spread experiments.

Findings from TREEADS Work Packages WP8 (pilot validation) and WP4 (risk assessment and modeling).

Analysis of flammability thresholds, ignition delay, and spread dynamics in organic-rich soil layers.

Publication Details:

Published in the vfdb 2025 Conference Proceedings, pages 535–549.

ISBN: 978-3-936050-40-0

Authors: Lukas Heydick, Kira Piechnik, Pascal Vorwerk, Florian Köhler, Andrea Klippel (OVGU)

The presentation was followed by an informal “Coffee Chat” session, where the TREEADS team engaged in fruitful discussions with fire protection professionals, public authorities, and researchers.
Feedback:
The topic sparked significant interest among attendees. German authorities and technical experts emphasized the growing relevance of forest fire studies and called for additional research funding on ground fire phenomena and environmental fire risks.
Audience: Over 650 participants from science, industry, government institutions, and media.
The event enabled strong networking with stakeholders such as the German Fire Protection Association, promoting further dissemination of TREEADS findings and fostering potential collaborations.

TREEADS Project Presented at ICDSST 2025 in Belgrade
2025-05-26 - 2025-05-29
The TREEADS project was proudly represented at the 11th International Conference on Decision Support System Technology (ICDSST 2025), held in Belgrade, Serbia, from May 26 to May 29, 2025. The conference was organized by the Euro-Working Group on Decision Support Systems (EWG-DSS), with support from the University of Belgrade and the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia.
Angela-Maria Despotopoulou from Frontier Innovations delivered a presentation titled “Architecting Context-Aware Decision Support Systems for Wildfire Management: An Event-Driven Approach” on May 28 at the Palace of Science. The presentation shared research outcomes from Work Package 5 of the TREEADS project, specifically Tasks 5.7 and 5.8, which focus on resilient, context-aware detection of emerging wildfire scenarios and advanced decision support for wildfire response.
The audience—comprising international researchers from various disciplines such as ecology, geography, biology, and environmental technology—engaged with the session through a lively Q&A and follow-up discussions during networking breaks.
This dissemination effort underlines TREEADS’ commitment to promoting innovative, data-driven solutions for wildfire management across scientific and operational communities worldwide.

TREEADS Final Event 2025: Celebrating Innovation in Wildfire Management
2025-05-27
The TREEADS Final Event took place on May 27, 2025, at the Congress Center of NCSR Demokritos in Athens, Greece, marking the culmination of three years of impactful research, development, and real-world testing of advanced wildfire management technologies.
Organized by Acceligence Ltd., the event gathered project partners, public authorities, first responders, researchers, and innovation stakeholders to share insights, demonstrate results, and shape the roadmap for the future of wildfire resilience in Europe and beyond.

Opening Session
The event began with welcome remarks from:

Pantelis Velanas, CEO and Director at ACCELI, who introduced Acceligence as a company and its main contributions to TREEADS
Georgios Nounesis, Director and Chairman of the Board at NCSR Demokritos, who provided insights into the hosting institution’s broader role in science and technology.

This was followed by an impactful presentation by Kemal Sarp Arsava (FRN), offering a comprehensive overview of the TREEADS project, its core findings, and its significant achievements across pilot sites.

Technology Demonstrations
The morning session showcased several key technological innovations developed within TREEADS:

Autonomous Drone and Robotic Systems – Presented by Katerina Margariti (ACCELI), this session highlighted how TREEADS integrates aerial systems into wildfire monitoring and suppression strategies.
WebGIS Prevention Platform – Diego Gonzales Aguilera (USAL) demonstrated a powerful spatial intelligence platform for risk assessment and decision support.
CO Sensor & Risk Alert App – Dimitris Kyriazanos and Thomas Maggos (NCSRD) introduced an integrated citizen-first responder solution that combines environmental sensing with real-time alerts.

Pilot Demonstrations in Action
Carmine Pascale (STRESS) led a session showcasing results from TREEADS pilot implementations across Europe. Through videos and field data, attendees gained a firsthand look at how TREEADS technologies performed under real-world conditions—from wildfire-prone forests to urban-wildland interfaces.

Stakeholder Perspectives & Real-World Feedback

Georg Aumayr (JOAFG) shared lessons learned from integrating TREEADS into existing emergency systems.
Dr. Hsiao-Lung Pan (Taiwan Forestry Research Institute) presented an international use case from Taiwan, detailing how TREEADS contributes to wildfire prevention in abandoned bamboo zones.

Looking Forward

John Kaldis (INNOV-ACTS) outlined future exploitation strategies and the roadmap for scaling TREEADS technologies in forestry and environmental governance.
Diogo Vallim (CBS) shared updates on the TREEADS Think Tank Advisory Board, offering governance recommendations for sustained impact and post-project uptake.

Closing Reflections
The event concluded with a forward-looking summary by Kemal Sarp Arsava (FRN), reflecting on TREEADS’s mission and lasting contributions to the European wildfire management ecosystem.

Save the Date: Final Event of the TREEADS Project
2025-05-27 09:00 - 17:00 | National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (NCSRD), Neapoleos 27 &, Patriarchou Grigoriou E, Ag. Paraskevi, Athens, 153 41, Greece
Date: 27 May 2025
Time: 09:00 Local Time
Venue: National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (NCSRD), Athens, Greece
Organised by: Acceligence Ltd. on behalf of the TREEADS Project
Join us for the final event of the TREEADS project in Athens! This event will provide an excellent opportunity to witness wildfire management solutions in action, explore pilot demos, and network with key stakeholders.
Event Highlights:
• Presentations on wildfire management solutions
• Demos of pilot activities and technologies
• Networking with stakeholders, experts, and partners
• Insights into wildfire prevention, response, and recovery
The full event agenda is now available here– check it out and register to attend!
🔗 Register Now: link
You can also help us spread the word by sharing this post and the registration link with your colleagues and network.
We look forward to seeing you in Athens and working together toward a more sustainable and Green Deal-driven future!

TREEADS Wildfire Game Engages Children in Pedro Bernardo
2025-05-28
On May 28th, 2025, the TREEADS project brought wildfire awareness directly to the local community of Pedro Bernardo, Ávila, through an engaging environmental education session hosted at the Municipal Library.
Organized by FAFCYLE and the ecological association Pedro Bernardo Siempre Verde, the activity used the TREEADS Fire Game to teach children how to respond during a forest fire. Through interactive play, young participants learned about prevention, detection, emergency response, and post-fire restoration—core pillars of the TREEADS project.
The event was part of the Spanish Pilot (WP8) and the broader outreach strategy (WP10), targeting younger generations as key stakeholders in fostering long-term environmental responsibility. At the end of the session, copies of the game were donated to the library and the local association, ensuring continued educational use and community engagement.
Feedback from local environmental groups and forest fire brigades was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the value of such tools in raising awareness and supporting grassroots preparedness.
📸 View the event post on Instagram
