LIDEL launches book coordinated by Domingos Xavier Viegas: “What should I know about firestorms?”

In recent years, the world has been faced with large forest fires that constitute authentic “firestorms”, such is their destructive power, the feeling of incapacity and the fear they induce in those who have to face them. Despite all of society’s efforts, this phenomenon will continue to be part of the reality of disasters that occur in nature, with increasing potential to affect any place or person.

Faced with this growing threat, Full Professor Domingos Xavier Viegas coordinated a research team, within the scope of the FireStorm project, with the aim of addressing this problem, which resulted in the development of the book “What should I know about firestorms?”, published by LIDEL.

This work provides ordinary citizens with basic knowledge on this issue, from the main concepts to the physical processes associated with the development of large fires, including topics such as meteorology, fuels, their ignition and propagation, as well as the emission and dispersion of smoke and its impact on people and the environment, says a LIDEL press release.

According to the coordinator, “The fires that occurred in Portugal in 2017 were a particular object of the investigation carried out”, and through this research they intend to “improve our ability to predict, avoid and combat them more safely”.

The book was presented in Lousã, at the CEIF/ADAI Forest Fire Studies Laboratory, and was attended by Duarte Caldeira, president of the board of directors of the Center for Studies and Intervention in Civil Protection, Patrícia Gaspar, secretary of State for Civil Protection of the XXIII Constitutional Government, by Ricardo Fernandes, vice-president of the Lousã City Council, by Prof. Doctor João Ramalho-Santos, Vice-Rector of the University of Coimbra and Frederico Annes, general director of LIDEL.

During the launch session, Patrícia Gaspar referred to the fundamental role that Civil Protection has in these situations, revealing that: “we often say that civil protection is more than fires and, in fact, it is much more than fires, but it is also not We can neglect the impact that rural fires have had on our civil protection system. Many of the learnings, many of the developments that we have had, enhanced by the learning that these operations and these situations have given us, also apply to all other areas of civil protection”.

The president of the board of directors of the Center for Studies and Intervention in Civil Protection also mentioned the importance of government intervention in these issues, highlighting that “public policies are not only generated in times of pre-electoral campaign, they must be generated in pre-action and permanent interaction between the political decision-maker and differentiated communities, namely the scientific community. It is necessary to give consequences to the knowledge that is produced. It is necessary to incorporate scientific knowledge into political decisions, so that the margin of error is reduced”.

The FireStorm project is funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology and brings together research teams from the Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics at the University of Coimbra, the Department of Environment at the University of Aveiro, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Instituto Superior Técnico da University of Lisbon and the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere, with the collaboration of several people and entities that studied the processes associated with large forest fires, in order to improve the existing understanding of them.

The book “What Should I Know About Firestorms?” It is aimed at the general public, as well as students and researchers, as well as professionals involved in local government, firefighting and assistance to the population.

The work covers the following contents: