Ideas@theHouse

presented by

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC
Governor of NSW

“Extreme wildfires in a warming world:
insights and challenges”

Professor Jason Sharples FRSN FTSE
Professor of Bushfire Dynamics and
Foundation Director, UNSW Bushfire
UNSW Canberra

Date: Thursday, 26 June 2025, 6.30 – 8.00 pm AEST
Venue: Face-to-face (by invitation for Society members) and live streaming from Government House, Sydney
Registration: Information to follow
Entry: No charge
All are welcome to the live stream

Summary: Anthropogenic climate change is shifting wildfire regimes more towards the extreme end of the fire behaviour spectrum. This can be seen in recent patterns of wildfire occurrence, with fires exhibiting more intense and erratic behaviours, burning outside of traditional seasonal windows, and manifesting more often as violent pyroconvective events with global reach and impact. This can also be seen in recent patterns of wildfire impact, with wildfires frequently wreaking devastation upon human and environmental assets at unprecedented levels. Examples include the destruction of entire townships in the western US – most recently in Los Angeles, mass fatalities and destruction of coastal townships in Greece, unprecedented number of deaths due to wildfire in Portugal in association with their first recorded instance of pyrocumulonimbus, record fire seasons in Canada including wildfires burning above the Arctic Circle, and of course the Australian Black Summer.

In this talk, Jason Sharples will discuss the scope of the extreme wildfire issue and highlight some of the insights that have been gained through the last two decades of research. These include a better understanding of the fundamental dynamics of wildfire under extreme conditions and the unique hazards that arise as a consequence. Professor Sharples will also discuss the global impacts of extreme wildfires and emphasise the need for improved fire management, highlighting some of the complexities that need to be addressed. Indeed, finding an effective management solution, which balances the many and varied aspects of wildfire risk, presents itself as a significant national and international challenge.

Jason Sharples is a mathematical scientist at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Professor of Bushfire Dynamics and founding Director of UNSW Bushfire. As an internationally recognised expert in dynamic wildfire behaviour and extreme wildfire development, his research has extensively influenced research, policy, and practice in Australia and internationally. He uses advanced mathematical and computational models to understand the dynamics of wildfire propagation and to pinpoint geographic features and weather conditions more likely to generate extreme wildfires. He is a Chief Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, Associate Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21^st Century Weather, Operations Node Leader of the NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre and is further involved in various national and international research projects. He is a regular contributor to international wildfire science and professional dialogue. Jason has been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, the Royal Society of New South Wales and the Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand. He also has a background working as a firefighter with the ACT Rural Fire Service and providing operational support and expert advice to the NSW Rural Fire Service, the NSW Coroners Court, the Royal Commission into Natural Disasters in Australia, and Parliamentary Inquiries into bushfires. Jason is a Bundjalung man and is passionate about enhancing Indigenous STEM engagement and using fire knowledge as a platform for reconciliation. In 2024, he was awarded the Royal Society of NSW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scholars Medal.

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