Fuel moisture monitoring

In collaboration with NASA,  Australian National University, the US forest Service and Fire and Emergency NZ, we are building a near real time system to track fuel moisture and fuel type, showing how vegetation changes, dries out and recovers across places and over time ( from days to years). For more information, see here: Near real time fuel moisture and fuel type system.

Tool Development - Powered Back Pump

Scion researchers improved the traditional manual backpack pump by developing a battery-powered water blaster, which showed superior water spraying accuracy and efficiency in trials. For more information, see here: Powered Back Pump.

Tool Development - UAV Hotspot Detection

Scion, with the University of Canterbury and Tait Communications Ltd, developed a UAV equipped with IR cameras and GPS to accurately detect hot spots post-fire, addressing the limitations of manual and helicopter-based methods. For more information, see here: UAV Hotspot Detection.

Risk Preparedness

Scion's research highlights the need to integrate wildfire preparedness into community planning and design, as traditional awareness campaigns prove insufficient in high-risk areas. For more information, see here: Risk Preparedness and Risk Perception and Preparedness.

Research Burns

Scion's collaboration with various stakeholders enabled groundbreaking research on fire whirls through controlled burns near Twizel, providing valuable insights into their triggers and dynamics. For more information, see here: Research Burns.

Operational Support

Devlopment of technical and field guides to aid in selecting fuel models and fire behavior predications, enhancing accuracy with clear descriptions and visual aids. See NZ fire behaviour prediction manual and Guide to NZ Fuels

Case Studies

Scion’s case study on the Pigeon Valley fire, part of the 'Preparing NZ for Extreme Fire' programme, provided crucial insights and smoke forecasts that informed health, air traffic, and evacuation decisions. For more information, see here: Pigeon Valley Fire Case Study.