Full Professor of the University of Coimbra receives the "Ember Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Science"

English version: Diana Taborda

Domingos Xavier Viegas, full professor at the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC) has received the "Ember Award for Excellence in Wildland Fire Science", from the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), the first European scientist to ever receive this award.

This distinction, awarded during the 9th International Conference on Forest Fires, which took place in Coimbra, is a way of recognising the contribution made by the FCTUC professor and his team to wildland fire science.

According to Joaquin Ramirez, president of IAWF, the purpose of the IAWF EMBER AWARD is to acknowledge sustained achievement in wildland fire science and to encourage innovation, exploration, application and dissemination of important research results. The name ‘Ember’ was chosen to reflect the fact that research and science often move slowly, and their benefits or impacts may not be apparent until after some years”.

The "Ember Award" is currently the highest scientific award granted at international level to scientists from all over the world, by decision of an international panel that evaluates the proposals received every year. Since 2006 this award has been given to more than a dozen scientists, including Frank Albini, Philip Cheney, Charles Van Wagner, Richard Rothermel, Wendy Catchpole and Mark Finney.

This award complements other distinctions that Professor Xavier Viegas and his team have received, in acknowledgement of their work. These include the "Batefuegos de Oro" award from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment in 2004, recognition by the Portuguese Chamber of Engineers in 2006 and the "Fire Safety Award", also awarded by the IAWF in 2008, to acknowledge the contribution made to improving personal safety in wildfires.

Xavier Viegas is the coordinator of CEIF - Centre for Forest Fire Studies of the Association for the Development of Industrial Aerodynamics, a research unit affiliated to the Department of Mechanical Engineering of FCTUC, which has carried out research activity in the area of forest fires since 1985.

CEIF recently hosted the 9th International Conference on Forest Fire Research, which brought together in Coimbra around 350 researchers from all over the world.