We are thrilled to announce that Carleton University has officially signed a major two-year research agreement with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) to establish the first-of-its-kind fire dynamics and hazard assessment database in Canada. This project will serve as a cornerstone for fire safety engineering, supporting Canada’s Low Carbon Built Environment (LCBE) program and advancing the National Building Code (NBC).

Titled ''Building a Comprehensive Database of Numerical Models for Fire Dynamics and Hazard Assessment''. This initiative leverages cutting-edge numerical modeling and machine learning (ML) to enhance fire resilience in modern infrastructure and emerging technologies. Our research focuses on:

🔥 Wildfire ignition prediction and risk assessment – Improving resilience in vulnerable communities and natural environments at risk of fire.

🔥 EV battery thermal runaway and fire hazards – Developing safer energy storage and transportation systems.

🔥 Integration of fire models into Building Information Modeling (BIM) – Supporting performance-based fire safety design in innovative and efficient buildings.

By advancing data-driven fire modeling, this initiative strengthens safety, durability, and adaptability in the built environment.

Project Start Date

The project is set to officially begin on February 17, 2025, marking the start of an ambitious two-year effort to transform fire safety research in Canada.

A Pioneering Collaboration for Fire Safety in Canada

This $156,174 project will be led by Dr. Mohamed Beshir (Carleton University) in collaboration with Dr. Ahmed Kashef and Dr. Islam Gomaa (NRC). Our team of five PhD students—Jane Gachuche, Ahmed Abdelnabi, Mohamed Tawfik, Rodolfo P. Helfenstein, and Joseph Sayegh—along with Prof. Beshir, have completed all necessary paperwork and are ready to begin this transformative work!

The research will involve:
✔ Collecting and organizing experimental fire data at NRC’s fire and chemistry labs
✔ Developing a powerful numerical modeling database
✔ Training advanced ML models to predict ignition, smoke movement, and thermal runaway
✔ Validating ML models to enhance fire safety strategies across Canada

A Game-Changer for Canada’s Low-Carbon Built Environment

This project is set to revolutionize fire safety engineering and sustainable building design by creating the most comprehensive fire modeling database in Canada. By supporting evidence-based fire risk assessment, it will play a critical role in reducing the carbon footprint of Canada’s built environment while ensuring safer, more resilient structures.

This is a landmark step in advancing fire safety and sustainability in Canada, and we are proud to be leading this initiative with NRC!

 Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this exciting journey starting February 17, 2025!

We are thrilled to announce that our ember fire research group has been awarded $16,000 in internal funding from the Carleton Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Equipment Fund (CUESEF)! This funding will support research and teaching activities in the Fire Lab, helping us enhance experimental capabilities and student learning experiences.

CUESEF plays a crucial role in advancing engineering education by funding lab equipment and academic tools that benefit undergraduate students. This award will contribute to improving fire safety engineering research and providing hands-on learning opportunities for students at Carleton.

A huge thank you to CUESEF and the Board of Allocators for supporting our work. We look forward to using these resources to further fire safety education and innovation!

We are thrilled to announce that Joseph El Sayegh will be joining EMBER Fire Group starting Fall 2025! With a strong background in mechanical engineering, fire dynamics, and over a decade of hands-on firefighting experience, Joseph brings a unique perspective to our research on timber pyrolysis and the fire performance of timber structures.

His expertise in fire behavior, heat transfer, and fire protection solutions will be instrumental in advancing our work on sustainable and fire-resilient timber construction. We look forward to the impactful contributions he will make to our team!

Welcome to EMBER Fire Group, Joseph! 

We are pleased to share that Dr. Beshir have joined the Education Committee (EC) of the International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS). This committee plays a crucial role in supporting, guiding, and advancing education in fire safety science worldwide.

As part of my involvement, Beshir will contribute to the Fire Safety Engineering Model Curriculum subgroup, working alongside experts to develop and refine educational frameworks that enhance fire safety engineering programs globally. This initiative aligns with our commitment to improving fire safety education and fostering international collaboration in the field.

We look forward to engaging with fellow committee members and contributing to the advancement of fire safety education.

We are excited to announce a new NRC-funded project ($28,000) in collaboration with Dr. Max Kinateder at NRC. The project, "Evaluation of Safety in Single Means of Egress for Residential Occupancies," will assess the feasibility and fire safety performance of single-egress designs in multi-unit residential buildings.

The study will include a literature review, risk assessment methodologies, and engineering tools analysis to support evidence-based decision-making for potential National Building Code updates. We look forward to contributing to this critical research and collaborating with NRC to advance fire safety in Canada.

We are proud to share that Mohamed Tawfik, a member of our research group, has joined the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee of the International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS). The DEI Committee plays a crucial role in fostering a more diverse and inclusive professional community within fire safety science. By advocating for equitable treatment of all individuals—regardless of ethnicity, race, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, abilities, or background—the committee ensures that the field remains welcoming and accessible to all.

Mohamed’s involvement in this initiative reflects our group's ongoing commitment to promoting inclusivity, supporting underrepresented voices, and integrating diverse perspectives into fire safety research and practice. His contributions to the DEI Committee will help shape policies and initiatives that strengthen diversity within the global fire safety community.

The University of Edinburgh marked a major milestone—50 years of fire safety engineering education—with a special event held on May 23, 2024, at Surgeons’ Hall, Edinburgh. The gathering brought together alumni, researchers, and leaders in fire safety to celebrate the university’s contributions to the field and discuss the future of fire engineering.

As a former PhD student at Edinburgh, Prof. Beshir had the opportunity to attend this event and reconnect with esteemed colleagues, including his former supervisor Prof. David Rush, as well as Prof. Rory Hadden, Prof. Zak Campbell (Edinburgh), and Prof. Yu Wang (USTC). The event highlighted Edinburgh’s lasting impact on fire safety research and education, with over 2,000 students educated and 99 PhD graduates over the past five decades.

Discussions focused on the program’s legacy, its global influence, and emerging challenges in fire safety. It was an inspiring opportunity to reflect on Edinburgh’s role in shaping fire safety engineering and to engage with fellow researchers committed to advancing the field.

This celebration was not only a recognition of past achievements but also a strong reminder of the importance of continued collaboration and innovation in fire safety research.

We are thrilled to announce that our research group has been awarded an NSERC Discovery Grant of $202,500 over five years for our project:
"Advancing Fire Safety in Timber Construction: Leveraging AI and Enhanced CFD Modelling for Deep Understanding and Predictions of Timber Pyrolysis in Compartment Fires."

This funding will support our long-term research into developing advanced fire safety strategies for timber construction, aligning with Canada's net-zero goals and the growing demand for sustainable building materials. By integrating AI and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, our work aims to improve fire performance predictions and inform performance-based design approaches for safer and more resilient timber structures.

About the NSERC Discovery Grant:

The Discovery Grants Program is a prestigious funding initiative by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). It supports high-quality, long-term research in natural sciences and engineering, fostering excellence, innovation, and research training. These grants provide researchers with flexibility to explore new directions and high-impact challenges while contributing to Canada’s leadership in science and engineering.

We are excited for the opportunities this funding will bring and look forward to advancing fire safety in timber construction!

This winter, EMBER Fire Group is thrilled to welcome Mohamed Tawfik as a Ph.D. student, bringing his exceptional expertise in materials engineering and atomistic calculations to our dynamic team. His deep technical knowledge and strong research background align perfectly with our mission to advance fire safety engineering.

Mohamed holds a Master’s degree in Materials Engineering from the American University in Cairo (AUC), where he made significant contributions to microsensor fabrication and investigation. His research was marked by the innovative use of advanced sensing materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), which he skillfully applied to a variety of substrates to enhance sensor performance.

What truly sets Mohamed apart is his comprehensive and methodical approach to research. Before conducting experiments, he meticulously performs atomistic calculations to gain a deep understanding of material interactions, allowing him to predict their electronic and physical properties with precision. His expertise spans computational materials science, electronic materials, and solid-state physics, making him an invaluable addition to our team.

At EMBER Fire Group, Mohamed will be working on a critical and high-impact research project: understanding the transportation of embers in wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires. His work will help improve our understanding of how embers travel, ignite structures, and contribute to fire spread—an essential step toward developing better mitigation strategies for WUI fires.

We are thrilled to have Mohamed Tawfik on board and look forward to the innovative research and groundbreaking contributions he will bring to EMBER Fire Group!

In November, EMBER Fire Group had the privilege of hosting Dr. Nour Alsagan, a distinguished research officer from the Fire Group of the National Research Council (NRC). Dr. Alsagan is renowned as one of the research leaders in wildland fires in Canada.

During her visit, Dr. Alsagan delivered a captivating and insightful talk to our graduate students on the complexities of wildland fires. Drawing from her extensive expertise, she provided valuable perspectives on the latest advancements and challenges in this critical area of research.

The session not only expanded our students' understanding of wildland fires but also facilitated engaging discussions, fostering a collaborative exchange of ideas. Dr. Alsagan's visit aligns with our commitment to staying at the forefront of fire science knowledge and building strong connections with leaders in the field.

We extend our sincere appreciation to Dr. Nour Alsagan for sharing her knowledge and enriching our academic community with her expertise. Such collaborations contribute significantly to our collective pursuit of advancing research in fire science.

This September (Fall) EMBER Fire Group proudly welcomes Ahmed Abdelnabi as our first Ph.D. student, a brilliant addition to our dynamic team starting this fall. Coming from the land of pharaohs, Egypt, Ahmed brings a wealth of knowledge and a diverse academic background that enriches our research endeavors.

With a Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt, Ahmed soared into the world of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). His journey continued with a Master's in Biomedical Engineering from the American University in Cairo, where he passionately delved into CFD applications in the biomedical realm.

Throughout his academic pursuits, Ahmed showcased a keen interest in turbulence modeling and Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI). His research in Biomedical Engineering focused on internal flows within the human circulatory system, exploring the complexities of arteries and veins. Notably, his expertise extends to numerical calculations, unraveling the acoustic footprint of stenotic arteries and valves. Ahmed's work sheds crucial light on hemodynamics and cardiovascular health, making him a valuable asset to our team.

Join us in extending a warm welcome to Ahmed Abdelnabi as we embark on innovative research endeavors together at EMBER Fire Group!