Research Areas

Wildland-Urban Interface Fires

Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires represent a growing interdisciplinary challenge intensified by climate change and expanding human settlements. Our research targets the complex dynamics remote wildfire spread especially of firebrand (ember) transport, the ignition vulnerability of built environments, and the socio-ecological systems impacted by these events.

Key Areas of Research:

Ember Transport, Deposition, and Ignition:

We investigate the fundamental physics of ember generation, transport, and ignition potential through wind tunnel experimentation, field-scale burns, and multi-scale modeling. This work enhances predictive capabilities and supports the validation of Indigenous prescribed fire practices by generating empirical data on ember behavior across varied vegetation and material conditions.

Community-Centered Fire Resilience and Exposure Reduction:

Focusing on vulnerable populations, including Indigenous communities and informal settlements, we assess structure and landscape-scale interventions to mitigate risk. This includes co-developing fire-resilient design strategies, culturally grounded risk reduction frameworks, and adaptive planning tools informed by large-scale experimental and GIS-integrated exposure analyses.

Sustainable Development and Climate-Aligned Fire Practices:

We explore the role of forest-derived materials (e.g., engineered timber) in low-carbon construction and their fire performance under WUI conditions. By integrating atomistic and bench-scale pyrolysis studies with community-level carbon mitigation strategies (e.g., ecologically informed prescribed burns), we aim to balance resilience with sustainability in the built environment.

Through a combination of fire science, engineering, and community-engaged methods, our program supports data-driven policy, risk-informed design, and equity-focused wildfire adaptation—locally and globally.

Atomistic Fire Modeling for Wildfire-Resilient Materials

Investigating fire phenomena at the atomistic scale through molecular dynamics simulations and quantum chemical optimizations to support predictive modeling of ignition and pyrolysis relevant to WUI fires.
Advancing fundamental understanding of solid fuel pyrolysis and combustion processes—such as ignition onset, flame spread, and thermal degradation—at the molecular level, with direct application to wildfire ember exposure scenarios.
Developing multi-scale computational models to simulate the behavior of complex biomass fuels and engineered timber products under wildfire conditions, informing both mitigation strategies and design standards.
Exploring nanoscale interactions between heat, materials, and decomposition chemistry to evaluate the ignition vulnerability of structures in wildfire-prone areas, particularly those constructed with sustainable or indigenous materials.
Providing critical insights into the development of fire-resistant construction materials and protective technologies, contributing to safer, low-carbon built environments aligned with climate resilience and Indigenous housing initiatives.

Leading the charge in these domains:

Mohamed Tawfik

Mohamed Tawfik leads our research on atomistic fire modeling and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fire dynamics, integrating expertise in materials engineering, molecular-scale simulations, and large-scale fire experimentation. His work on pyrolysis at the nano-scale employs molecular dynamics and quantum chemical methods to examine thermal degradation, gas-phase evolution, and char formation in forest-derived and construction materials. These insights support the development of physics-informed fire models that reflect real-world wildfire exposure conditions. In the context of WUI fires, he investigates ember transport and ignition across vegetation and structures, linking fire behavior to community vulnerability and resilience. By bridging computational modeling with wind tunnel experiments and material testing, Mohamed’s research contributes to the design of fire-resilient WUI structures, and science-informed wildfire mitigation strategies—particularly in support of Indigenous and under-resourced communities.

Timber Pyrolysis in Compartment Fires

Advancing the understanding of timber pyrolysis in compartment fires through macro-scale fire experimentation, with emphasis on how engineered timber assemblies respond to intense thermal exposure under wildfire conditions.
Investigating the interaction between timber walls, ventilation conditions, and flame spread dynamics to replicate real-world scenarios such as ember-initiated fires in WUI settings.
Developing and validating predictive models for fire growth, charring, and structural degradation in modern timber buildings, informed by full-scale and intermediate-scale experimental data.
Applying these models to assess the fire resilience of mass timber structures in wildfire-prone communities, particularly where timber is central to sustainable housing strategies.
Generating science-based design recommendations that enhance the fire safety performance of timber construction in WUI zones, contributing to low-carbon, climate-resilient built environments.

Leading the charge in this domain:

Joseph ElSayegh

At EMBER Fire Group, our research on timber pyrolysis and fire performance is led by Joseph El Sayegh, a mechanical engineer and certified firefighter with over a decade of experience in urban fire dynamics. His unique background—combining engineering expertise with hands-on firefighting knowledge—provides a comprehensive approach to understanding fire behavior in timber structures.

Joseph’s research focuses on the thermal degradation of timber in compartment fires, investigating how heat transfer, pyrolysis, and char formation influence structural integrity. By developing advanced numerical models and conducting large-scale experiments, he aims to enhance fire safety strategies for timber construction. His work also explores innovative fire-resistant coatings, sustainable fire protection solutions, and the environmental impact of timber fires.

With his deep understanding of fire dynamics and practical experience in firefighting, Joseph is bridging the gap between theoretical fire science and real-world fire response, contributing to safer and more resilient timber structures.

Human Behavior in Fire and Evacuation Modeling

Understanding human behavior during fire emergencies is critical for developing safer buildings and improving evacuation strategies. Our research focuses on studying how individuals react to fire incidents, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable populations such as people with mobility disabilities. By leveraging advanced modeling techniques and real-world observations, we aim to enhance fire safety design and emergency planning.

Key Areas of Research:

Evacuation Challenges for People with Mobility Disabilities:
People with mobility impairments face unique challenges when evacuating buildings during fire emergencies. Our team is utilizing Virtual Reality (VR) tools to simulate real-world fire scenarios, allowing us to study movement patterns, decision-making processes, and potential obstacles. This research aims to inform more inclusive building codes and evacuation procedures.
VR-Based Fire and Evacuation Studies:
We integrate Virtual Reality simulations to create immersive fire evacuation scenarios, enabling us to analyze human responses under different conditions. This approach provides valuable insights that traditional fire drills and simulations cannot capture.
Human Behavior in Fire Emergencies:
Our research investigates how individuals perceive risk, respond to fire alarms, and navigate through smoke-filled environments. Understanding these behavioral patterns is essential for improving fire safety communication, exit signage design, and emergency response protocols.
Evacuation under WUI Fire Conditions:

Recognizing the complexity of evacuation during fast-moving WUI fires, our research incorporates terrain, environmental exposure, and time-critical decision-making into evacuation modeling. We focus on at-risk populations in rural and Indigenous communities where limited infrastructure and fire access routes increase vulnerability. These insights help support emergency planning and community preparedness strategies tailored to wildfire scenarios.

Performance-Based Fire Safety Design:
We are exploring how human behavior insights can be incorporated into performance-based fire safety engineering, ensuring that evacuation models reflect real-world decision-making and movement dynamics.
By advancing research in fire safety engineering and evacuation modeling, we aim to contribute to safer, more inclusive buildings that protect all occupants, regardless of their physical abilities.

Leading the charge in this domain:

Jane Gachuche

At EMBER Fire Group, our research on human behavior in fire and evacuation is led by Jane Gachuche, a fire engineer with a decade of experience in performance-based fire safety design, building code consulting, and pedestrian movement analysis. Her expertise in evacuation modeling and human behavior studies makes her uniquely qualified to lead this research area.

Jane's work in performance-based design integrates real-world fire safety challenges with advanced modeling techniques, allowing for a deeper understanding of how people react during emergencies. As a Registered Professional Engineer in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, she has applied these principles to fire safety projects across Canada and internationally. Her background in pedestrian flow modeling and emergency egress analysis ensures that our research is grounded in practical applications, contributing to safer building designs and evacuation strategies.

Through her MSc-PhD research, Jane is focusing on evacuation challenges for people with mobility disabilities, leveraging VR tools and advanced simulation techniques to enhance current egress models. Her leadership in this area strengthens our group’s commitment to developing more inclusive, effective, and evidence-based fire safety solutions.

CFD and Machine Learning in Fire

Investigating the application of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) coupled with Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in understanding and predicting fire behavior.
Developing advanced CFD models and algorithms that incorporate AI methodologies to improve the accuracy and efficiency of fire simulations.
Leveraging CFD simulations and AI-driven fire modeling enables performance-based designs that enhance fire safety, ensuring sustainable and resilient buildings that align with net-zero objectives.
Enhancing the capabilities of fire simulation software by integrating AI-based algorithms for real-time fire prediction, control, and decision-making.

Flame Spread in Microgravity

Understanding flame spread in microgravity is crucial for fire safety in spacecraft, space stations, and extraterrestrial habitats. At EMBER Fire Group, we are investigating how gravity-driven forces, such as buoyancy, influence flame behavior and how their absence alters flame dynamics, heat transfer, and material ignition.
Our research focuses on modeling and simulating flame spread in low-gravity environments, identifying key factors that govern fire growth, extinction limits, and combustion efficiency in space. These insights contribute to the development of safer materials, fire-resistant designs, and effective fire suppression strategies for future space exploration missions.

Leading the charge in these domains: Ahmed Abdelnabi

Ahmed Abdelnabi, a PhD student at Carleton University and a key member of our research team, brings extensive expertise in Computational Fluid Dynamics and machine learning applications. His background spans Aerospace, Biomedical, and Fire Engineering, with a particular focus on turbulence modeling and Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI). His past work includes developing a machine learning model to predict aortic hemodynamic parameters from images—demonstrating his proficiency in AI-driven computational modeling.

Building on his experience in numerical modeling and AI, Ahmed is now applying these advanced techniques to fire safety engineering. His research aims to refine CFD-based fire simulations, integrate AI for predictive fire behavior analysis, and develop tools for performance-based fire design. His contributions are crucial to our mission of leveraging AI and CFD to improve fire resilience in buildings and support net-zero sustainability goals.

Informal Settlements, Urban Fire Spread and Humanitarian Engineering

Studying the dynamics of fire spread in informal settlements and urban environments to develop effective fire safety strategies.
Analyzing the socio-economic factors that influence fire risk and vulnerability in informal settlements.
Investigating the impact of urban planning and design on fire safety in informal settlements and proposing innovative solutions.
Developing computational models and simulation tools to predict and mitigate fire spread in densely populated urban areas.
Assessing the effectiveness of community-based fire safety interventions and developing strategies for community engagement in fire prevention and preparedness.

Leading the charge in this domain:

Dr. Mohamed Beshir

Dr. Mohamed Beshir is an expert in fire safety engineering, specializing in fire spread in informal settlements and urban environments. During his PhD at the University of Edinburgh, he contributed to the IRIS-Fire (Improving the Resilience of Informal Settlements to Fires) Project, advancing computational models and experimental studies to understand fire dynamics in high-risk communities. He continues to collaborate with Prof. David Rush at the University of Edinburgh to expand this work.

Dr. Beshir has also worked extensively in South Africa, focusing on fire safety in informal settlements and humanitarian engineering. His research in this region has involved developing fire risk assessment methodologies and proposing practical mitigation strategies tailored to resource-limited communities.

Additionally, he is collaborating with Prof. John Gales at York University, Canada, to study fire risk in informal settlements in Costa Rica, integrating urban planning, socio-economic factors, and fire safety interventions.

Beyond informal settlements, Dr. Beshir has conducted extensive modeling of compartment fires, particularly those involving timber fuels. His work has provided critical insights into fire growth, structural resilience, and suppression strategies in timber buildings, contributing to performance-based fire engineering approaches. Through advanced modeling and experimental research, his work bridges the gap between fundamental fire science and real-world fire safety applications.

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