The BWARE Initiative

Advancing Science, Sharing Knowledge, and Facilitating Connections

The Burned Watersheds Assessment, Research & Education (BWARE) Initiative is an effort led by Dr. Brendan Murphy at Simon Fraser University dedicated to advancing scientific understanding, increasing public awareness, and improving the assessment of burned watersheds and the management of cascading natural hazards that can occur after wildfires, such as floods, debris flows, and landslides. The central motivation behind the creation of the BWARE Initiative is to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and the people who need this information most.

Our website is designed to serve as a public portal where the BWARE team can share our latest datasets, tools, and research outputs, as well as essential information about burned watersheds and post-fire hazards. Among these deliverables is the BWARE Post-Wildfire Natural Hazards Dashboard — the largest known global database of hazards attributed to wildfire. We are continuing to expand and add more records, but presently, we have compiled data for over 25,000 post-fire hazard events documented across more than 20 countries. Moreover, the BWARE Dashboard is available through an interactive online interface where you can explore where, when, and under what conditions these hazards have occurred.

We invite you to check out the Dashboard, explore the other resources on our site, and follow along with our progress as we continue improving how we study, assess, and manage the cascading natural hazards that can occur after wildfires.