The International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) established the permanent working group known as LOF&BE (Large Outdoor Fires and the Built Environment), as an outgrowth of the 2017 Lund Workshops held in conjunction with the 12th IAFSS Symposium [
1‐
3]. Subsequent workshops were held at the 11th Asia-Oceania Symposium on Fire Science and Technology (AOSFST) [
4], Interflam 2019 [
5], Virtual Workshops in 2020 [
6], and 13th IAFSS Symposium (virtual) in 2021. LOF&BE aims to bring the community together to tackle large outdoor fire problems such as wildland fires, wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires, urban fires, and informal settlement fires. LOF&BE consists of three subgroups—Ignition Resistant Communities (IRC), Emergency Management and Evacuation (EME), and Large Outdoor Fire Fighting (LOFF). The IRC subgroup is focused on developing the scientific understanding that will lead to new standards, testing methodologies, and mitigation strategies indicative of large outdoor fire exposures, including the ones from wildland to communities and within communities. The EME subgroup is focused on developing the scientific basis for effective emergency management strategies for communities exposed to large outdoor fires. The LOFF subgroup is providing a review of various tactics that are used, as well as the various personal protective equipment (PPE), and suggests pathways for research community engagement, including environmental issues in suppressing these fires. The LOFF subgroup is currently suspended and in place is the Fire Service Advisory Panel (FSAP). The FSAP will be consulted from time to time by the working group for advice. …
