Background:
Veronica has been part of New Zealand’s rural fire research since 2007, specializing in fuel types, fire behavior prediction, and using fire as a land management tool. She is skilled in Prometheus fire simulation software, which supports wildfire events, planning, training, and post-fire analysis. Veronica has contributed to key operational tools, such as the NZ Fire Behaviour Field Manual and fire simulation apps, and provides wildfire specialist support to Incident Management Teams. She also instructs national fire behavior courses and has participated in burns both locally and internationally

Research Interests:

• Fire behavior prediction

• Fire Danger Rating System

• Operational support tools

• New Zealand’s vegetation fuel types

• Fire as a land management too

Examples of Practical Application:

• Contributed to the creation of the NZ Fire Behavior Toolkit, which is widely used for planning and managing wildfire responses.

• Developed training resources to prepare teams for effective fire management.