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Transform – Tomorrow’s thinking, today: Episode 8

Can simulation save lives? How technology is transforming wildfire response in the WUI
Authors: Divya Sarin, Dan Stockdale, Kamryn Kubose
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At a glance

Transform is a podcast that explores the cutting-edge developments and breakthroughs that are reshaping our world.

In season two, we’re continuing the conversation – interviewing leaders and visionaries from around the globe on how technologies and innovations are creating new opportunities, challenges and solutions for our lives, communities and businesses.

Traditionally risk-averse and slow to adopt emerging technologies, the water sector hasn’t seen the same AI momentum as other industries. In this episode of Transform, we bring the AI-in-water conversation to the forefront - exploring the real-world value AI can deliver and what’s needed for its responsible, ethical integration. Host Divya Sarin (Senior Manager - Digital Strategy and Innovation at GHD), is joined by Satish Tripathi (Managing Engineer at City of Houston) and Freddie Guerra (Digital Water Market Lead at GHD) to unpack what it takes to build an AI-ready water industry. From predictive maintenance to digital twins, the conversation dives into the practical insights, pilot successes and the cultural shifts necessary to unlock AI’s full potential in water management.

About this episode

As climate change accelerates, wildfires are becoming more frequent, more intense and more complex to manage. In this episode of Transform, we explore how cutting-edge simulation tools are helping communities plan smarter, evacuate faster and adapt to a rapidly changing world.

Host Divya Sarin is joined by Enrico Ronchi (Associate Professor at Lund University), Dan Stockdale and Kamryn Kubose-Peutz to unpack the future of emergency response in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). From real-world evacuation drills to virtual reality simulations, they explore how technology, planning and community engagement are converging to build resilience. Together, they discuss:

  • Why wildfire evacuations are becoming more complex - and how planners are adapting
  • How simulation tools like WUI-NITY are transforming emergency management planning and decision-making
  • The role of VR, AI and real-time data in predicting and managing wildfire spread
  • What it takes to design inclusive, community-informed evacuation strategies

Episodes are released monthly, so stay tuned as we explore the pervasive ways innovation and digital transformation are reshaping our world and future-proofing communities.

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