--- title: About the conference | 9th International Wildland Fire Conference description: The IWFC series began in Boston in 1989. Learn about its history, the International Liaison Committee, and AFAC's role hosting the 9th conference in Melbourne. --- [Skip to the main content.](https://wildfire28.com.au/about#main-content) [![Logo for the 9th International Wildland Fire Conference Australia](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/IWFC_2028_Conf.%20Logo_Art_Horizontal_Black%20type_RGB.svg "Logo for the 9th International Wildland Fire Conference Australia")](https://wildfire28.com.au?hsLang=en-au) [![International Wildfire Conference Logo](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/Brand%20Assets/IWFC_2028_Conf.%20Logo_Art_Horizontal_Black%20type_RGB.svg "International Wildfire Conference Logo")](https://wildfire28.com.au?hsLang=en-au) - [About](https://wildfire28.com.au/about) - [Our logo art](https://wildfire28.com.au/the-story-behind-our-logo-iwfc-2028) - [Contact](https://wildfire28.com.au/contact) Toggle Menu Toggle Menu - [About](https://wildfire28.com.au/about) - [Our logo art](https://wildfire28.com.au/the-story-behind-our-logo-iwfc-2028) - [Contact](https://wildfire28.com.au/contact) [Facebook](https://wildfire28.com.au/about#0) [Instagram](https://wildfire28.com.au/about#0) [Linkedin](https://wildfire28.com.au/about#0) [X](https://wildfire28.com.au/about#0) [YouTube](https://wildfire28.com.au/about#0) [Medium](https://wildfire28.com.au/about#0) ##### About - [About](https://wildfire28.com.au/about) - [About our logo design](https://wildfire28.com.au/the-story-behind-our-logo-iwfc-2028) ##### Contact - Testing 1 - Sub Nav 1 - Sub Nav 2 - Testing 2 - Testing 3 # About the conference ## A history of international cooperation The [International Wildland Fire Conference](https://gfmc.online/conferences/iwfc.html) (IWFC) began in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1989, bringing together government, academia and private institutions to address wildland fire challenges on a global scale. Since then, the conference has been held moving between continents:   - [1st IWFC — Boston, United States, 1989](https://gfmc.online/iwfc/boston-1989.html) - [2nd IWFC — Vancouver, Canada, 1997](https://gfmc.online/wp-content/uploads/Wildlandfire-97-Outputs.pdf) - [3rd IWFC — Sydney, Australia, 2003](https://gfmc.online/iwfc/summit_2003-introduction.html) - [4th IWFC — Seville, Spain, 2007](https://gfmc.online/iwfc/sevilla-2007.html) - [5th IWFC — Sun City, South Africa, 2011](https://gfmc.online/iwfc/southafrica-2011.html) - [6th IWFC — Pyeongchang, South Korea, 2015](https://gfmc.online/iwfc/korea-2015.html) - [7th IWFC — Campo Grande, Brazil, 2019](https://gfmc.online/iwfc/brazil-2019.html) - [8th IWFC — Porto, Portugal, 2023](https://gfmc.online/iwfc/portugal-2023.html) The IWFC provides an international forum connecting fundamental science, policy makers and practitioners, supporting better policy and governance to reduce the impact of landscape fires on the environment and communities.    ## The International Liaison Committee The International Liaison Committee (ILC) acts as an advisory and liaison body to each conference host, ensuring the event reflects the priorities and needs of the global wildland fire community. It brings together representatives from previous host nations and key global fire organisations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Global Fire Monitoring Center and the International Tropical Timber Organization. The ILC provides expert advice to the host nation, supports planning, and reviews the conference theme and program to ensure it reflects the needs of the global wildland fire community. For more information about IWFC and the work of the ILC, visit the [Global Fire Monitoring website](https://gfmc.online/conferences/iwfc.html). The ILC is a partner of the [UN Global Fire Management Hub](https://www.fao.org/partnerships/fire-hub/en).  *Image credit: Deb Sparkes* ### ILC member organisations   ![AFAC logo](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/afac_colour%20resized.png) ![Logos Prevfogo e Ibama resized](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/Logos%20Prevfogo%20e%20Ibama%20resized.png) ![FS logo HR resized](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/FS%20logo%20HR%20resized.png) ![ITTO LOGO FULL TEXT resized](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/ITTO%20LOGO%20FULL%20TEXT%20resized.png) ![CIFFCLogo\_Black\_Tag resized](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/CIFFCLogo_Black_Tag%20resized.png) ![NRCan](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/NRCan.jpg) ![Global Fire Management Hub](https://wildfire28.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/Global%20Fire%20Management%20Hub_full.jpg?width=295&height=120&name=Global%20Fire%20Management%20Hub_full.jpg) ![GFMC](https://wildfire28.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/GFMC-Logo-1.png?width=371&height=120&name=GFMC-Logo-1.png) ![AGIF](https://wildfire28.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/AGIF_resized.png?width=176&height=140&name=AGIF_resized.png) ![MITECO Logo](https://wildfire28.com.au/hs-fs/hubfs/ILC%20logos%20and%20assets/lgo_MITECO_VP_resized.png?width=603&height=140&name=lgo_MITECO_VP_resized.png) ## Australia hosts the 9th IWFC The 9th IWFC will be held in Melbourne from 4 to 7 April 2028, alongside the 2nd Global Fire Management Hub Plenary hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. This marks the second time Australia has hosted the conference, following Sydney in 2003. Bringing the conference to Melbourne provides an opportunity to showcase Australian and New Zealand expertise, foster international collaboration, and contribute to global discussions on managing an increasingly complex fire environment. [AFAC](https://afac.com.au/), the Australian and New Zealand Council for Fire and Emergency Services, is the host organisation for the 9th IWFC.   [![International Wildfire Conference Logo](https://wildfire28.com.au/hubfs/Brand%20Assets/IWFC_2028_Conf.%20Logo_Art_Horizontal_Black%20type_RGB.svg)](https://wildfire28.com.au/wildfire28.com.au?hsLang=en-au) - [Privacy Policy](https://app-bondafac-directus-prod.azurewebsites.net/assets/c8103452-767b-453c-9ecd-ae6c60d216c9) © 2026 AFAC [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/AFACnews/)[Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/australasian-fire-and-emergency-service-authorities-council/) IWFC acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Traditional Custodians of Australia and Māori, as the Tāngata Whenua and Treaty of Waitangi partners in Aotearoa-New Zealand. We recognise their unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and their rich contribution to society. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders both past and present.