Introducing Pyrotown: A researcher-developed multiplayer game on integrated fire management

Rocky Mountain Research Station researcher David Flores partnered with Jasper de Vries, researcher at Wageningen University and Research, to create an interactive game that puts Integrated Fire Management (IFM) strategies into practice within the fictional community of ‘Pyrotown’. This learning tool prepares players for the complex scenarios Integrated Fire Management practitioners face in today’s wildfire risk management landscape. ‘Taskforces’ of 5-7 players communicate to multiple stakeholders and interest groups among Pyrotown’s 40,000 residents. Players are then tasked with creating a management strategy that meets the dynamic set of stakeholder needs within Pyrotown.

Photo Credit

Photo courtesy of Michael Cacciapaglia, Wageningen University and Research

Masters students learn about integrated fire management as they play Pyrotown during class at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.

Originally intended for students as part of a Master-level course at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, this educational tool can be used with adults in a variety of settings, including with community members in fire-prone areas. The game provides interactive, hands-on learning about complex decision-making processes. Players take active roles in Integrated Fire Management to learn methods that are effective for supporting places faced with increased wildfire risk. The gameplay builds on the player’s understanding of proactive mitigation and wildfire response. Over the course of the game, players participate in interactive scenarios that mirror real-life situations. 

Pyrotown faces fires of varying intensities, and players must reach a consensus on which suppression and firefighting methods are best given their available resources. During the gameplay, two surprise crisis events also require the taskforce to make time-sensitive decisions. These events are modeled after real-life scenarios and raise their awareness about the ever-evolving challenges involved in Integrated Fire Management. Players are given time to reflect on their experiences after the game and debrief on what they have learned.

David Flores and Jasper de Vries developed Pyrotown in 2021 at Wageningen University in the Netherlands with support from Cathelijne Stoof. The game was updated in 2025 by Michael Cacciapaglia. This project received funding from three European Union projects: FIRE-RES, SEMEDFIRE, and PyroLife. As a visiting scholar with the Wageningen University in 2021, Flores was supported by funding from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Co-operative Research Programme in Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems.