Pyrotown: A serious educational game for Integrated Fire Management students

Pyrotown is a serious role-playing game (or social simulation) that supports social learning about the complexity of integrated fire management. Players experience first-hand the challenges that multi-stakeholder groups and communities encounter when they attempt to develop an integrated fire management strategy in a constantly changing world. Two surprise crisis events interrupt the game in real time to introduce new complicating factors and heighten the urgency for decision-making. 

Researchers initially developed the game to teach graduate-level students about integrated fire management. However, this educational tool can be used with adults in a variety of settings, for example to engage community members in fire-prone areas in interactive, hands-on learning about these complex decision making processes that someday might impact their hometown.

Photo Credit

Tedim et al. (2025)

Process

After playing the game in small groups of 5-7 people, the large group reconvenes for a debriefing discussion. The game takes several hours to play and is usually played over the course of an afternoon to allow for breaks. It does not require any special boards or pieces to play. The moderator only needs to print maps and instructions for the starting scenario and each role.

Premise

The imaginary community of Pyrotown (population 40,000) needs an integrated fire management strategy to deal with the increasing fire hazard in and around the town. A group of key stakeholders (known as the Taskforce) has been formed to develop the plan collaboratively. The Taskforce has the following assignments: 

• Develop measures and strategies that work to reduce the risk of wildfires for the three neighborhoods of Pyrotown (Forestown, Township, Centre) over the next five years.
• Develop related risk communication strategies tailored to the different populations and interest groups within Pyrotown.
• Develop fire management strategies in case Category 1 and/or Category 3 fires may threaten Pyrotown in the near future. Category 1 fires are low-intensity, slow-spreading wildfires that show no signs of extreme behavior and are easily controlled with standard firefighting efforts, while Category 3 fires have moderate intensity, spread faster, show signs of intensified behavior, and require more coordinated suppression efforts with enhanced firefighting methods and resources to remain manageable.