Larger forest fires have been relatively rare on the northern side of the Alps. However, due to climate change, they are expected to occur more frequently. The Wyss Academy for Nature and the Office for Forests and Natural Hazards of the Canton of Bern are investigating how the danger and risk of forest fires on the northern side of the Alps will evolve over the medium and long term. They are also analyzing how the responsible agencies can efficiently respond to the growing risk of forest fires. For the preventative management of future forest fire risks, project participants will develop knowledge and tools to curb and fight such fires. To mitigate the impacts of forest fires on land use, biodiversity loss, and natural disaster management, they will draw on experiences and knowledge from regions on the southern side of the Alps and in the Mediterranean, adapting the findings to the specific conditions found in the canton of Bern. In 2023, the focus was mainly on establishing the knowledge base. In the second phase starting in 2024, specific methods and tools will be developed, tested, and put into practice. Investigations will occur in different modules. The 'Forest' module investigates the vulnerability, fire behavior, and resilience of the main forest ecosystems in the canton of Bern and on the northern side of the Alps. It also looks into the dynamics of forest stands after a fire and the susceptibility to erosion or landslides in forest fire areas. The 'Danger and Risk' module focuses on the development of a new method, serving as a basis for hazard assessment and risk classification for the entire canton and the northern side of the Alps. The third and final module, called 'Perception and Communication', examines the perception of dangers and risk behavior of different target groups. Existing tools and preventive measures of the canton (training, ongoing hazard assessment, public engagement, fire bans) will be evaluated in an effort to optimize prevention and targeted group-specific communication.