Regenerating aspen beneath mature aspen in Utah's Fishlake National Forest.
Researchers from the USFS and Tall Timbers collecting fuel samples before a precribed fire in Utah's Fishlake National Forest in October, 2023.
USFS preparations for prescribed fire Utah's Fishlake National Forest in October, 2023.
Helicopter torch ignition during Monroe Mountain stand replacement prescribed fire conducted in Utah's Fishlake National Forest in October, 2023.
Monroe Mountain stand replacement prescribed fire conducted in Utah's Fishlake National Forest in October, 2023.
Crown fire and torching trees in Monroe Mountain stand replacement prescribed fire conducted in Utah's Fishlake National Forest in October, 2023.
Smoke along Monroe Mountain during a prescribed fire conducted in Utah's Fishlake National Forest in October, 2023.
View of scorched slope and charred trees a week after a stand replacement prescribed fire conducted on Monroe Mountain in Utah's Fishlake National Forest in October, 2023.
NASA AFRC B200 and Dynamic Aviation B200 stationed for FireSense sampling and public field day in Richfield, Utah.
The FireSense project is focused on delivering NASA’s unique Earth science and technological capabilities to operational agencies, striving to address challenges in US wildland fire management.
We are focusing on four use-cases
to support decisions
before, during, and after wildland fires.
These include the measurement of pre-fire fuels conditions, active fire dynamics, post fire impacts and threats, as well as air quality forecasting, each co-developed with identified wildland fire management agency stakeholders.
Pre-Fire Fuels Conditions
- Improved fire prevention by providing fire fuel maps with higher accuracy and resolution (spatial and temporal)
- Provision of near real-time fire risks assessments based on models of fuel conditions, soil moisture, surface temperature, lightning potential, social science data, etc.
- Identify proactive management and mitigation actions to influence fire behavior and local resilience and resistance to disturbance.
Active Fire Dynamics
- Better detection and tracking of fire via satellite, airborne, and ground-based imagery with higher spatial resolution and update frequency
- Development of new, innovative sensors for precisely tracking and locating fires, fuels conditions, and smoke plumes
- Improved models of fire spread to aid in the management of prescribed fire and wildfire
Post Fire Impacts
- Improved maps of burn extent and severity to aid in post-fire ecosystem rehabilitation efforts
- Predictions of post fire hazards and impacts including debris flows, landslide risks and watershed contamination
Air Quality Forecasting
- Enhanced tracking and characterization of smoke plumes and smoke transport
- Development of monitoring systems for long-lived trace gases and aerosols, and air quality
- Improved forecasts of air quality impacts to human health and safety