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Fire Research

This page features regionally relevant fire science news, publications, and resources. You can search for even more fire science publications in the SFE Regional Fire Science Publication Database (RFSPD).

Regional Research Needs
In 2020, SFE produced a series of documents for the Joint Fire Science Program that describe some of the top Regional Fire Science Research Needs for the Southeastern US. Our regional research needs were identified through SFE evaluation data, end-user feedback, and with the input of the SFE Advisory Board and Leadership Team. The Joint Fire Science Program and the JFSP Board request the regional fire science research needs to guide and develop future research funding opportunities. The JFSP website has a listing of previously identified fire science research needs submitted by SFE and other members of the Fire Science Exchange Network. Each document below includes a description of the regional fire science research need as well as a few related citations that describe existing work on the topic. If you have feedback or ideas regarding regional fire science research needs, please contact us.
Prescribed Fire Smoke Models (pdf)
Prescribed Fire in Wetland Ecosystems (pdf)
Spatial Scale of Prescribed Burning (pdf)
Prescribed Fire on Private Lands (pdf)
Prescribed Fire and Climate Change (pdf)

Southern Region Prescribed Fire Training Needs Survey

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A survey is being conducted by many regional partners to analyze the training needs related to prescribed fire across the diverse group of practitioners in the Southeast. The results will identify needs and develop recommendations to potentially increase the availability and selection of course offerings to build capability and capacity of prescribed burners.

This survey is a collaborative effort by the SE Regional Strategy Committee for Cohesive Strategy, SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Work Group, Southern Group of State Foresters, NC State University Extension Forestry, Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientist, Forest Stewards Guild, Southern Fire Exchange, and the SE Regional Prescribed Fire Council Coordinating Group.

Please complete the survey by January 26, 2021.

The survey link is https://go.ncsu.edu/fire_training_survey.

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Inequality and Wildfire Response

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Two recent articles addressed recent research showing that some communities benefit more from wildfire management than others while whiter, higher-income, and more highly educated communities receive more vigilant wildfire response.

Evidence from Wildfire Events in the Western United States Reveals Inequalities in Wildfire Management (Resources Magazine)

When wildfires hit, richer and whiter neighborhoods are more likely to get government support (Mic)

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Scienceline: Prescribed fires may mean safer smoke

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“When comparing how smoke from wildfires and prescribed burns affected children, “we saw worse effects from the wildfire,” says Dr. Mary Prunicki, who directs air pollution and health research at the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University. In a study published in the journal Allergy in 2019, her team found that children who lived near where a wildfire occurred suffered more severe respiratory and immune effects than those who lived near a prescribed burn.”

Read the full article here.

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Headwaters Economics: Structures Destroyed by Wildfires Data Visualization

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Headwaters Economics has developed a free data visualization tool that shows state and national structure losses by wildfires over time. The accompanying article argues that structure losses are a more useful metric for understanding wildfire impacts than ‘acres burned.’ Measuring wildfires by assessing ‘acres burned’ does not discern the positive impacts of wildfires in terms of fuel reduction, ecosystem restoration and wildlife habitat from the negative impacts of wildfire. In comparison, tracking structures lost, while imperfect due to reporting processes, can provide a more nuanced measure of the human and economic toll of wildfires.

View the tool here.

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SE FireMap Scoping Survey

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As part of the SE FireMap scoping phase, the project team is working to engage a diverse group of stakeholders for feedback on proposed use-cases and database design preferences. Please consider sharing your feedback via the SE FireMap Scoping Survey and/or share with appropriate contacts within your networks. This outreach is intended to help align project outcomes with current efforts and partner objectives.  The survey will be active until January 1st, 2021.

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NIDIS Survey on Flash Drought

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NIDIS is partnering with the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) on a short survey to better understand how flash drought is perceived by drought managers and decision makers as well as within the research community. In addition, this survey will explore perspectives on responding to and managing flash drought, including what’s needed to improve flash drought monitoring, prediction, and planning/response. The results of this survey will be used to inform discussions at the upcoming NIDIS-sponsored Flash Drought Workshop, and to help focus flash drought research and tool development to support drought early warning. The survey should take no more than 5-10 minutes.
The survey deadline is October 30.
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Saving Fire History at Tall Timbers

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“For over 20 years [Tall Timbers has] been on a mission—to save the irreplaceable records of past
fires contained in the stumps of our oldest longleaf pines. This is the story of why these records are
important, how the Tall Timbers Tree-ring Lab came about, and a quick look at our research past,
present and future.”

Read the story here.

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Fueling Collaboration Panel Discussion Series

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The USFS Northern Research Station and members of the JFSP Fire Science Exchange Network are teaming up to offer a new, interactive virtual Panel Discussion Series. This Series is designed to encourage collaboration between researchers and fire managers and will explore emerging fire science research and management considerations. You may register for one or all, and with your registration you can submit questions that you would like the panelists to address during each Panel Discussion.

Continuing education credits from the Society of American Foresters and The Wildlife Society are available for each Panel Discussion.

Find more information on the event website.

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GEO-XO Fire Workshop Community Survey

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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) is working to understand the needs of the end-user community and identify how remotely sensed data is used. This survey is part of an ongoing, multi-faceted effort to engage with the end-user community. These survey results—along with additional data collection efforts—will be used to inform the development of the next generation of weather and environmental satellites.

Take the survey here.

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