The recording of our February 29th webinar “Emerging Technologies in Wildland Fire” with Nathan Burmester from The Nature Conservancy North Carolina, is now on the SFE YouTube Channel. The webinar covered topics ranging from UAS (drones) to weather stations and thermal cameras. The chat was alive with tons of links to resources and products mentioned in the presentation. You can find all of those links in the notes on the YouTube recording.
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SFE Webinar: Emerging Technologies in Wildland Fire
Society of American Foresters CFE Credit Expected.
Presenter:
Nathan Burmester, The Nature Conservancy of North Carolina
Webinar Description: Navigating the rapid advancements in technology can be challenging, especially for those immersed in the daily demands on the fireline. Join Nathan Burmester, representing TNC North Carolina, for a concise exploration of cutting-edge technologies employed by prescribed fire managers. Additionally, discover innovative applications of older technologies that are reshaping the landscape of fire management practices. Following the presentation there will be time for audience Q/A with the speaker.
Webinar Recording: If you can’t make the webinar, look for the recording to be posted on the Southern Fire Exchange YouTube Webinar Archive.
Questions? [email protected]
SFE Webinar: Strategic Burning with a Simple Prioritization Model
SFE Webinar: Strategic Burning with a Simple Prioritization Model
Presented by Dr. Joe O’Brien, USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station
December 8, 2022 @ 1:00-2:00 PM EST
Free Registration Here: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_spjT9CRuTciSj4QiFj7N1Q?fbclid=IwAR2yHrtCNOqC-kBPlWc571BwWKH8VdsQkrZD2jdwwfGshIXrotFMPFaGcec
Increasing the pace and scale of prescribed fire treatments safely while meeting often conflicting management objectives can seem impossible. However, success can be achieved with a relatively straightforward strategy that leverages spatial data and a consensus on fire management priorities among stakeholders. We will use a simple but effective burn prioritization model developed for Oconee National Forest to demonstrate the approach and discuss tradeoffs that must necessarily occur when new priorities emerge. The method resulted in the near doubling of prescribed fire treatment efficiency at the Oconee and the approach is based on science, is transparent, and flexible.
New North Carolina Fire and Air Quality Tools
North Carolina has released two new tools related to fire management and air quality:
The North Carolina Forest Service Wildfire Public Viewer
North Carolina Climate Office Ambient Air Information Reporter
Continue ReadingPartner Webinar: Putting LANDFIRE Data (and Models) to Work in the Scientific Community
LANDFIRE delivers 20+ vegetation and fire datasets, and a state-and-transition model for every ecosystem in the United States. Have you ever wondered how others in the scientific community use these products? Join us and find out.
Members of the LANDFIRE Team will bring you a timely, relevant and succinct webinar describing three different applications of LANDFIRE data in published scientific literature from 2021. Our talk will start with a “30K foot view” of how LANDFIRE data is (generally) used by students, academics and agencies. We will then spotlight three example scientific papers each with a unique focus on drought, fire and climate change. We will highlight general findings, and touch on the LANDFIRE datasets, applications used for each journal article.
Papers we will discuss:
1. Drought Sensitivity and Trends of Riparian Vegetation Vigor in Nevada, USA (1985–2018) | Albano, Christina, McGwire, K.C., Hausner, M.B., McEvoy, D.J., Morton, C.G., Huntington, J.L. (LANDFIRE Existing Vegetation Type classification used) https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/12/9/1362
2. Yang, D., Fu, CS. Mapping regional forest management units: a road-based framework in Southeastern Coastal Plain and Piedmont. For. Ecosystems. 8, 17 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-021-00289-w
3. Modelling Species Distributions and Environmental Suitability Highlights Risk of Plant Invasions in Western US | McMahon, Devin, E., Urza, A.K., Brown, J.L., Phelan, C., Chambers, J.C. (LANDFIRE Reference Database used) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ddi.13232
There will be 15 minutes at the end of this discussion for Q/A.
Continue ReadingVirtual Workshop Recordings – Fire and Fuels Monitoring
This virtual and field-based training was developed and hosted by the Oak Woodlands & Forests Fire Consortium, Lake States Fire Science Consortium, and the Huron-Manistee National Forests. The event was held June 1-4, 2021, and introduced participants to:
— tools for selecting metrics that match management/restoration objectives;
— developing site-specific protocols for sampling;
— developing a monitoring handbook and monitoring protocols/program for your local ecosystems;
— how to establish long-term monitoring and quantitative/qualitative data for wildfire risk assessment; and
— evaluating the need for prescribed burns and other fuels treatments.
Field measurements were conducted independently at individual attendees’ home units, and the data then analyzed in the virtual classroom setting.
Recordings of all of the workshop presentations and field measurement instructional videos can be found below, additional materials for the workshop and other related resources can be found HERE.
Continue ReadingNIDIS Launches New Interactive Maps on Drought.gov
NIDIS has released two new interactive features on Drought.gov that will make it easier for decision makers and the public across the U.S. to share timely, reliable drought information.
First, new customization and sharing options for all maps make it easier than ever to create custom, high-quality maps to include in drought or risk mitigation plans, share on social media or in media briefings, communicate with stakeholders, or report on drought impacts across the United States.
Second, interactive economic sector maps including one focused on wildfire management show sector-specific information alongside key drought and climate indicators provide vital information for private and public sector decision makers to monitor, plan for, and mitigate the impacts of drought.
View the Wildfire Risk mapping tool here.
Watch a tutorial video for the mapping tools here.
Continue ReadingApps for Tracking Air Quality During Wildfire Season.
A recent CNBC article covered some of the apps available to help track air pollution and air quality as wildfires cause widespread impacts across the globe. Options discussed include QAir’s AirVisual, Air Care, Breezometer, and others run by government agencies.
Continue ReadingSpatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2018
An update to a USFS data publication contains a spatial database of wildfires that occurred in the United States from 1992 to 2018. It is the fourth update of a publication originally generated to support the national Fire Program Analysis (FPA) system.
View full information and the dataset here.
Continue ReadingPartner Webinar: Flash Drought Webinar Series: Emerging Tools for Flash Drought Monitoring and Prediction
Droughts are often categorized as ‘flash’ droughts when they develop or intensify in a matter of weeks (though defining flash droughts continues to be an area of active debate). The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are pleased to announce a series of three webinars to help climate professionals and operational service providers better understand this phenomenon, its defining characteristics and how it varies by region and season, its impacts on agricultural and other stakeholders, and the potential for improved monitoring, prediction, and planning/response tools (datasets, maps, etc.).
This webinar, the third in the series, will include the following presentations on emerging tools for flash drought monitoring and prediction from NOAA and other institutions:
Experimental Subseasonal Tools to Support Flash Drought Monitoring and Prediction at CPC – L. Gwen Chen, NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Upcoming Product: Week-2 Flash Drought Forecasts – Brad Pugh, NOAA Climate Prediction Center
Survey of Other Emerging Flash Drought Tools – Trent Ford, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign