In the News

Missoula fire sciences lab develops tools to help keep public, firefighters safe

Research Ecologist Dr. Matt Jolly describes the history and intent of the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory and highlights how the research and tools developed at the Fire Lab are used on the ground.

Unique Missoula Fire Lab born from the Mann Gulch tragedy

Research Engineer Dan Jimenez describes the connections between the 1949 Mann Gulch Fire tragedy, wildfire research, and the development of the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory.

Pacific Northwest Will Be Next Victim of Increasing Wildfires

Newsweek featured a recent study that used FSim to simulate wildfires under future climate change in the PNW.

"A new study has found that the wildfire risk in the Pacific Northwest is set to double by 2035. A new study published in the journal JGR Biogeosciences used simulations to represent more than 23 million acres of forest across Oregon and Washington. They showed that the area could see double the amount of fires when compared to 30 years ago."

Fire Tech Series: We Talk to Jason Forthofer of the Missoula Fire Lab

Jason Forthofer, RMRS Research Mechanical Engineer, joins The Hotshot Wake Up crew to dive into new tools and tech coming out of the Fire Lab, how AI can be used and its shortcomings, as well as how to find a career in this field. Note - the Hotshot Wake Up is a paid series, but you can search for this podcast on Spotify.

A century of fire suppression is worsening wildfires and hurting forests

A century of fire suppression is worsening wildfires and hurting forests. CBS News recently posted the latest video in their “On the Dot” series about climate change. This video features researchers Kimberley Davis from the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab, and Sean Parks from the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, talking about the impacts of wildland fire and climate change. It was filmed in May 2023 in the Bitterroot Forest by reporter David Schechter and videographer Chance Horner. The film also features prescribed burning with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and an interview with scientists working on WIFIRE at UC San Diego.

Study tour with Forest Service strengthens Peru's fire forecasting system

Experts from the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service of Peru, or SENAMHI, recently spent two weeks at the Missoula Fire Science Laboratory where they pored over fire forecasting models and looked for ways to improve Peru’s fire forecasting system. 

Groundbreaking research: Scientists generate fire whirls in Twizel

In a world first, scientists from Scion, US Forest Service, University of Canterbury’s School of Earth, and Environment and the US National Centre of Atmospheric Research (through a Fulbright Fellowship) have successfully generated fire whirls on slash piles near Twizel.

The activity is part of groundbreaking research aimed at protecting firefighters and communities from the devastating impact of future wildfire events.

Fire whirls/vortices, or fire tornados, occur during extreme wildfire events around the world but until this month, they have never been deliberately created in the field and at this scale.

The research team consists of New Zealand and international researchers studying extreme wildfire fire behaviour as part of a programme funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Jason Forthofer, a researcher with the USDA Forest Service, is a leading expert on wildfire vortices who has been studying fire whirls in a laboratory environment. He says generating a fire vortex outside a laboratory had never been attempted at this scale and with forest fuels anywhere in the world before these experimental burns.

Delivering the mission: Meet Sara Brown

Sara Brown is program manager for the Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program at the Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Inside the FS features Sara Brown as part of their series "HerStory: An oral history highlighting the contributions of women in the Forest Service". Please see the full article HerStory: Meet Sara Brown

In addition to the Inside the FS article, Sara has recently participated in the Forestcast podcast on Women in Research.

Women of Research: An Ode to Mentors by Sara Brown: Ecologist Sara Brown takes us through eight chapters of her career and the 10 mentors that made her, from wildland. (16 Mar 2023 · 38 minutes)

Apple Podcasts: Women of Research: An Ode to Mentors by Sara Brown

Women of Research: An Ode to Mentors by Sara Brown

Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program Manager Sara Brown takes us through eight chapters of her career and the 10 mentors that made her, from wildland firefighting, to smokejumping, to teaching in New Mexico, to directing the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab.

Safer safety zones: new tool evaluates safe separation distance

This article highlights researchers Dan Jimenez, Bret Butler and Matt Thompson's work with the Safe Separation Distance Evaluator (SSDE). This new tool is designed to help improve firefighter safety by helping to identify and evaluate potential safety zones anywhere in the U.S.

HerStory: Meet Sara Brown

Sara Brown, Program Manager for the Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program at the Rocky Mountain Research Station, is featured in the series "HerStory: An oral history highlighting the contributions of women in the Forest Service."

The West’s iconic forests are increasingly struggling to recover from wildfires – altering how fires burn could boost their chances

The Conversation featured Research Ecologist Kimberley Davis and team in the article “The West’s iconic forests are increasingly struggling to recover from wildfires – altering how fires burn could boost their chances.” The study highlights how proactive efforts that modify how wildfires burn can help buffer seedlings from some of the biggest stressors of global warming.

Inside the Lab That Starts Fires For Science

WIRED recently profiled the Missoula Fire Lab for their YouTube Field Trip series. This film features a tour of the Fire Lab and speaks with several scientists to learn how scientists develop a greater understanding of wildfires.

Scientists tracking wildfire risk to Colorado communities

Greg Dillon, Director of the Fire Modeling Institute, is interviewed about efforts by a team from the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab to develop an interactive map to help show the wildfire risk to communities. 

Understanding The Fire Paradox: Why We Need Fire To Prevent Fire

Scripps News interviews Research Forester Mark Finney on efforts to develop a new fire spread model. "For all that we don’t know, what we do know is that the model we use to determine how quickly a fire will spread is over 50 years old. That’s why fire experts at the Rocky Mountain Research Station Missoula Fire Lab are making a new fire spread model."

The Wildlife Scientist Finding Innovation in Ancient Ideas

Biologist Serra Hoagland bridges Indigenous traditions and modern methods.

“I LOVE TALKING ABOUT THIS!” Serra Hoagland declares, interrupting herself as she explains the purpose of the small box she’s holding. At first glance, the featureless, matte black device, about the size of a takeout container, doesn’t seem like it could inspire such delight. But Hoagland and her team will soon be carrying several of these acoustic monitors—think of them as trailcams, but for sound—into the wilderness, hoping they record the calls and responses of Mexican spotted owls.