Physical and Ecological Fire Processes, Interactions, and Applications

The Northern Research Station’s Fire Science Program develops science focused on the physical and ecological processes of wildland fire and help provide the applications and technology needed to manage more resilient forests and grasslands.

Our research activities are focused on four focal areas:

Physical Fire Science - Develop new insight into the basic physical and chemical processes that govern fire weather, fire behavior, fire danger, and fire emissions and dispersion.

Ecological Interactions of Fire - Investigate the direct and indirect effects of wildland fire on forest and grassland composition, structure, and ecosystem functioning.

Wildland Fire Applications - Transition fundamental physical and ecological fire science into applied, operationally relevant standards, guidelines, and applications to support wildland fire and land managers.

Science of Fire Propagation Between Wildland and Structural Fuels - Advance scientific understanding of fire propagation in regions where wildland and structural fuels intermix to reduce catastrophic losses while promoting wildland health.