The Fire, Fuel, and Smoke science program conducts national and international cutting-edge work in wildland fire research. Primarily located at the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula, Montana, the program’s scientists, technicians, and support staff continue a 60+ year legacy of proactively conducting the research we need tomorrow and into the future. By improving the fundamental understanding of wildland fire and developing tools and applications, Fire, Fuel, and Smoke research increases the safety and effectiveness of fire, fuel, and smoke management and helps increase the health of our wildlands.

Fire, Fuel, and Smoke research activities are centered on four focal areas:

Photo Credit

USDA Forest Service

Fire Behavior – provide knowledge, models, and applications used by managers in wildfire prediction, planning, and training.

Fire and Ecosystems – increase the understanding and knowledge of fire effects and ecology in fire-dependent ecosystems.

Smoke Emissions – increase the understanding of wildland and prescribed fire emissions and their response to climate variability and changing landscapes.

Fire Management Systems – improve the effectiveness and efficiency of fire and forest management activities and increase the safety of planning and operations.

The Fire, Fuel, and Smoke program also hosts three specialized units that support fire managers, researchers, and Forest Service leadership through innovation in fire science and fostering connections between research and management. 

The program also manages the Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest.

• The Fire Modeling Institute
• National Fire Decision Support Center
• Wildland Fire Management RD&A
• Tenderfoot Creek Experimental Forest 

Visit the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab website for more information on Fire, Fuel, and Smoke research, datasets, and tools.

Missoula Fire Lab Website