Diverse data to improve Southwest fire forecasts: Joining novel remote sensing, post-fire dynamics, and intra-annual precipitation patterns

Fire has increased dramatically across the western U.S. and these increases are expected to continue. With this reality, it is critical that we improve our ability to forecast the timing, extent, and intensity of fire to provide resource managers and policy makers the information needed for effective decisions. For example, an advanced, spatially-explicit prediction of the upcoming fire season would support the planning and prioritization of fire-fighting crews, the placement and abundance of fire breaks, and the amount and type of seed needed for post-fire restoration. While the Southwest has seen exceptional increases in fire, these drier ecosystems are also notably difficult for fire predictions because of unique remote sensing challenges and the monsoonal nature of southwestern precipitation.We propose to build upon our successful GrassCast framework to join multiple emerging remote sensing platforms, modeling tools, and weather data to significantly advance the ability to forecast fire in the Southwest.



Principal Investigator : Sasha C Reed

Co-Investigator : Bill Smith, Michala (Contractor) L Phillips

Cooperator/Partner : Bill Parton