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Wildfires

By Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

The USGS brings a range of expertise to understanding the threats, causes, consequences, and benefits of wildfire, while helping to prevent and manage larger, catastrophic events.

USGS recovery and rebuilding activities for specific wildfires are below.

2018 California wildfires
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2018 California wildfires

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional Resources:

USGS Post Fire Debris Flow

USGS Wildfire Science

USGS Emergency Management

USGS Natural Hazards 

 

 

 

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Quantifying post-wildfire hillslope erosion with lidar

Following a wildfire, flooding and debris- flow hazards are common and pose a threat to human life and infrastructure in steep burned terrain. Wildfire enhances both water runoff and soil erosion, which ultimately shape the debris flow potential. The erosional processes that route excess sediment from hillslopes to debris-flow channels in recently burned areas, however, are poorly constrained. I
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Incorporating spatially heterogeneous infiltration capacity into hydrologic models with applications for simulating post‐wildfire debris flow initiation

Soils in post‐wildfire environments are often characterized by a low infiltration capacity with a high degree of spatial heterogeneity relative to unburned areas. Debris flows are frequently initiated by run‐off in recently burned steeplands, making it critical to develop and test methods for incorporating spatial variability in infiltration capacity into hydrologic models. We use Monte Carlo simu
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Model simulations of flood and debris flow timing in steep catchments after wildfire

Debris flows are a typical hazard on steep slopes after wildfire, but unlike debris flows that mobilize from landslides, most post-wildfire debris flows are generated from water runoff. The majority of existing debris-flow modeling has focused on landslide-triggered debris flows. In this study we explore the potential for using process-based rainfall-runoff models to simulate the timing of water f
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Francis K. Rengers, Luke McGuire, Jason W. Kean, Dennis M. Staley, D.E.J Hobley
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USGS on Fire: It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “more fire science data please!”

USGS on Fire: It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “more fire science data please!”

Visit our new USGS fire webpage to learn how USGS fire science is making a difference

Read Article

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