SUBJECTS

Fire: What Does The Science Say?

Research Concludes Prescribed Burns Can Reduce Smoke Impacts to Communities

In a study published at the end of 2023, researchers looked at the intricate relationship between forest management practices, wildfire risk, air quality, and public health in fire-prone regions like California. With wildfires increasing in frequency and intensity due...

Study Confirms Roadless Areas More Prone to Wildfire

A recent study examining wildfire patterns in national forests across the western United States found that while roadless areas experience fewer fire ignitions, they are associated with significantly greater wildfire extent compared to roaded areas. The study focused...

New Study Shows Forest Treatments Reduce Wildfire Severity

A 2024 U.S. Forest Service study has revealed that while the effectiveness of forest fuel treatments in mitigating wildfires is dependent on weather conditions, the state of the forest fuel during burning can significantly impact fire severity. Despite the importance...

Climate or Forest Management: Which has a Bigger Impact on Fire Behavior and Carbon?

As we look to the future of forestry - particularly when it comes to the wildfire crisis - one big question looms: does climate change or forest management have a greater impact on fire? In 2022 a group of scientists analyzed and modeled how how various factors, such...

Researchers Find Post-Fire Logging Significantly Reduces Future Wildfire Fuel

As wildfires burn more and more acres, what happens to those lands after the fires are extinguished has become increasingly important. In 2018, researchers with the U.S. Forest Service assessed the long-term effects of post-fire logging in 255 coniferous forest stands...

What is the Difference Between Fire Severity and Fire Intensity?

Often used interchangeably, the terms fire severity and fire intensity are actually different and convey different information. Given the increase in attention on wildfire, it's worth understanding the definitions of the terms and the limitations of their use. Fire...

Berkely research concludes aggressive vegetation management and firefighting techniques decrease the risk of wildfire

Researchers from UC Berkeley's Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, along with the Center for Fire Research and Outreach, highlighted the critical role of vegetation management and firefighting in determining wildfire risk in California in a...