Pacific Northwest Research Station

Fire Research

Public interest in fire research continues to increase as severe wildfires drive the need for effective management and restoration of fire-prone ecosystems. Society's concerns about communities in the wildland-urban interface, smoke and air quality, and the role of fire in forested ecosystems help to guide fire research at the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Research Station.

Fire research at the PNW Research Station covers wide range of issues including fuels management, fire behavior, smoke and emissions, the effects of climate on fire ecology, wildfire risk, and human communities. To meet the rapidly increasing need for science-based applications and tools, the PNW Research Station established the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory in 2003 in Seattle, Washington. Although this lab is the station's hub for fire research, fire-related research is underway at all of the station's 11 laboratories and centers in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

Tools

Our scientists work closely with land managers and resource practitioners to develop tools that meet the needs of those charged with managing natural resources and protecting public health and safety during wildfire events. The tools provide the foundation for on-the-ground decisions pertaining to planning and management before, during, and after wildfire.

US Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Research Station
Last Modified: Thursday,14February2013 at11:32:29EST