Post-Wildfire Recovery Through The Principles of Engineering with Nature

In a nutshell: Following a severe wildfire, recovery efforts can benefit from using “Engineering With Nature” principles to utilize existing materials on the landscape for slope stabilization, erosion control, and stream restoration. Learn about the successes and lessons learned with these techniques in Santa Clara Canyon, NM after the destructive Las Conchas Fire. Recorded on: …

Panoramic View of Hillside After a Burn

The REBURN Model: Simulating forest and fuel succession and disturbance dynamics of large landscapes

In a nutshell: This webinar discusses REBURN, a geospatial modeling framework designed to simulate reburn dynamics over large areas and long-time frames to investigate the impact of multiple fires in the same area. Recorded on: January 17, 2024 Presenters: Dr. Susan Prichard, University of Washington and Dr. Paul Hessburg, USDA-FS Pacific NW Research Station Description: …

Overview and Verification of LANDFIRE Fuels: 2022 Cooks Peak Fire 

In a Nutshell: Learn more about how to use LANDFIRE. We’ll use the 2022 Cook’s Fire as a case study. Description: A practitioner-oriented overview of LANDFIRE with a focus on fuels and how they react to modeling techniques. The subject area of discussion will be the 2022 Cooks Peak fire located in northern New Mexico. This webinar will …

Map of the Western US showing places that contribute most to air quality emissions

Prescribed Burns as a Tool to Mitigate Future Wildfire Smoke Exposure

In a nutshell: Can prescribed fire reduce future smoke impacts? Research on how targeted prescribed burn treatments in heavily forested Western states may have an outsized impact on improving air quality for the entire western U.S. by reducing the likelihood of future wildfire smoke. Description: Catastrophic wildfires in the western United States pose significant risks …

Grassification and Fast-Evolving Fire Connectivity and Risk in the Sonoran Desert

IN A NUTSHELL: In the second webinar in a series on invasive grass-driven changes in dry desert systems, presenters will discuss their findings on the fire dynamics of the 2020 Bighorn Fire in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson, AZ to better understand the changing nature of fire in desert systems which are increasingly experiencing conversion …

Sonoran desert view showing saguaro cactus surrounded by tall buffelgrass

Monitoring and Removal of Invasive Grasses for Restoration of Dry Desert Systems

IN A NUTSHELLA panel of researchers and managers discusses the impact of non-native invasive grasses on dry desert systems and various methods to remove, monitor, or slow their spread. The fire regime of dry desert systems, such as the Sonoran, historically consisted of infrequent, low intensity, size-limited fires. Native grasses and other vegetation, which grow …

A man in a baseball cap sits in a burned forest planting plants.

Increasing Post-Wildfire Planted Seedling Survival

In a nutshell: Tips for planting trees after severe fire in the Southwest, we learn how microclimates, nurse plants, and biochar impact survival of seedlings. We also learn how these techniques can be scaled-up to improve replanting efforts across an entire landscape. Description: Across the southwestern United States, high-severity wildfire is resulting in increasingly large …

Pine covered hill half drenched in smoke.

Fire in the Southwest, Past and Present – Fire Season 2022 Overview and 2023 Outlook

In a nutshell:  A researcher examines trends in the largest fires in the Southwest of 2022, and a meteorologist explores the fire season outlook and expectations for fire weather behavior in 2023. Description: Join the SWFSC for a webinar reviewing last year’s fires and looking ahead toward fire conditions for this year. Dr. Zander Evans …

A smoke plume coming up on the east side of a peak.

Public Experiences and Perceptions with Wildfire and Flooding, A Case Study of the 2019 Museum Fire

IN A NUTSHELL: Gain insights into public perceptions on wildfire and post-fire flooding with suggestions on how to improve information exchange. Description: The greater Flagstaff area in northern Arizona has experienced multiple wildfires in recent years that have resulted in post-wildfire flooding. These events galvanized collaborative efforts to reduce hazardous fuels on steep slopes and …

Policy & Managed Fire

IN A NUTSHELLReview of the history, policies, and challenges behind “managed wildfire”, the fire management strategy of leveraging natural ignitions for resource objectives and community benefit. Description: The topic of “managed wildfire” is mired in complexity, starting with what to call it. This fire management approach has been known as “prescribed natural fire,” “wildland fire use,” …