The Ember Alliance (TEA) and members of the Fire Management and Integrated Research Management Team (IRMT) were excited to help coordinate NASA’s FireSense Campaign, this month at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. The goal of NASA’s FireSense Campaign was focused on real-time data on micrometeorology, vegetation, and fuel conditions before, during, and after burns, as these are essential for effective planning and management.
This campaign is a large interagency partnership consisting of the Department of Defense’s ’s two innovation programs: the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) and the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), U.S. Forest Service’s Northern and Southern Research Stations, NASA, and many other partners from across the country. Fort Stewart manages over 240,000 acres of forested land; the Army’s largest forestry program east of the Mississippi. The Department of Defense utilizes prescribed fire as a tool to maintain training areas, decrease wildfire risk, and improve wildlife habitat.
TEA’s IRMT is a management group of career professionals that help to bring organization, logistical support and mitigate the safety concerns that come along with having researchers on a prescribed burn. Using the IRMT allows researchers to collect specialized data in real time with on-the-ground experience in a safe environment. The campaign was originally scheduled for a different location, however due to weather the location was no longer a viable option. The IRMT has worked with Fort Stewart previously and due to their expertise, were able to relocate the study, personnel, and equipment to this new location.
The week-long prescribed burn and research campaign proved to be successful. Researchers were able to effectively collect ground, air, and space data from three different prescribed fires at Fort Stewart covering over 3,324 acres. The data collected were:
- Ground data: Weather forecasts, soil temperature and moisture, and fuel conditions
- Airborne data: NASA utilized aircraft to study fire behavior, smoke movement, and dispersal
- Space data: Satellite technology adds a broad, high-level perspective to the campaign
Together, these layers of information help scientists better understand, model, and plan for successful prescribed fires. You can learn more about the FireSense Campaign on The Today Show and on NBC Nightly News.
