In February 2024, the Southwest Fire Science Consortium led a field trip in central Arizona to learn more about the dynamics between wildfire and invasive species in the Sonoran Desert. The field trip was focused on improving our collective understanding of how invasive grasses and forbs have altered the fire conditions in the Sonoran Desert …
The Hermit’s Peak Calf Canyon Fire was a devastating event for New Mexico. Many communities were affected, and while this fire was unique, it will not be for long. Climate change and the effects of a century of fire exclusion mean that fires like this one are increasingly likely. We must understand what happened in …
The Museum Fire in 2019 burned 1,961 acres and a record monsoon season in 2021 caused post-fire flooding from the burn scar, which affected many homes and businesses. The Story Map aims to outline the full timeline of the fire, the aftermath and flooding, and considerations for the future. Topics include the Flagstaff Watershed Protection …
Research to Implementation: A JFSP Success Story Wildfires are getting larger and more frequent across the Western U.S., which means more and more firefighters are being mobilized into action. Firefighters are constantly exposed to hazardous conditions while performing their jobs and safety is critical in such volatile and dynamic environments. The Joint Fire Science Program …
The Southwest contains both some of the greatest of archaeological sites and landscapes in which fire plays a major role in the ecosystem. Due to the widespread prevalence of both fire and cultural resources, archaeologists and fire managers must work together to locate and manage significant sites. However, different perspectives and approaches between fire managers …
Read more “Working Together: Fire Managers and Archaeologists”
In the spring of 2019, several partners teamed up with the Burned Area Learning Network to visit coordinate a series of three field trips across the Southwest. Scientists, researchers, and land managers came together to visit burned areas of the Boundary Fire (2017) and Pumpkin Fire (2000) in Arizona, the Las Conchas Fire (2011) in …
Read more “After the Fire: Learning from Burned Areas in the Southwest”
The purpose of the Mormon Fire Staff Ride is to encourage the use of natural ignition fires as a forest management tool by creating a peer-learning space for line officers to explore implementation decisions and challenges. By using the story map, we hope to strengthen line officers’ preparedness and confidence around the use of natural ignitions and …
Read more “Mormon Fire Staff Ride- Restoring Wildfire to the Landscape”
We hosted a two-day field trip to visit various locations within the perimeter of the 2011 Horseshoe 2 Fire (including Chiricahua National Monument and Coronado National Forest). Topics discussed include: wildlife impacts, rangeland impacts, watershed and hydrology effects, and historic fire regime and re-burn issues. Read the Horseshoe 2 Factsheet here. Click the StoryMap below …
The 57,000 acre Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a unique landscape with uplands and water features, including a stretch of the Rio Grande River. It provides an important wintering ground for cranes and geese. Refuge staff depend upon and utilize various tools to manage the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge for the …
Read more “Bosque del Apache NWR-Fire and Wildlife Management”