Fuels Reduction/Restoration Archives - Southwest Fire Science Consortium

2023 Overview and 2024 Outlook Webinar Cover Photo

Fire in the Southwest Ep. 6: The Ebb and Flow of Public Trust Around Prescribed Fire, with New Mexico State Forester Lindsey Quam

by swfscPodcasts November 14, 2024November 14, 2024No Comments

EPISODE SUMMARY In our sixth and final episode of the Fire in the Southwest Series—sponsored by the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and the Arizona Wildfire Initiative—we explore the complex, multicultural fire histories and management dynamics in New Mexico, with State Forester and Tribal Liaison Lindsey Quam. New Mexico’s recent relationship with fire has been fraught …

Fuel Breaks for the Sonoran Desert

by swfscStory Maps August 9, 2024November 7, 20242 Comments

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 …

Fire in the Southwest Series Ep. 2: The Grassification of the Sonoran Desert with Ecologist Mary Lata

by swfscPodcasts June 26, 2024August 23, 2024No Comments

EPISODE SUMMARY What is it like to watch vegetation type-conversion in real time? How are invasive grasses changing the ecology of the desert and broader Southwest? What’s being done to protect and restore Southwest ponderosa pine forests? This episode with Tonto National Forest fire ecologist Mary Lata dives into the fire regimes of the Southwest, …

Water flowing through the Lower Gila River with scattered trees and bare earth.

Tamarisk Removal along the Lower Gila River – COMING SOON!

by swfscVideos March 4, 2024August 23, 2024No Comments

Part of the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and AZ Wildfire Initiative‘s SW Fire Stories wildfire documentary video series, this video raises awareness about wildfire on the Lower Gila River and surrounding communities and the work being done by the Lower Gila River Collaborative to reduce wildfire risk and to inform people about the habitat and importance of restoration on the Lower …

Sonoran desert post-fire with charred saguaro

Sonoran Fuel Breaks Field Trip – February 2024

by swfscField Trips January 24, 2024August 23, 2024No Comments

This field trip will delve into the critical issues of wildfire risk and invasive species management in the Sonoran Desert near Phoenix, AZ. We will hear from public, state, and private land managers who have been conducting wildfire operations, prescribed burns, thinning, and invasive plant removal to protect the Sonoran Desert. Field Trip Objectives: Who …

Fuels Reduction and Restoration

by swfscLearn November 13, 2023November 13, 2023No Comments

Sonoran desert view showing saguaro cactus surrounded by tall buffelgrass

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

by swfscWebinars July 24, 2023February 8, 2024No Comments

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 …

Series of 4 images that show a range of forest health.

Wildfire and Climate Change Adaptation

by swfscWebinars January 10, 2023February 12, 2024No Comments

IN A NUTSHELL Experts tell the story of forest change since colonization, and share insights and answer questions about how we might steward a legacy of forest change and mitigate climate change impacts. Description: Climate change and wildfires pose an existential threat to western North American forests, a reality which necessitates place-based strategies to increase …

2021 SW Wildfire Season Overview

by swfscSouthwestern Wildfire Season Overview November 29, 2022February 12, 2024No Comments

This report is the 9th in a series of annual overviews available from the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and the Ecological Restoration Institute. The goal of this overview is to provide a concise summary of the fire season and to facilitate comparison with past fires and fire seasons.

Nighttime Fire

by swfscWebinars October 18, 2022February 12, 2024No Comments

Presenter: Patrick H Freeborn, PhD, Research Physical Scientist with the USDA Rocky Mountain Research Station Date: December 6, 2022 at 12 MDT Wildfire activity typically subsides sufficiently enough at night to provide firefighters with opportunities to rest and recover. However, nighttime fire operations are not uncommon. Whilst favorable conditions may enable better fire management progress, …