PI: Andy Chiodi

Prescribed fire treatment is an essential management tool for reducing hazardous fuel levels.  It is also critical for restoring and maintaining fire-adapted forests, such as those found across the southeastern U.S., where most prescribed burns in the U.S. take place.  In order for prescribed burns to be both safe and effective they must be applied within a precise window of weather and fuel moisture conditions.  Many land managers would like to increase the use of prescribed fire treatments, but they often cite a major impediment: the weather window for prescribed burning is too short, narrow, or unpredictable.  This project works to reduce weather impediments to prescribed burning by better understanding the weather opportunity for prescribed burning and its predictability.  We also conduct research on outstanding questions about aspects of weather and climate variability that have impacts on wildland fire management efforts.