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We cannot

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eliminate fire, nor do we want to.

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Wildland fires are natural

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and essential part of ecosystems

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on our landscape.

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But climate change is setting the stage

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for longer, more severe fire seasons.

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For example, in 2023,

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the National Interagency Fire Center

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reported responding to 56,580 fires,

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which amounts to about 2.7 million acres

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burned in the United States.

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And this impacts communities,

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public health and air quality,

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and ecosystems.

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This trend is expected to continue

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to rise with increasing

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greenhouse gas emissions.

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Surprisingly, one

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effective method to mitigate future

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severe fires

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is to use fire to combat fires.

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Both prescription

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burning and unplanned fire ignitions

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like lightning, caused fires

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under the right

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Fire weather conditions reduce fuels

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for future fires

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that might burn more intensely

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under hotter and dry conditions

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that we cannot control.

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Fires clear understory growth,

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The grasses and the fuels in the brush,

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and this promotes new plant

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growth, benefiting

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both the ecosystems and wildlife.

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Change, including fire, is vital

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for forest health

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and many species depend on it.

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It's crucial for us to further

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our understanding of fire.

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At the Rocky Mountain

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Research Station,

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we use the latest technologies

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to study

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fire. Using the latest

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data sets from partners like NASA

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to map vegetation, fuels and past fires,

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helps researchers to model fire spread

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risk and severity.

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Building tools, models and applications

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that fire managers can use

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to make decisions, often

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under rapidly changing conditions

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that restore fire to the landscape

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in the appropriate ways, times,

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and places,

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reduces the risk

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and severity of future fires.

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At NASA,

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we employ various methods

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to collect near-real-time fire data.

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This includes

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aircraft and ground-based campaigns.

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One distinct approach

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is by using satellites,

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we have a global view of fire.

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With this perspective

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from space, scientists

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can accurately locate

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thermal anomalies or fires,

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their spread over time,

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and monitor vegetation conditions.

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Fire managers have to make complex decisions.

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These data sets and scientific approaches help teams predict how fire will evolve 

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over various different scenarios

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and foster collaboration within fire affected communities. 

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Satellite observations give

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us an eye-in-the-sky

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during an active blaze, and also allow us

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to track fire behavior trends over time.

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Providing those on the ground

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with the data

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they need to make complex decisions,

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and bringing fire

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safely back to our landscapes.

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Forest Service research and NASA data sets help us to move to more

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proactive fire management

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that promotes

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healthy forest and watersheds

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while simultaneously

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reducing the risk and

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severity of future fires.