Fire lab scientist says we’re still not doing enough to prevent massive wildfires: “We’re definitely part of the problem”
The Missoula Fire Science Laboratory is hidden under snowy mountains in Montana, unlike any other laboratory in the country. Here, scientists start fires to better understand how they burn and how Manage them.
The U.S. Forest Service established a fire science laboratory in 1960, inspired by a forest fire that caused 13 firefighters. The facility includes a 66-foot-tall combustion chamber that allows intense combustion testing under controlled conditions. Today, about 80 employees are continuing their mission of wildfire research and continuing to restore a control principle.
“We are definitely part of the problem,” said Mark Finney, a fire scientist and head of the lab.
Finney believes that we still have not implemented some basic knowledge that might limit flames, such as removing dead and dry vegetation, and having more prescribed burns, including near cities. He believes some smaller wilderness fires should also be burned to eliminate fuel that would feed on larger fires.
“The more we try to put out the fire, the harder we can get rid of the fire, the more fuel accumulates in a given location … we actually create conditions that make these fires worse,” Finney said.
Fire laboratories allow control and research that cannot be controlled. Finney brought CBS News to a silo where his team assembled dry logs and lit them to simulate wind flames on forest floors.
What they learned in the lab has never been more important because of a series of huge wildfires, including those that have recently destroyed thousands of houses Los Angeles area.
The California governor’s office called the fire “unprecedented”, but Finney disagreed.
“It’s been fire after fire. However, for decades, these lessons and these effects have been often forgotten.”
He hopes what the team learns from studying flames can change the way we approach wildfires.
When asked how to convince a community to light a Opening fire near their home “The question is a good idea,” Finney said. “The question is, what risks do you want? Is it very low risk of experiencing a prescription burn problem, or do you basically want to roll the dice and wait for an overwhelming emergency response? ”
He continued: “We have proven that we can’t get rid of fire. The only option we really have is when to have it and which option to have.”
This will require changing perspectives – treating fire as an ally, not an enemy.
