The University of Utah is utilizing diverse research disciplines to address the growing challenges of wildfire, a reality that is becoming an increasingly significant part of life across the American West. Following the Bonneville Fire, which burned near the university campus and required emergency response efforts and evacuation readiness notices, the institution is highlighting its role in studying wildfire behavior, public health impacts, and community preparedness.
The University's Wildfire Research Working Group coordinates faculty from various disciplines to foster collaboration and accelerate research aimed at improving wildfire resilience. This interdisciplinary approach includes expertise in natural sciences, engineering, social science, humanities, public health, and public policy.
Researchers at the university are working on several fronts to understand the complexities of wildfire. Philip Dennison, director of the School of Environment, Society, and Sustainability, uses remote sensing technologies like satellites and lidar to study how fires spread and how environmental conditions influence risk. In the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, John Horel develops weather and forecasting systems to help fire managers assess risk, while Gannet Hallar examines how wildfire smoke and airborne particles move through the atmosphere.
Addressing the human and health aspects of wildfires is also a priority. Professor Heather Holmes in the Department of Chemical Engineering studies air quality and the health consequences of smoke exposure. Professor Tom Cova of the School of Environment, Society, and Sustainability conducts research on evacuation planning and community resilience. Additionally, John Lin, scientific director for the Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy, uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to improve environmental forecasting and smoke predictions.
Long-term environmental perspectives are also being explored by Andrea Brunelle, director of the Records of Environment and Disturbance Lab. As a paleoecologist, she examines how ecosystems have responded to fire and climate variability over centuries and millennia to understand how fire regimes change.
The University of Utah's research efforts aim to help communities better understand, prepare for, and adapt to a changing world. Faculty interested in participating in the Wildfire Research Working Group may contact Natalie McElroy at natalie.mcelroy@utah.edu.
