Henzville, Georgia – from a height of 9000 feet, NASA scientists rose hundreds of acres of burned brush this month at the Fort Stewart army base, watching fire while they were spreading and wandering the ground.
This time, the fire was tight, which was deliberately appointed to purify the area in what is known as the “described burning”. But the research, which is the NASA FireSense project, will help firefighters fight real fires when they ignite, and may help land managers even prevent some fire from starting the first place.
However, the Trump administration suggests sharp budget cuts at NASA and other federal agencies, can be programs like FireSense at risk – all while the fire season explodes.
Last year, forest fires burned about 9 million acres in the United States, according to National Center for Fires. The agency’s annual report found that the number of forest fires reported in 2024 and the burning acres was both “significantly higher than the five averages and dozens.”
Studies have shown that climate change not only makes forest fires more frequent, but also intensify the flames, which makes them more destructive.
“The problem is getting worse,” said Michel Steinberg, director of the Hashim Fire Division at the Non -profit fire protection association. “We are witnessing more fires in areas that we do not usually see and in the seasons that we do not expect. We see fires that burn more hot and more intense, and when you get the appropriate conditions, they can move very quickly.”
Extreme fires are huge health, financial and environmental risks, making their studies decisive to protect lives and livelihoods.
NASA is barely alone in focusing her attention on forest fires. The American Forest Authority, the Interior Ministry and the Land Management Office are some of the main federal agencies that participate in the response of strange fires. But what the space agency does differently is to apply advanced technologies – including some of them used to satellite in space – to fill the gaps in knowledge.
“Firesense was born because NASA said: forest fires are a big and emerging problem, and we will invest and we will use our skills to help the rest of the government to do its work better,” said Michael Wara, a lawyer and a chief researcher at Stanford University specializing in climate and energy policy.
Project scientists work with local, state and federal agencies – as well as partners in the academic circles – to better understand fire behavior and density, and air quality fears during forest fires and and how and how ecosystems are recovered after fires. Researchers also study how to manage vegetation in weak areas to reduce the risk of forest fires or stop their rapid spread.
“The goal is to take our innovative technology, move to the field with wild land extinguishing managers and move this innovative technology actually so that they can use it in a land fire,” said Jacqueline Shoman, the project scientist in NASA Fresnense.
The project uses a tool known as a map, which is the same design that works in a low -Earth orbit on the International Space Station. It is that technology that can provide detailed and accurate measurements that help firefighters and land managers before, during and after extremist fires.
At Fort Stewart, scientists flew over the prescribed burning, watching his movement and drawing fire maps using an advanced infrared tool known as AVIRIS-3 (short-visible air-rounded and infrared 3). Ultimately, the fire will make about 700 acres.
NASA scientists are studying a specific burning in Fort Stewart on April 14.
They had a special attention to the speed of the fire, as it was gaining ground and hot.
The prescribed burns are fires that are deliberately set to manage ecosystems that need periodic fires to stay in good health. It is also implemented to reduce the amount of dry and flammable plants that can easily pick the flame.
Harrison Rin, a former elite firefighter who is now working as a coordinator at FireSense, said burns are carefully planned and implemented under specific weather conditions to maintain control of their spread, but these practices also act as scientific experiments for forest fires.
“We are trying to combine all aspects of the life cycle of fire and the use of science to understand what is happening and what we can do about it,” said Rin, who used to work as a “Hotshot”, a member of a team of high training trained and specialized in ground fires throughout the country.
Rin fought forest fires in the state of Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and California, and work is more than just a job.
“This is a profound personal issue for me,” he said. “I am from Los Angeles. I have seen a kind of destruction and really trying to address this huge problem. It takes each tool, and science is big.”
NBC News Jacob Soboroff (left) is visiting heat with an employee at the Ministry of Defense.
But with large questions that remain on NASA financing and other federal agencies, Firesense’s future may be at risk.
It is not clear how, at all, the project may be affected by the budget decline, but early reports It indicates deep discounts for the Directorate of the NASA Science MissionWhich includes Earth Science initiatives.
“The financing decisions have not been completed,” Rachel Cole, a spokeswoman for the White House Administration and Budget Office, said in a statement. NASA refused to comment and ask budget questions to Omb.
With the administration’s willingness to reveal a budget project soon, the concern about possible cuts and its consequences was high.
“As a former NASA leader, I am proud of the wide range of efforts supported by the agency to monitor and respond to the wild fires,” said MP-Calif in a statement. “Discounts for decisive wildfire programs such as Firesense showcases societies like Lee – which have just started rebuilding after destroyed southern California fires – at great danger.”
NASA’s research in Stanford said NASA will have long -term traces.
He said: “There is no doubt that the level of information about fire and fire may improve with expenditures.” “It will be a shame to lose it, because it will be very difficult to return.”
This article was originally published on NBCNEWS.com
