“Scientists Sound Alarm as Wildfires Threaten Towns”
By Matt McKnight
MISSOULA, Montana (Reuters) – Scientists at a federal laboratory in Montana, specializing in fire studies for decades, are increasingly worried about wildfires encroaching on populated areas as Americans continue to build communities closer to forests.
Mark Finney, a senior scientist at the U.S. Forest Service’s Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, highlighted a concerning trend observed in recent fires, including the devastating January blazes in California that claimed lives and homes. “They originate in nearby wildland vegetation, find ample fuel to ignite, and rapidly spread under dry, windy conditions. This escalation from wildland to urban settings is a cause for alarm,” he stated during a recent tour of his lab with Reuters in late January.
Finney and his team conduct controlled burn experiments to study fire behavior and spread rates. Their findings are shared nationally and globally to assist wildland fire managers in making informed decisions during fire responses.
Established in the aftermath of a fatal 1949 fire in the Helena National Forest that took the lives of 13 firefighters, Finney’s lab, along with two others, was founded to enhance understanding of fire behavior and prevent similar tragedies. Over the years, the lab in California shifted focus to soil research while the lab in Georgia closed in 1989, leaving Missoula’s lab as the sole facility dedicated to studying wildland fire behavior.
Their research has helped identify high wildfire risk areas, particularly in California, and this information is made accessible to the public by the U.S. Forest Service. Communities facing heightened wildfire risks can seek funding through the federal Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program, which was included in a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Greg Dillon, who heads the Fire Modeling Institute at the Missoula lab, emphasized the importance of such programs for rural communities lacking resources to undertake wildfire planning and mitigation efforts. He noted that while larger communities can carry out these initiatives independently, smaller towns often struggle due to limited local capacities and resources.
Efforts to reduce wildfire risk faced setbacks when President Donald Trump suspended federal funding for such programs earlier this year as part of broader government spending cuts. However, the Forest Service confirmed to Reuters in a February 24 email that funding for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program remains intact, with an extended application deadline until March 14. Additionally, a waiver eliminating the cost-sharing requirement for certain communities has been made available to further support fire prevention efforts.
The Forest Service’s operations were limited in February to focus on assisting low-income communities. When asked about the impact on Missoula lab staff due to federal government layoffs as part of a downsizing effort by Trump, the Forest Service did not provide a direct response. Instead, a statement was forwarded from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under which the Forest Service operates, revealing that approximately 2,000 probationary employees throughout the Forest Service had been let go. This information was reported by Matt McKnight in Missoula, Montana, with writing and additional reporting by Donna Bryson, and editing by Sandra Maler.
