Grant approved for wildfire risk management research at 3 Arizona universities

The dry heat of an Arizona summer only magnifies the dangers of wildfires, and a research grant was recently approved so three universities can push forward with how to manage these blazes.

The Arizona Board of Regents announced Thursday its approval of a Regents’ Grant supporting researchers at Arizona State University, University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University in how they “evaluate wildfire fuel treatments that will help land managers reduce fire risk,” according to a news release.

Arizona endured a historically hot March, setting the stage for what the National Interagency Fire Center said could be a dangerous wildfire season.

With this funding, the three universities want to provide land managers with the best preventative strategies, such as finding and eliminating “non-native grasses and other invasive species” in partnership with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management.

“We’ve seen how costly and devastating these fires can be. This research will support the people on the front lines and help safeguard communities that are exposed to fires all across Arizona,” ABOR Chair Doug Goodyear said.

Non-Sonoran native vegetation has popped up more and more as of late, according to DFFM’s Thomas Torres, forcing “a fundamental shift” in how the state attacks blazes.

“Land and fire managers are making critical decisions every day about where to invest limited resources to reduce wildfire risk, protect communities and preserve some of Arizona’s most iconic natural landscapes,” Torres said. “This research will help provide the science, data and decision-support tools needed to inform decisions and maximize the return on every taxpayer dollar invested in wildfire mitigation and firefighting efforts.”

The preventative strategies will come in the form of “decision-support tools” and the creation of the Sonoran Fire Management and Resilience Network, which fire officials, state agencies and land managers can use to collaborate.

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