Capturing Fire: RxCadre Takes Fire Measurements to a Whole New Level

Models of fire behavior and effects do not always make accurate predictions, and there is not enough systematically gathered data to validate them. To help advance fire behavior and fire effects model development, the Joint Fire Science Program is helping fund the RxCADRE, which is made up of scientists from the U.S. Forest Service and several universities who orchestrate and collect data on prescribed burns in the southeastern United States. The RxCADRE-prescribed burns are yielding a comprehensive dataset of fire behavior, fire effects, and smoke chemistry and dynamics, with measurements taken systematically at multiple, cascading scales. RxCADRE data will help scientists and modelers test their models and develop better ones, ultimately making models more reliable. The RxCADRE team is pioneering new data-gathering technologies and new approaches to collaborative science.