For nearly a century, suppression of wild fires has been the norm in America. In the past decade, scientists and managers have begun to question this practice, which removes a crucial natural disturbance regime from forest ecosystems.

To learn more about the effects of fire suppression on Pacific Northwest Forests, read the Effects of Fire Suppression on Ecosystems and Diversity.

• Fire related geospatial coverages for the Pacific Northwest can be found on our new geospatial data page
  
  
• FIREhouse
  FIREHouse will provide user-friendly, web-based data and documentation on fire science and technology for current and past projects funded by the JFSP and the NFP in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
  
  FIREHouse will provide "one-stop shopping" for resource managers, decision makers, scientists, students, and communities who want access to the results of efforts to understand and manage fuels on public lands in the region. It will also assist fire research programs by rapidly making data and associated information available.
  
  
• Fire Effects Project
  The mission of the Fire Effects Project (FEP) is to determine the effects of fire on forest, range, wetland, and wilderness ecosystems; develop information systems for applying prescribed fire in the restoration and maintenance of ecosystems; and to develop guidelines for management of ecosystems following wildfire.
  
  
• Canadian Fire Research Network
  A major center of research on all aspects of fire ecology.
  
  
• A considerable amount of research is being conducted in conjunction with the National Fire Plan. You can view information about many of the activities on the National Fire Plan site.
  
  
• The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) was established in 1998 to fill the gaps in knowledge about wildland fire and fuels. The program is a partnership of six federal agencies – the Forest Service, in the Agriculture Department; and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey, all in the Department of the Interior. The purpose of the program is to provide wildland fire and fuels information and tools to specialists and managers who make wildland fuels management decisions. The information and tools will also help agencies develop sound, scientifically based land use and activity plans.
  
  
• Fire Effects Information System
  Comprehensive infromation about fire impacts on individual plant and wildlife species.
  
  
  
• The E.V. Komarek Fire Ecology Database
  contains literature on control of wildfires as well as applications of prescribed burning is included. The database is international in scope with emphasis on North America and in particular, the southeastern United States. Citations include references to books, chapters within books, journal articles, conferences and conference papers, state and federal documents. Abstracts are often included as part of the citations.

Models
A variety of fire modelling software is available for scientists and managers to use. A comprehensive listing, along with descriptions and downloads for most of these packages are located at: www.fire.org

Geographic Perspectives
U.S. Programs & Activities | International | California | Central Southwest/Gulf Coast | Great Basin
Mountain Prairie | Pacific Basin | Pacific Northwest | Southern Appalachian | Southwest

This site is developed and maintained by the Fire and Mountain Ecology Lab,the
USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station, the University of Washington,
and the Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering