Skip to main content
Author(s):
Erin Noonan-Wright, Tonja S. Opperman, Mark A. Finney, Tom Zimmerman, Robert C. Seli, Lisa M. Elenz, David E. Calkin, John R. Fiedler
Year Published:

Cataloging Information

Topic(s):
Human Dimensions of Fire Management
Decisionmaking & Sensemaking
Risk
Risk assessment

NRFSN number: 21039
Record updated:

A new decision support tool, the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) has been developed to support risk-informed decision-making for individual fires in the United States. WFDSS accesses national weather data and forecasts, fire behavior prediction, economic assessment, smoke management assessment, and landscape databases to efficiently formulate and apply information to the decision making process. Risk-informed decision-making is becoming increasingly important as a means of improving fire management and offers substantial opportunities to benefit natural and community resource protection, management response effectiveness, firefighter resource use and exposure, and, possibly, suppression costs. This paper reviews the development, structure, and function of WFDSS, and how it contributes to increased flexibility and agility in decision making, leading to improved fire management program effectiveness.

Citation

Noonan-Wright, Erin; Opperman, Tonja S.; Finney, Mark A.; Zimmerman, G. Thomas; Seli, Robert C.; Elenz, Lisa M.; Calkin, David E.; Fiedler, John R. 2011. Developing the U.S. Wildland Fire Decision Support System. Journal of Combustion. 2011: Article ID 168473. 14 p.

Access this Document