ISU, NASA work together on fire management software

Idaho State University has developed new technology it says will both help manage wildfires and recover forests after fires. The school is now working with NASA to perfect its technology with the help of a three-year grant.

The RECOVER project, created by ISU’s GIS Center Director Keith Weber, allows fire officials to view the terrain of any fire in order to better help them make decisions.

“Based on the terrain, this fire is very likely to go up this slope or down over here,” said Weber.

In addition to terrain, information about soil and vegetation can also be accessed on the system.

“It might have taken two, three or four days of that time just to get the data together. Now it takes two minutes,” said Weber.

Weber is working with NASA to expand RECOVER’s mobile capabilities and said he hopes one day to have in running across the western U.S.