ISU researchers helping fire crews map Soda Fire area

A fire-mapping tool developed at Idaho State University is currently being used by fire crews battling the Soda Fire southwest of Boise.

The tool, called RECOVER, was built using a multi-year grant from NASA. It allows fire managers to map key information about the fire perimeter including the types of soils and plants that were there prior to the fire.

“Probably why that fire grew so rapidly is because of the prevalence of cheatgrass,” said ISU professor Keith Weber, who helped develop RECOVER.

Weber said fire officials first requested access to RECOVER when the Soda Fire had spread to only 78,000 acres. It’s now almost contained at more than 280,000 acres.

Weber said the information contained in RECOVER should give fire managers a head start on replanting efforts once the fire is put out.

“No one wants to replant cheatgrass. That’s something that shouldn’t be there and it won’t be replanted. What will be planted is something that’s supposed to be there based on something like this, this ecological site,” said Weber.