BOISE, Idaho — Multiple fires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across eastern Oregon and throughout Idaho during the 2024 wildfire season, posing a threat to those in surrounding areas.
More than 97,000 acres were destroyed by wildfires in the Gem State in 2023, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
In an effort to improve safety and better understand wildfire behavior, University of Idaho engineering students are studying wildfires by studying embers.
The university in a news release said College of Engineering and College of Science students partnered to design and construct a device which creates embers in an controlled environment and mimics wildfire conditions. Research from their studies aims to improve wildfire safety and to mitigate future risks.
"This isn't just playing with fire. We're providing a wildfire research tool for the world," said Peter Wieber, a recent biological engineering graduate involved in the project.
Officials said University of Idaho students are studying embers because they are a natural byproduct of wildfires, and the wind can carry them miles away, igniting more fires.
"Understanding the dynamics of ember interaction with both natural and human-made materials is crucial to mitigate wildfire expansion and identify and develop fire-resistant building materials," said Alistair Smith, project sponsor and professor and department chair in the Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences.
The prototype students developed is their second iteration of the machine. It uses woodchips and a propane plane to create a steady flow of embers. U of I officials said it allows students to gather accurate information.
"This device provides a safe way of understanding the mechanisms for how heat and fire impact everything from structures to plant physiology," Smith said.
The University of Idaho provided the following list of engineering students working on the project:
- Jackson Coleman - Boise
- Caleb Hanson - Idaho Falls
- Aleczander Smart - Caldwell
- Cassidi Shindler - Colfax, Washington
- Peter Wieber - Boise