This article talks about how Researchers from BYU are starting to understand how a fire burns. In their studies they have found that the chemical makeup of a plant determines how it breaks down, and how fast that it burns.
As of right now it takes computer systems up to 2 weeks to create a detailed model, of a fire, and how it will burn. However what the BYU researchers are trying to accomplish, is giving that information within 20 minutes. This will make the information much more useful, because it will allow us to know which way the fire may move.
Many instances going on right now can be helped with this kind of advancement. In Utah constant wild fires are caused when lightning strikes.
In one instance recently was the Meadow Creek Fire, that burned over 4000 acres of land in Utah. The fire was discovered September, 8th, and was claimed 100% contained on September 26th.
I believe that the research that is being done at BYU could have stopped this fire sooner, causing less damage. Wildfires are a constant threat in Utah, could be made easier to fight, if they knew where the fire would be most likely to go.
India has also been on the receiving end of catastrophic forest fires. According to an article from firstpost.com, the fires that devastated India in February of 2019 burned over 10,000 acres of forest. And that was just in 5 days.
Wildfires are becoming an issue in forests all across the globe, and this research may help us stop them much quicker. With this research the goal is to be able to predict the path that a fire will take. Knowing which way a fire will burn could help us save hundreds of acres of forests and habitats.