Project Description
In this project, students will use GIS programs to investigate how aircraft have been employed in combating active wildfires. Data has been collected on the exact times and locations of aerial drops of fire retardant from firefighting aircraft over about five years. Students will use this data, along with spatial data on wildfire burn boundaries over the same time period, to help identify the objective of each retardant drop. This data will ultimately be used as a part of a project to estimate the effectiveness of aerial firefighting at actually altering wildfire outcomes.
Prerequisites
At a minimum, students should be familiar with ArcGIS. It will also be useful if students have experience working in R, Python, and/or have an interest in AI and machine learning.
Special Comments
Students will need to have access to ArcGIS. They will be able to do some of this work from home if they can use it on their personal computer, but may have to work from a campus computer if not.
Project Information (subject to change)
Estimated Start Date: 6/08/2026
Estimated End Date: 8/7/2026
Estimated Project Duration: 9 weeks
Maximum Number of Students Sought: 2
Research Location: Hybrid
Travel Required? No (If “yes”: )
Contact Information: Calvin Bryan (email: cbryan@wlu.edu)