Could the U.S. fight forest fires with software?

In the wake of the Yarnell wildfire tragedy and in the heat of an escalating wildland fire problem across the West, an unlikely group of stakeholders is testing technology in a Northern Arizona forest that could improve forest health, bolster a small and struggling local timber industry, and reduce the likelihood of catastrophic wildfires.

There is no shortage of debate about how the U.S. Forest Service should go about suppressing forest fires. Some say the agency’s current practice of snuffing out most fires, even if they’re far from human infrastructure, will end up increasing the number and intensity of large ones.

When it comes to preventive measures that reduce the fuel load inside forests, there is more accord.

By Mary Catherine O’Connor

Full Story: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/report/could-the-us-fight-forest-fires-with-software/2721?tag=nl.e660&s_cid=e660&ttag=e660&ftag=TRE4eb29b5