Alistair Smith (go.uidaho.edu/4mbiISI) is a professor and department chair in University of Idaho’s Department of Earth and Spatial Sciences (go.uidaho.edu/419qiFi). He’s working with power companies across the globe to identify which types of vegetation are most likely to ignite — and what can be done to stop wildfires before they start. At U of I’s combustion lab, his team tests how vegetation burns under different conditions, helping utilities make informed decisions about the fuels growing beneath their power lines.

Visit our website uidaho.edu/vandaltheory. Email us at [email protected]. Learn about Idaho’s premier research university, University of Idaho, at uidaho.edu.

Music
“Young Republicans” by Steve Combs (go.uidaho.edu/3U3MNHs) via freemusicarchive.org, not modified (go.uidaho.edu/3Q6LeY5).

Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(01:00) Identifying flammable vegetation
(01:45) Combustion lab
(02:32) Helping power companies prevent fires
(05:18) Why do power companies care now?
(06:38) Why do we care?
(07:48) Immediate impacts

Ver todos los episodios