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 go.uidaho.edu/thevandaltheory​. 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