UFRI Fire Science Internship

Telling Utah’s fire stories through science, fieldwork, and public communication—one fire at a time

Collaborators: Private donor to UFRI; federal and state land management agencies; and citizens of Utah

Forest or Woodland Type: Variable

Management Objective: Provide complete and nuanced accounts of recent Utah wildfires in an engaging, multimedia format that combines science, journalism, and storytelling

Location: Various locations across the state of Utah

Project Area: Variable

Status: Ongoing

Project Summary

The UFRI Fire Science Internship is a semester-long, mentored experience in which Utah State University undergraduate students investigate and communicate the story of a significant, recent Utah wildfire. Working individually and as part of a cohort, interns conduct background research; visit the fire area to document post-fire conditions; interview land managers, fire personnel, scientists, and affected community members; and analyze spatial and ecological information, including fire perimeter, burn severity, vegetation patterns, suppression activities, and community impacts.

With guidance from Utah State University faculty, UFRI staff, and agency partners, each intern will synthesize these findings into a Fire Report that includes an engaging narrative, maps, photographs, graphics, and lessons learned. Interns will also share their work through a public presentation and a short video.

Significance and Potential Impact

The UFRI Fire Science Internship is designed to give students from a variety of academic backgrounds hands-on experience in wildfire science, fieldwork, interdisciplinary research, and public communication, while creating a lasting archive that improves public understanding of the ecological and human dimensions of wildfire in Utah. Most importantly, the program provides nuance and perspective that is often lost in media reporting on wildfires; acknowledges the effects, both negative and sometimes beneficial, of fire as an ecological process; and gives those affected by wildfire a voice and opportunity to tell their story.