A review of recent forest and wildland fire management decision support systems research

Abstract

This is a review of recent efforts to develop and implement forest and wildland fire management decision support systems (FMDSS) that fire managers can use to enhance their management of their fire suppression activities. Fire managers need to resolve complex decisions associated with fuel management, fire prevention, detection, the suppression of potentially destructive wildfires and the use of prescribed fire to achieve an appropriate balance between the beneficial and detrimental social, economic and ecological impacts of fire on flammable landscapes, often under considerable uncertainty. This review focuses on the use of operational research and management science (OR/MS) methods to address their suppression resource management decision support needs.