Eric Stevens

I manage the daily weather forecasts supporting the wildfire community across Alaska. NASA’s MODIS imagery is fundamental in both the analysis and forecasts processes. More specifically, the radiative power and “hot spots” delivered by MODIS’ thermal channels is vital data, and the visible imagery capturing the distribution of wildfire smoke is determinative. Alaska suffers from deficient infrastructure, particularly on the road system. Fighting wildfires in Alaska requires extensive use of aviation assets. Smoke from wildfires can hinder aviation operations as well as impact human health.