Lab helps forecast spread of wildfires

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory have helped create a tool to better predict the movement of wildfires.

Right now when firefighters tackle wildfires, they look at things like weather conditions and geography to determine where they need to make a stand.

Now LANL scientists along with the U.S. Forest Service have created a high-tech computer model that predicts behavior by looking at all those things plus the affects of bark beetle infestation, drought, heat transfer and the airflow in the fire itself.

The hope is that with the model firefighters can better predict dangerous changes in the fire's activity and better protect people and property in the path of the fire.