While crews work to get today's wildfires under control, scientists work to understand previous fires, and predict what might happen in the future.
Recent research out of Oregon State University indicates that fewer fires may be ignited by lightning in the decades ahead in Central Oregon, but that all fires are likely to be bigger.
Another research effort shows that pockets of conifers survive repeated rounds of fire. Meg Krawchuk is an associate professor in the Landscape Fire and Conservation Science Research Group at OSU's College of Forestry. She visits with details on this and other recent and pending research