Fire Dozer Education

Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) fire analyst Ethan Barrett gives an overview of fire dozer operations to scientists and researchers from NASA's FireSense project and other university and commercial partners. FireSense scientists have been working with the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) to integrate thermal sensors onto these dozers, which notify the dozer operator if the radiant heat from a nearby fire reaches a dangerous threshold. On April 23-24, 2026 the AFC and NASA's FireSense project hosted a stakeholder engagement event at the Solon Dixon Forestry Education Center in Andalusia, Alabama to gather researchers and wildland fire professionals for discussions about challenges, opportunities, and advancements in their respective fields, including sensor integration on the dozer fleet.