When a community is hit with wildfires, the protective blanket that plants provide to the landscape is lost. There are no plants to absorb rain. As a result, ash and debris from charred hillsides flow into water bodies.
That runoff can contaminate the water supply in the area. It can also lead to flash flooding. These are resulting disasters that HydroFlame could prevent. The tool uses satellite data to provide a picture of what is happening on burned land and nearby watersheds.
With this information and with stream records from gauged rivers, hydrologic models are created. These models show possible resulting effects of the fire on water flow and quality. In areas where there are no gauges, machine learning fills in the data.
All of these ultimately provide a forecast, pointing out areas that are at risk of flash floods and water contamination. The tool has three components: a historical viewer, a “what-if” scenario builder, and a predictive tool that generates weekly forecasts. The “what-if” scenario builder and the predictive tool are still being developed.
HydroFlame passed a test recently. It correctly predicted mudflow events that followed the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles. The team, however, had not put on-ground sensors in place at the time. This means the results from the trial were not data-verified. Nevertheless, the trial is a practical validation for HydroFlame.
Currently, the tool only includes data for Montana’s Clark Fork Basin. But there are ongoing plans to expand to California and Utah.
I have always been fascinated by technology and digital devices my entire life and even got addicted to it. I have always marveled at the intricacy of even the simplest digital devices and systems around us. I have been writing and publishing articles online for about 6 years now, just about a year ago, I found myself lost in the marvel of smartphones and laptops we have in our hands every day. I developed a passion for learning about new devices and technologies that come with them and at some point, I asked myself, “Why not get into writing tech articles?” It is useless to say I followed up the idea — it is evident. I am an open-minded individual who derives an infinite amount of joy from researching and discovering new information, I believe there is so much to learn and such a short life to live, so I put my time to good use — learning new things. I am a ‘bookworm’ of the internet and digital devices. When I am not writing, you will find me on my devices still, I do explore and admire the beauty of nature and creatures. I am a fast learner and quickly adapt to changes, always looking forward to new adventures.