Arizona's Wildfire Defense: A Soil Moisture Study for Enhanced Preparedness

When fire risk is high, Arizonans know the major warning signs: hot temperatures, low humidity and lots of wind. But there’s one fire factor we don’t fully understand: soil moisture. Salli Dymond, an associate professor in NAU’s School of Forestry, said measuring moisture levels in the soil and in forest plants—fire’s potential fuel—could prove key to preventing or containing some of the most catastrophic wildfires in the Southwest and beyond. This summer, Dymond is working with Salt River Proje