Sean Parks

What if our efforts to stop wildfires in the woods actually make them bigger? “It’s a counter-intuitive result,” said research ecologist Sean Parks. “We put out the fire, but in the long run, there are negative unintended consequences. If we’re putting out all fires under moderate weather conditions, the fire we can’t put out will burn under extreme conditions.” Parks’ work …recently earned him the 2017 Research & Development Deputy Chief’s Early Career Scientist Award. …Parks’ current work looks at how future climate changes may affect the tempo of fire seasons. He’s testing the idea that we’re likely to see more extreme fire events in the short term, but less severe fires several decades from now as the climate warms. “We think we may see the spruce-fir forests converted to something else that may be more resistant to fire, like Douglas fir and ponderosa pine,” Parks said.