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Researchers from Florida State University have been awarded a $2.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create artificial intelligence solutions aimed at managing wildfires exacerbated by hurricanes in the Florida Panhandle.
The four-year initiative will be spearheaded by Yushun Dong, an associate professor in computer science, marking the biggest research funding ever granted to FSU’s Department of Computer Science. Dong and his diverse team will concentrate on wildfires located in the wildland-urban interface, where forests like the Apalachicola National Forest converge with residential areas, roads, and other infrastructures.
Dong’s endeavor, titled “FIRE: An Integrated AI System Addressing the Complete Lifecycle of Wildfires in Regions Prone to Hurricanes,” aims to unite computer scientists, flame researchers, engineers, and educators to examine how hurricanes alter wildfire behavior and to develop AI systems capable of predicting ignition, anticipating road disruptions, and evaluating potential harm.
“The contemporary method of controlled burns began over six decades ago, marking a significant advancement in collaborating with nature to aid ecosystem management,” expressed Dong, who became a part of FSU’s faculty last year and founded the Responsible AI Lab at FSU after obtaining his doctorate from the University of Virginia. “At this moment, we are positioned for another significant advance: employing powerful AI technology to revolutionize wildfire risk management with tools such as ignition prediction, road disruption forecasting, condition evaluations, damage assessments, and beyond.”
This project is supported through an NSF initiative, Fire Science Innovations through Research and Education, or FIRE, established just last year to fund research and education that facilitates large-scale, interdisciplinary breakthroughs, reshaping our relationship with wildland fire and its associated variables.
Out of the four projects financed thus far by this competitive program, two are led by FSU researchers — Neda Yaghoobian, associate professor within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, was also granted funding for a project analyzing unresolved canopy dynamics that contribute to wildfires.
“This grant signifies the department’s largest research funding to date and reinforces our position as leaders in applying state-of-the-art AI technologies to pressing, real-world challenges within our area,” commented Weikuan Yu, Department of Computer Science chair. “The funding allows for the creation of a comprehensive AI platform that addresses Florida’s hurricane and wildfire dilemmas while promoting avant-garde AI research. Additionally, the grant encompasses educational and workforce development programs in AI and disaster resilience, positioning the department as a pioneer in mentoring the next cohort of scientists engaged at the crossroads of AI and wildfire research.”
WHY IT MATTERS
Wildfires, particularly low-intensity natural fires and controlled burns, can significantly contribute to the management of certain forests, grasslands, and other fire-adapted ecosystems. They mitigate the risk and magnitude of extensive, destructive wildfires while supporting soil processes and, in many instances, limit pest and disease outbreaks.
By removing fallen leaves that act as hazardous fuel accumulations, fires result in reduced forest density and nutrient recycling within the ecosystem. However, when large amounts of trees accumulate, as has occurred after recurring hurricanes in the Florida Panhandle, these fires can demonstrate intricate dynamics that pose threats to constructed infrastructure, such as homes and roads, in addition to natural landscapes. Grasping this hurricane-wildfire link is essential for planning evacuations, safeguarding roadways, and protecting homes and lives.
“I developed a passion for applying my research, which achieves accountable AI that directly supports crucial AI infrastructures, to hurricane-related phenomena after experiencing my first hurricane while residing in Tallahassee,” stated Dong. “I aim to utilize AI methods to assist Florida Panhandle inhabitants in better understanding and preparing for extreme events within this ecosystem characterized by its unique hurricane-fire coupling dynamics.”
INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION
Eren Ozguven, associate professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Resilient Infrastructure and Disaster Response Center director, is the co-principal investigator on this initiative, with additional contributors including James Reynolds, co-director of STEM outreach for FSU’s Learning Systems Institute, and Jie Sun, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science.
“Yushun’s endeavor is remarkable for its ambition, insight, and integrated methodology,” Yu remarked. “It specifically targets the distinctive challenges faced by Florida’s landscape, where hurricanes and wildfires converge in the wildland-urban interface of the Panhandle. By emphasizing hurricane-fire coupling dynamics and collaborating closely with local stakeholders, his project guarantees that scientific innovation translates into practical, community-focused solutions. His cohesive approach brings the advantage of cutting-edge AI advancements directly to significant real-world applications, fostering a remarkable research lifecycle that is exceptionally uncommon in our field.”
To discover more about the research conducted in the Department of Computer Science, visit cs.fsu.edu.
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