VIDEO: Multiple fires have burned hundreds of thousands of acres across eastern Oregon and throughout Idaho during the 2024 wildfire season, posing a threat to those in surrounding areas.
More than 97,000 acres were destroyed by wildfires in the Gem State in 2023, according to the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.
In an effort to improve safety and better understand wildfire behavior, University of Idaho engineering students are studying wildfires by studying embers.
The university in a news release said College of Engineering and College of Science students partnered to design and construct a device which creates embers in an controlled environment and mimics wildfire conditions. Research from their studies aims to improve wildfire safety and to mitigate future risks.