UW’s WyGISC Creates New Public Wildfire Intelligence Platform

The Wyoming Geographic Information Science Center (WyGISC) and Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at the University of Wyoming -- with financial support from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association -- have launched WyldFire, a new public-facing wildfire information platform designed to help Wyoming residents, landowners, public land managers, emergency services, utilities and communities better understand wildfire risk across the state.

WyldFire provides accessible, data-driven information that supports awareness, preparedness and informed decision-making in a state where wildfire remains an ongoing challenge for communities, landscapes and critical infrastructure.

"As wildfire activity increases, access to reliable and transparent wildfire risk maps and data is paramount to help guide risk reduction and adaptation efforts," says principal investigator (PI) Tucker Furniss, an assistant professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management. "This project provides Wyoming stakeholders with a freely accessible tool to evaluate risk across different custom domains, enabling them to strategically design fuel reduction treatments and incorporate wildfire risk data into long-term planning."

"This app was not designed to assist with active fires," adds co-PI Shannon Albeke, senior research scientist for WyGISC, who built the app with Will Kirkpatrick, a geospatial developer with WyGISC. "Instead, it is more of a planning tool to assess risk to any location within Wyoming and help one decide if they should take proactive steps to reduce their risk."

"Tri-State's partnership with the University of Wyoming on the WyldFire web tool highlights the critical role collaboration plays in addressing today's challenges," says Tri-State CEO Duane Highley. "This tool enables utilities and other entities to identify areas at higher risk for wildfire, which can help prioritize locations for critical wildfire mitigation efforts, including vegetation management. These mitigation efforts are essential to protecting our communities and, together, we are committed to making a lasting impact where it matters most."

Some features of the app include:

-- Instant analysis: Sketch a polygon or click a county, hydrologic unit code or burn area to see risk metrics in seconds.

-- Compare communities: Stack your drawn shape against a buffer ring for a side-by-side risk comparison.

-- Risk layers: Toggle wildfire, community and landscape layers for burn probability and potential flame length.

-- Custom reports: Generate a custom wildfire risk report summarizing wildfire risk metrics, vegetation and infrastructure characteristics for an area of interest.

App support

Investment made by the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association demonstrates the power of industry-university partnerships to create tools that directly benefit Wyoming, says Launa Chavez, marketing coordinator for UW's School of Computing.

Tri-State has made wildfire mitigation and resilience a strategic priority across the region, helping to strengthen community preparedness and protect critical energy infrastructure.

Tri-State approached the College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources to see if UW had anyone who does fire modeling, Furniss says.

"I answered the call and began discussing the project with Tri-State. They were looking for a fair and transparent way to help Wyoming cooperatives develop wildfire mitigation plans, which also will allow co-ops to qualify for liability protections under the new state law," Furniss says. "This web app was developed primarily to fulfill that need, but it also will serve as a platform for wildfire risk information for stakeholders and public users across the state."

Wyoming lawmakers passed House Bill 0192 during the 2025 legislative session. The bill, signed into law as HEA 0058, took effect July 1, 2025, and requires all electric utilities in the state to file wildfire mitigation plans with the Wyoming Public Service Commission for approval.

Under the law, utilities must identify high-risk fire zones within their service areas and include detailed procedures for inspecting infrastructure, managing vegetation, shutting off power to prevent ignition, and restoring service after an event.

"The launch of WyldFire highlights how Wyoming industry and Wyoming research institutions can work together to develop practical solutions that serve our state," Chavez says. "We are grateful for Tri-State's partnership and commitment to innovation, resilience and public safety."

To explore the app, go to https://wyldfire.wygisc.org/.