image: Dave Calkin holding the IAWF 2023 Ember Award Trophy view more
Credit: International Association of Wildland Fire
FORT COLLINS, Colo. June 19, 2023─Dr. Dave E. Calkin, a research forester at the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, has been recognized for sustained excellence as a wildland fire scientist. Dr. Calkin accepted the Ember Award on May 17 at the 2023 International Wildland Fire Conference in Porto, Portugal. The International Association of Wildland Fire presents the prestigious award to recognize sustained achievement in wildland fire science.
As the name suggests, the award acknowledges the measured pace of research that often involves a lag between scientific discovery and evidence of the full impact of a scientist’s contributions. “Receiving the Ember Award was a huge honor. The award gave me an opportunity to reflect on my career and all the incredible people I’ve had the honor to work with,” said Dr. Calkin. “There are many fire practitioners who take on physical and professional risk to manage wildfire in ways that improve future outcomes. Working with these often-unrecognized professionals and my fellow scientists to support the hard but necessary decisions to improve our collective future is deeply rewarding,” he added.
For him, the experience of receiving the award also held personal significance. He shared the award with Dr. Jose Varga of Spain, who advised and mentored a friend and colleague of Dr. Calkin’s who passed away suddenly last year.
Dr. Calkin researches wildfire economics, decision science, and risk management. Working on behalf of the Forest Service, he studies core components of the wildland fire management system. From planning and fuels management to decision making during incidents to post-fire recovery – he strives to understand risk and identify risk-management strategies that can increase safety and minimize economic loss to fire across landscapes, organizations, and phases of management. Dr. Calkin and his team of interdisciplinary researchers have developed an array of tools, strategies, and networks that facilitate application of wildland fire science research by fire managers, including Potential Operational Delineations, a collaborative approach to planning for future fires based on the latest science and coordinated strategy. Calkin’s team also developed the majority of wildfire decision support content for the Risk Management Assistance program. This program consolidates the best available data and models into tools that fire responders can use in real time to make safer management decisions.
The contributions of Dr. Calkin, his research team, and partners continue to grow in relevance as fire seasons lengthen and wildfires become larger, more frequent, and more intense worldwide. The U.S. government recently declared a ‘wildfire crisis’ in the West, and in recent years congress has invested heavily in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which will support federal agencies like the USDA Forest Service as they respond to the challenge.
“Wildland fire management is an incredibly complex and critically important system for the Forest Service to understand,” said Dr. Jeffrey Morisette, Human Dimensions Program Director at the Rocky Mountain Research Station. “It is rare that you have the chance to work with someone who is so knowledgeable about a topic and so completely focused on using that knowledge to improve the system.”
Reflecting on his role in addressing the wildfire crisis, Dr. Calkin commented, “We are at an incredibly challenging time, and I see improving the wildfire management system as just one component of our broader need for climate adaptation. My hope is that through our work we can support people to make better decisions that provide for the health of our public lands and the good of the communities who depend on them.”
To learn more about Dr. Calkin’s award and contributions to wildland fire science:
- Dr. Calkin's research profile
- Potential Operational Delineations (PODs)
- Risk Management Assistance (RMA) dashboard
- Confronting the Wildfire Crisis Strategy
- Wildfire Crisis Strategy Implementation Plan
This website has more information about IAWF Award nominations and Recipients