Submitting Campus

Prescott

Student Status

Undergraduate

Archival Class Information

Undergraduate Student Works

Advisor Name

Dr. Ronny Schroeder

Abstract/Description

The number of wildfires in Arizona rose by 18% from 2023 to 2024. Wildfires hit the Western United States hard, especially in states like Arizona and California, where vast national forests often fall victim to the biggest blazes. According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, 19% of wildfires from 2016 to 2020 were sparked by electrical transmission lines.

This study explores whether wildfire start-location hotspots line up with power transmission routes running through Arizona’s Coconino and Tonto National Forests. The main hypothesis is that areas near power lines are more likely to become wildfire hotspots than other regions.

We used wildfire start-location data for the U.S. from 2014 until 2019, clipped it to Arizona’s National Forests, and ran Optimized Hot Spot Analysis to identify statistically significant areas with high ignition densities. We created a buffer around documented power lines and symbolized the overlapping areas in shades of purple. The resulting maps make it easy to spot problem zones where power lines may be contributing to wildfire ignitions. These areas should be prioritized for patrols to check for damaged lines or overgrown foliage.

Document Type

Poster

Publication/Presentation Date

2026

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