Bret Butler

Research Mechanical Engineer

Research Topics

  • Quantifying Energy Transport
  • Surface Wind Modeling in Support of Fire Management
  • Improving Firefighter Safety
  • Fire-Induced Effects

Personal Summary

Bret's research focuses on fundamental heat and combustion processes in wildland fire. Applications for his research include fire behavior models, links between fire behavior and effects, and firefighter safety. He came to the Forest Service in 1992 after receiving a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, where he studied energy transport in particle laden flames.

Documents

Assessing Wildland Firefighter Entrapment Survivability

Page, Wesley G.; Butler, Bret W. 2019 Assessing Wildland Firefighter Entrapment. Fire Management Today; September 2019-Vol.77-No.3

Vegetation Clearance Distances to Prevent Wildland Fire Caused Damage to Telecommunication and Power Transmission Infrastructure

B.W. Butler, US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula MT

J. Webb, Forest Stewardship Concepts, Ltd, Monte Vista, Colorado

J. Hogge, Brigham Young University, Provo Utah

T. Wallace, US Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula MT