On August 5, 1949, the Mann Gulch wildfire broke out on the Helena National Forest and ultimately took the lives of 13 firefighters. This incident underscored the need for scientific study of fire behavior and directly led to the development of the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory.
On September 12, 1960, the Northern Forest Fire Laboratory was dedicated in Missoula, MT. The facility included a 66-foot-high combustion chamber that allowed for burn tests in controlled conditions.
Since then, the Northern Forest Fire Laboratory name has changed to the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory. However, the original focus of developing a greater understanding of wildland fire and using the best technology available to get that knowledge into the hands of fire managers continues to be the way of life for researchers. The complex and has expanded to include numerous research resources including; a wind tunnel, combustion chamber and emissions lab, ecophysiology, tree ring and fuels lab as well as soils, metals, welding, electronics and instrumentation facilities.
Visit our Missoula Fire Sciences Lab Facility Tour to get a virtual glimpse at our research facility or scroll below to get more information about our resources.
View the Mann Gulch wildfire history.
View the The Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory: A 50-Year Dedication to Understanding Wildlands and Fire document for historical information on our lab.
