Changxin Lyla Dong

As wildfires grow more severe, improving prevention strategies is essential. Prescribed burns, which are controlled fires that reduce flammable vegetation to prevent wildfires, are effective but challenging to manage safely. I am developing an eco-friendly gel that repurposes commercial fertilizers recovered from wastewater into fire-retardant phosphate, reducing fire intensity and reliance on over-mined materials used in conventional retardants. I aim to integrate materials and combustion characterization, digital site reconstruction, and predictive modeling to determine where, when, and how much retardant to apply in order to conduct safe burns across a longer burn season. My goal is to translate this green wildfire prevention technology from bench to field and incorporate it into a decision-support system. This system is designed to make prescribed burns safer, more effective, and environmentally sustainable, ultimately helping prevent catastrophic wildfires before they start.