"Do You Hear What I Hear?" - A Sensory Portrait of Wildland Fire

Photo Credit: Eric Evenson, North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange

PANEL DISCUSSION: Thursday, December 11, 2025 from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM EST
 

People usually focus on the visual aspects of fire, and the smell of smoke, but we rarely appreciate how we use, or should use, our other senses to describe or even identify fire effects. Sound is a fundamental part of our experience when interacting with the world around us and is so fundamental that we often forget to question what it is we are really hearing. Our long relationship with all aspects of fire, including the sounds of fire, are deeply intuitive and yet also elusive. What is creating the crackling sound we hear when vegetation burns? What is that sound really telling us about the exchange between vegetation and fire? What sounds are involved that lead to a safe or unsettling feeling when around wildland fire? In this Panel we will take a dive into the acoustical dance between vegetation and fire, where is this sound really coming from and what is it really telling us, and what else is going on besides what we hear.

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This panel discussion has been approved for 1.5 Category 1 CFE's by the Society of American Foresters.