The Fire Modeling Institute’s (FMI) mission is to connect and support managers, scientists, and the public in addressing fire and fuels management and education needs, using the best fire science and technology available, current information from scientific literature, and appropriate science delivery methods.

FMI is a joint effort between the Fire, Fuel, and Smoke Science Program (FFS) of the Rocky Mountain Research Station and Washington Office Fire and Aviation Management (FAM). It is a center of expertise that supports fire and fuels management planning, resource management, and science implementation locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

FMI operates in six primary areas:

• Analysis and Support. FMI scientists perform technical analyses in support of a wide range of projects, including fire behavior and fire effects modeling and spatial data analyses.
• Applied Science. FMI scientists seek out opportunities to apply the latest fire science research to management needs at all scales.
• Data Development and Stewardship. FMI scientists develop and maintain data in support of national-scale products supporting the fire community.
• Science Synthesis and Delivery. FMI scientists synthesize and deliver fire science information for practitioners in the field. This includes the technological transfer of FFS science, and the integration and synthesis of fire science from all sources.
• Software Application Management and Subject Matter Expertise. FMI scientists maintain, enhance, and serve as the subject matter experts for FFS software applications and products, and work to integrate FFS applications, application data, and FFS science into non-FFS applications. Applications include BehavePlus, FARSITE, FEAT-FIREMON Integrated (FFI), the Fire Effects Information System (FEIS), FireFamilyPLus, The First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM), FlamMap, FuelCalc, and the U.S. National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS), which includes the Weather Information Management System (WIMS) and the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS)
• Training and Education. FMI scientists provide a wide range of training and education opportunities to facilitate the understanding, adoption, and application of fire science research by field practitioners and the general public.