The SMART FIRES booth drew steady crowds at Montana State University’s Family Science Day on February 5, 2026. Visiting fifth graders rotated through hands‑on activities that introduced them to the tools and concepts used in modern fire science.
Students first experimented with animal‑themed toy sensors, challenging themselves to determine what triggered each device. From there, they explored real instruments used in the field, including a thermal camera, a Kestrel fire weather meter, and air‑quality sensors. These tools helped students connect everyday observations to the data scientists collect during fire research.
At a second table, students built “fire‑ready forest” bracelets designed to illustrate the role of ratios in managed forests. Each bead color represented a different element—live vegetation, dry fuels, fire crew, fire, and firebreaks. As they created their bracelets, students studied drone footage from a prescribed burn at the Lubrecht Experimental Forest, reinforcing how these components work together during a real burn operation.
Before heading home, students received a fire‑science coloring and activity sheet along with colored pencils to continue exploring the topic after the event.
The booth was staffed by Suzi Taylor and Rebecca Richter from the MSU Science Math Resource Center, along with graduate student SMART FIRES researchers, Nat Sweeney and Dylan Maxwell. Undergraduate student intern Becca Edwards provided behind‑the‑scenes support.
