FireSense Photo Gallery Published by BAERI’s Milan Loiacono

A new photo gallery by BAERI’s Milan Loiacono depicts a prescribed burn operation that took place in April at the Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. The burn was conducted by the Department of Defense (DoD); its primary purpose was to manage flammable plant matter in the ecosystem, thus controlling the potential for accidental ignition. During the burn, NASA’s FireSense team, alongside several DoD fire-research projects, were given the opportunity to test and tailor airborne and satellite-based tracking and modeling technologies. Loiacono’s photos capture everything from the blazes themselves, to the aircraft used in the campaign, as well as the people involved, including BAERI’s Harrison Raine, a member of the FireSense team.

Burn boss Renick Seanor watches ignition of a prescribed burn at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield, during the April 2025 FireSense research campaign. These prescribed burns are ecologically necessary for the plants and animals in the longleaf pine ecosystem, and reduce fuels that could be accidentally ignited due to lighting strikes or military training operations. Image: NASA/Milan Loiacono