Research jet based in Colorado will chase wildfire smoke across the West

A research jet based in Broomfield, Colorado, will chase wildfire smoke across the West this summer, helping scientists understand how fires can create dangerous weather of their own.

The Gulfstream V is managed by the National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research, or NSF NCAR. As part of NASA's INSPYRE mission, the jet will fly directly into smoke plumes and clouds created by wildfires.

Instruments inside the aircraft and on its wings will measure soot, gases, and cloud particles in real time.

When intense heat sends air and smoke racing upward, moisture condenses and forms a cloud. Scientists call it pyrocumulus, essentially a cloud born from fire. If it grows strong enough, it can behave like a thunderstorm, producing lightning and sudden winds that can push a fire in new directions or ignite new fires downwind.

The research cannot stop the next wildfire. However, by identifying warning signs before a fire begins creating dangerous weather, scientists hope their findings eventually help Colorado firefighters and communities prepare sooner.