Some real links where you can learn more about this sort of stuff for real:
http://www.firelab.org/
http://www.nifc.gov/
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/main/fire_res.html
http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/
Hey buddy, as an analytical chemist, I've spent 16 years "in the system" and have made many observations at many levels and I'd have to conclude that "analytical, objective science" doesn't exist anymore in the US and will probably not exist for some time to come. Now political science............that's a different story.
Having said that, I think it's only fair that I'll share a thread with you. "This thread is at an executive level", above the numbers and stuff.....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1753276/posts