The Great Forest Park Balloon Race is one of the country’s longest-running hot air balloon races and the only one held in a large metropolitan city. The tradition began in 1973.

The U.S. Forest Service is looking at something different — very different — to improve situational awareness at big wildfires: high-altitude balloons.

Forest managers looking for a better view of wildfires are finding their answer at 70,000 feet. That’s where the Forest Service plans to monitor fires with high-altitude balloons next year, on ...