An experimental approach to the evaluation of prescribed fire behavior

Abstract

Prescribed fire is a commonly used practice for managing wildland fire spread and intensity. However, due to limits in the current scientific understanding of wildland fire behavior in general, it is difficult to predict the effectiveness and efficiency of a particular regimen of prescribed fire-based fuel treatments in a given environment. As part of a larger project intended to aid in such an assessment, the first in a series of experimental prescribed fires was conducted. Efforts were made to both quantify various aspects of fire behavior and to obtain an accurate measure of pre- and post-fire fuel loadings. This paper focuses on an initial investigation of the fire behavior, as this is necessary for contextualizing the level of fuel treatment achieved. In particular, the range of observed surface fuel consumption and fireline intensities is discussed, the role of ambient wind conditions is considered, and a qualitative assessment of canopy fuel consumption is presented.