Living with fire: homeowner assessment of landscape values and defensible space in Minnesota and Florida, USA

2004 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen C. Nelson ◽  
Martha C. Monroe ◽  
Jayne Fingerman Johnson ◽  
Alison Bowers
Keyword(s):  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Defensible Space ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Wildfire Risk ◽  
Home Site ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Wildlife Recreation ◽  
Local Ecology ◽  
Depth Interviews

Homeowners’ preferences for vegetation and defensible space near their homes were documented for wildfire-prone areas in Florida and Minnesota (USA) through 80 in-depth interviews and home site visits. The dominant preference for ‘natural’ landscapes was articulated as valuing vegetated views, wildlife, recreation, quiet, solitude, and privacy. Homeowners recognized wildfire risk but varied in their perceptions of effective wildfire prevention measures and willingness to take actions to reduce their risk. Most supported prescribed burns, especially if fire experts who understand the local ecology and fire behavior conduct the burns.

scholarly journals COMPORTAMENTO DO FOGO EM QUEIMAS CONTROLADAS DE VEGETAÇÃO DE ESTEPE NO MUNICÍPIO DE PALMEIRA, PARANÁ, BRASIL

FLORESTA ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 557
Author(s):  
Celso Darci Seger ◽  
Antonio Carlos Batista ◽  
Alexandre França Tetto ◽  
Ronaldo Viana Soares
Keyword(s):  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Flame Height ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Average Moisture Content ◽  
Fuel Loading ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Controlled Burning ◽  
Heat Released

As queimas controladas constituem práticas de manejo utilizadas em diferentes tipos de vegetação e difundidas em vários países. No entanto, para a realização de tais práticas com segurança e eficiência é fundamental o conhecimento do comportamento do fogo. O objetivo desse trabalho foi caracterizar o comportamento do fogo em queimas controladas de vegetação Estepe Gramíneo-Lenhosa no estado do Paraná. Para isso, foi instalado um experimento no município de Palmeira, onde 20 parcelas foram queimadas, sendo metade a favor e metade contra o vento. A carga de material combustível fino estimada foi de 2,26 kg.m-2, com teor médio de umidade de 50,45%. A quantidade de material consumido pela queima foi de 1,76 kg.m-2, com uma eficiência média de queima de 76,86%. As médias obtidas, a favor e contra o vento, foram respectivamente: velocidade de propagação do fogo de 0,049 e 0,012 m.s-1, altura das chamas de 1,34 e 0,843 m, intensidade do fogo de 210,53 e 50,68 kcal.m-1.s-1 e calor liberado de 4.067,19 e 4.508,92 kcal.m-2. Os resultados permitiram concluir que as queimas controladas em vegetação de campos naturais, realizadas dentro dos critérios estabelecidos de planos de queima, são viáveis e seguras sob o ponto de vista de perigo de incêndios.Palavras chave: Queima prescrita; material combustível; intensidade do fogo; perigo de incêndios. AbstractFire behavior of prescribed burns in grassland on Palmeira county, Paraná, Brazil. The prescribed burns are practices of management used in different types of vegetation and widespread in several countries. However, to carry out such practices safely and effectively is fundamental knowledge of fire behavior. The aim of this study was to characterize the fire behavior in controlled burning of grassland vegetation in Paraná state. For this, an experiment was conducted in Palmeira County, where 20 plots were burned, half in favor and half against the wind. The estimated fine fuel loading was 2.26 kg.m-2, with average moisture content of 50.45%. The fuel consumption by burning was 1.76 kg.m-2 with an average efficiency of burning of 76.86%. The averages, for and against the wind, were: speed of fire spread of 0.049 and 0.012 m.s-1, the flame height of 1.34 m and 0.843, fire intensity of 210.53 and 50.68 kcal.m-1.s-1 and heat released from 4,067.19 and 4,508.92 kcal.m-2. The results show that the controlled burnings of grasslands vegetation, carried out within the established criteria burning plans are feasible and safe from the aspect of fire danger.Keywords: Prescribed burns; fuel loading; fire intensity; fire risk.

scholarly journals Short-Term Responses of Aspen to Fire and Mechanical Treatments in Interior Alaska

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Paragi ◽  
Dale A. Haggstrom
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Sandy Loam ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Quaking Aspen ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Loess Hills ◽  
Interior Alaska

Abstract Fire suppression and limited timber markets presently hinder maintenance of the early successional broad-leaved forest for wildlife habitat near settlements in interior Alaska. During 1999ߝ2003, we evaluated the efficacy of prescribed burning, felling, and shearblading (with and without debris removal) to regenerate quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). Treatments were conducted largely during the dormant period for aspen: prescribed burns in mid-May and mechanical treatments in late August through early April. Prescribed burns on loess hills produced 40,900ߝ233,000 stems/ha by the second growing season. Low relative humidity, slope of more than 10°, southerly aspect, and juxtaposition to open areas produced fire behavior adequate to ensure top killing and vigorous sprouting response. Felling by chainsaw on loess hills produced 34,800ߝ89,800 stems/ha, whereas dozer shearblading on glacial outwash (loam over gravel) produced 74,200ߝ209,200 stems/ha (cleared portions and windrows combined) and a sandy loam floodplain produced 31,400ߝ64,800 stems/ha. Pushing debris into windrows or scraping thick moss allowed warmer soils and produced greater sprouting on cleared sites relative to sections where debris or moss remained. Mechanical treatments were 25ߝ75% of current prescribed fire costs, but debris accumulation may hinder access by browsing species and attract terrestrial predators of gallinaceous birds.

scholarly journals Human–Equine Tourism and Nature-Based Solutions: Exploring Psychological Well-Being Through Transformational Experiences

2020 ◽  
pp. 109634802097855
Author(s):  
Paula Danby ◽  
Dasha Grajfoner
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Transformational Experiences ◽  
Equine Assisted ◽  
Depth Interviews

This article critically explores insights into human–equine touristic experiences and acknowledges how such interconnectivity underline nature-based solutions (NBS) to mutually enhance psychological well-being. Despite the growing interest in NBS limited accounts have explored human–animal relations within the realm of touristic encounters. Drawing upon multispecies ethnographic accounts, participant observations, diaries, and in-depth interviews were held with 21 participants, with topics themed around human–equine experiences, relational encounters, and well-being. The sample was taken from participants located in the North East of England who engaged in equestrian tourism. Findings revealed life-changing transformations as a result of multispecies encounters. Deep emotional elements were experienced through intersubjectivity where participants spoke of the psychological benefits of being immersed in natural landscapes with their equine companions. This article demonstrates human–equine experiences as a positive NBS and illustrates that for the two species to effectively interact in equine-assisted psychological interventions requires mutual trust, empathy, and effective communication.

scholarly journals Effects of Biomass Removal Treatments on Stand-Level Fire Characteristics in Major Forest Types of the Northern Rocky Mountains

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth D. Reinhardt ◽  
Lisa Holsinger ◽  
Robert Keane
Keyword(s):  
Ponderosa Pine ◽  
Rocky Mountains ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Northern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Biomass Removal ◽  
Fuel Dynamics ◽  
Fire Characteristics

Abstract Removal of dead and live biomass from forested stands affects subsequent fuel dynamics and fire potential. The amount of material left onsite after biomass removal operations can influence the intensity and severity of subsequent unplanned wildfires or prescribed burns. We developed a set of biomass removal treatment scenarios and simulated their effects on a number of stands that represent two major forests types of the northern Rocky Mountains: lodgepole and ponderosa pine. The Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator was used to simulate effects including stand development, fire behavior, and fire effects prior to the biomass removal treatment and 1, 10, 30, and 60 years after the treatment. Analysis of variance was used to determine whether these changes in fuel dynamics and fire potential differed significantly from each other. Results indicated that fire and fuel characteristics varied within and between forest types and depended on the nature of the treatment, as well as time since treatment. Biomass removal decreased fire potential in the short term, but results were mixed over the long term.

scholarly journals Effects of canopy midstory management and fuel moisture on wildfire behavior

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tirtha Banerjee ◽  
Warren Heilman ◽  
Scott Goodrick ◽  
Kevin Hiers ◽  
Rodman Linn
Keyword(s):  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Fuel Moisture ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Fuel Heterogeneity ◽  
Fire Exclusion ◽  
Intensity Spread

Wildfires burning more and more areas in North America can partly be attributed to fire exclusion activities in the past few decades which led to higher fuel accumulation. Mechanical thinning and prescribed burns are effective techniques to manage fuel loads and to establish a higher degree of control over future fire risk as well as to restore fire prone landscapes to their natural states of succession. However, given the complexity of interactions between fine scale fuel heterogeneity and wind, it is difficult to assess the success of thinning operations and prescribed burns. The present work addresses this issue systematically by simulating a fire starting from a simple fire line and moving through a vegetative environment where the midstory has been cleared in different degrees, leading to a canopy with almost no midstory, another with a sparse midstory and another with a thick midstory. The simulations are conducted for these three canopies under two different conditions, where the fuel moisture is high and where it is low. These six sets of simulations show widely different fire behavior, in terms of fire intensity, spread rate and consumption. To understand the physical mechanisms that lead to these differences, detailed analyses are conducted to look at wind patterns, mean flow and turbulent fluxes of momentum and energy. The analyses also lead to improved understanding of processes leading to high intensity crowning behavior in presence of a dense midstory. Moreover, this work highlights the importance of considering fine scale fuel heterogeneity, seasonality, wind effects and the associated fire-canopy-atmosphere interactions while considering prescribed burns and forest management operations.

Spatial Relationship of a Wildfire, Fuelbreaks, and Recently Burned Areas1

1987 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy A. Salazar ◽  
Armando González-Cabán
Keyword(s):  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Spatial Relationship ◽  
Physical Factors ◽  
Prescribed Burns ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Poor Access ◽  
Low Humidity ◽  
Los Padres National Forest ◽  
Relationship Of

Abstract The Wheeler Fire #2 on the Los Padres National Forest, California, burned over 118,000 ac (47,755 ha) in 2 weeks. Several weather and physical factors contributed to the large size of this fire: drought conditions, high temperatures, erratic winds, low humidity, steep topography, poor access, and continuous stands of chaparral. This fire presented the rare opportunity for evaluating the coincidence of a wildfire, fuelbreaks, and recently burned areas. Observations indicate that the spatial relationships of fuelbreaks, roads, prescribed burns, and wildfires are important determinants of fire behavior and growth, and they merit special consideration in fuels and fire management planning. More case study documentation would provide fire managers with valuable information for developing guidelines on how to approach similar problems, under the same or different conditions. West. J. Appl. For. 2(2):55-58, April 1987.

scholarly journals Exploring Motivators and Deterrents of Cycling Tourism Using Qualitative Social Research Methods and Participative Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 2418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efthimios Bakogiannis ◽  
Thanos Vlastos ◽  
Konstantinos Athanasopoulos ◽  
Avgi Vassi ◽  
Georgia Christodoulopoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Environment ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Critical Factors ◽  
Analytical Hierarchical Process ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Qualitative Social Research ◽  
Natural Landscapes ◽  
Hierarchy Process ◽  
Depth Interviews

Cycling tourism is an environmentally friendly way to explore a destination. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more popular worldwide, since it permits an in-depth communication both with nature and people. In this context, the aim of this paper is to explore, in detail, mainly the environmental motivators of cycling tourists, and their significance, in Greece, by using qualitative social research (in-depth interviews and focus groups) and participative analytical hierarchical process. The results show that regarding physical environment, the element which attracts cycle tourists the most is the variety of scenic views along their route. Existence of lakes, rivers and beaches were also valued. On the contrary, “Biodiversity” and “Untouched natural landscapes” were ranked low as a description of the quality of the natural environment. However, the rise of cycling tourism depends considerably on the appropriate infrastructure, namely roads with low slopes, appropriate quality of surfaces and cycling infrastructure. Planners, policy-makers, and competent authorities should give emphasis on the critical factors in order to enhance cycling tourism, thus resulting in positive multiplying effects such as environmental protection and economic growth.

Persepsi tentang Banjir dan Partisipasi Warga dalam Strategi Mitigasi Bencana pada Komunitas Rawan Banjir

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 421
Author(s):  
Heradhyta Amalia Primadhani ◽  
Nurmala K Panjaitan
Keyword(s):  
Citizen Participation ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Disaster Mitigation ◽  
Disaster Prevention ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Selection Of

Disasters can damage and cause harm from various aspects of life. Every individual can prevent disasters with disaster prevention measures. The actions taken are influenced by the perception of disaster. Perception is an element that supports citizen participation in disaster prevention efforts. The purpose of this study are to identify and analyze perceptions about disasters and citizen participation in disaster mitigation strategies. This study uses a quantitative approach with survey methods and is supported by qualitative data through in-depth interviews and observations. The number of samples chosen using incidental techniques amounted to 45 respondents. The selection of informants is done intentionally. The results showed that individual characteristics were not significantly related to the perception of disaster. Communities that perceive disasters well, make the community increasingly involved in disaster mitigation strategies but in carrying out personal responsibilities are less involved.Keywords: disaster, mitigation, participation, perception

The role of defensible space for residential structure protection during wildfires

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra D. Syphard ◽  
Teresa J. Brennan ◽  
Jon E. Keeley
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Community Education ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Defensible Space ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Additional Protection ◽  
State And Local

With the potential for worsening fire conditions, discussion is escalating over how to best reduce effects on urban communities. A widely supported strategy is the creation of defensible space immediately surrounding homes and other structures. Although state and local governments publish specific guidelines and requirements, there is little empirical evidence to suggest how much vegetation modification is needed to provide significant benefits. We analysed the role of defensible space by mapping and measuring a suite of variables on modern pre-fire aerial photography for 1000 destroyed and 1000 surviving structures for all fires where homes burned from 2001 to 2010 in San Diego County, CA, USA. Structures were more likely to survive a fire with defensible space immediately adjacent to them. The most effective treatment distance varied between 5 and 20 m (16–58 ft) from the structure, but distances larger than 30 m (100 ft) did not provide additional protection, even for structures located on steep slopes. The most effective actions were reducing woody cover up to 40% immediately adjacent to structures and ensuring that vegetation does not overhang or touch the structure. Multiple-regression models showed landscape-scale factors, including low housing density and distances to major roads, were more important in explaining structure destruction. The best long-term solution will involve a suite of prevention measures that include defensible space as well as building design approach, community education and proactive land use planning that limits exposure to fire.

scholarly journals Community risk perception and barriers for the practice of COVID-19 prevention measures in Northwest Ethiopia: A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257897
Author(s):  
Aragaw Tesfaw ◽  
Getachew Arage ◽  
Fentaw Teshome ◽  
Wubet Taklual ◽  
Tigist Seid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Northwest Ethiopia ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Health Extension Workers ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
South Gondar

Background According to the World Health Organization, viral diseases continue to emerge and represent a serious issue for public health. The elderly and those with underlying chronic diseases are more likely to become severe cases. Our study sets out to present in-depth exploration and analyses of the community’s risk perception and barriers to the practice of COVID-19 prevention measures in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods A qualitative study was done in three districts of South Gondar Zone. Community key informants and health extension workers were selected purposely for in-depth interviews and focus group discussion. The interviews were conducted by maintaining WHO recommendations for social distancing and use of appropriate personal protective equipment. The sample size for the study depended on the theoretical saturation of the data at the time of data collection. The qualitative data generated from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions was transcribed verbatim and translated into English language and thematically analyzed using open code software version 4.02. Results Three main themes and five categories emerged from the narrations of the participants regarding the perceived barriers for the practice of COVID-19 prevention measures. A total of 9 community key informants (5 women development armies (HDA), 2 health extension workers (HEW), and 2 religious leaders participated in the in-depth interview, while two focus group discussions (7 participants in each round) were conducted among purposely selected community members. The age of the participants ranged from 24 to 70 years with the median age of 48 years. The major identified barriers for practicing COVID-19 prevention measures were the presence of strong cultural and religious practices, perceiving that the disease does not affect the young, misinformation about the disease, and lack of trust in the prevention measures. Conclusions Socio-cultural, religious, and economic related barriers were identified from the participant’s narratives for the practice of COVID-19 prevention measures in south Gondar Zone. Our findings suggest the need to strengthen community awareness and education programs about the prevention measures of COVID-19 and increase diagnostic facilities with strong community-based surveillance to control the transmission of the pandemic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document