Flame characteristics of wind-driven surface fires

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1293-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph M. Nelson Jr. ◽  
Carl W. Adkins
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Square Root ◽  
Pine Needle ◽  
Weather Variables ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Surface Fires

Twenty-two fires in a laboratory wind tunnel and 8 field fires were studied with video techniques to determine relationships between their flame characteristics and fire behavior. The laboratory fires were in pine needle fuel beds with and without an overlying stratum of live vegetation. These fuels simulated 2-year roughs in southeastern fuel types. The field bums were in 1- and 2-year roughs in similar fuels. Byram's fire intensity ranged from 98 to 590 kW/m in the laboratory, and from 355 to 2755 kW/m in the field. Flame lengths were proportional to the square root of fire intensity when fuel consumption exceeded 0.5 kg/m2, in agreement with predictions from buoyant flame theory. However, for burns in the needle layer (consumption approximately 0.5 kg/m2), flame lengths were constant at about 0.5 m, regardless of intensity. Similar values were observed on two of the field fires. It is speculated that flame length is limited by a boundary layer pattern for the overall flow, even though the flames themselves did not exhibit boundary layer characteristics. Also, laboratory correlations of flame tilt angle and fire intensity with other fire and weather variables depart from buoyant flame theory. Further study under field conditions is needed before relationships involving flame tilt angle, fire intensity, and wind speed should be used in practical applications.

scholarly journals Toward Developing a Climatology of Fire Emissions in Central Asia

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. ASWR.S39940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Hee Park ◽  
Irina N. Sokolik
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Central Asia ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Fire Emissions ◽  
Stable Conditions ◽  
Significant Mechanism ◽  
Seasonal Analysis ◽  
Water Vapor Mixing Ratio

Fire emissions are a significant mechanism in the carbon cycling from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere, and fire behavior is considerably interacted with weather and climate. However, due to interannual variation of the emissions and nonlinear smoke plume dynamics, understanding the interactions between fire behavior and the atmosphere is challenging. This study aims to establish a climatology of the fire emission in Central Asia and has estimated a feedback of fire emissions to meteorological variables on a seasonal basis using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry. The months of April, May, and September have a relatively large number of pixels, where the plume height is located within the boundary layer, and the domain during these months tends to have unstable conditions at the strongest smoke, showing a lower percentage of stable conditions. From the seasonal analysis, the high fire intensity occurs in the summer as smoke travels above the boundary layer, changing temperature profile and increasing the water vapor mixing ratio.

Examining fire behavior in mesquite - acacia shrublands

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara J. Streeks ◽  
M. Keith Owens ◽  
Steve G. Whisenant
Keyword(s):  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Vegetation Shift ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Behavior Systems

The vegetation of South Texas has changed from mesquite savanna to mixed mesquite–acacia (Prosopis–Acacia) shrubland over the last 150 years. Fire reduction, due to lack of fine fuel and suppression of naturally occurring fires, is cited as one of the primary causes for this vegetation shift. Fire behavior, primarily rate of spread and fire intensity, is poorly understood in these communities, so fire prescriptions have not been developed. We evaluated two current fire behavior systems (BEHAVE and the CSIRO fire spread and fire danger calculator) and three models developed for shrublands to determine how well they predicted rate of spread and flame length during three summer fires within mesquite–acacia shrublands. We also used geostatistical analyses to examine the spatial pattern of net heat, flame temperature and fuel characteristics. The CSIRO forest model under-predicted the rate of fire spread by an average of 5.43 m min−1 and over-predicted flame lengths by 0.2 m while the BEHAVE brush model under-predicted rate of spread by an average of 6.57 m min−1 and flame lengths by an average of 0.33 m. The three shrubland models did not consistently predict the rate of spread in these plant communities. Net heat and flame temperature were related to the amount of 10-h fuel on the site, but were not related to the cover of grasses, forbs, shrubs, or apparent continuity of fine fuel. Fuel loads were typical of South Texas shrublands, in that they were uneven and spatially inconsistent, which resulted in an unpredictable fire pattern.

Exploratory analysis of the variables affecting initial attack hot-spotting containment rate

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Murphy ◽  
Paul M. Woodard ◽  
Dennis Quintilio ◽  
Stephen J. Titus
Keyword(s):  
Forest Cover ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Weather Variables ◽  
Weather Index ◽  
Fire Weather Index ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Forest Cover Types

Hot-spotting containment rates were determined for 18 fires of various intensities in two common boreal forest cover types: 8 in jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) and 10 in black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.). Hot-spotting containment rates did not differ significantly between the two cover types. Correlation coefficients showed that hot-spotting containment rates were more closely related to fire behavior than to weather variables measured as part of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System. Hot-spotting containment rate (HCR; m/man-hour) may be predicted based on rate of spread (ROS; m/min) and flame length (FL; m) using the following model: HCR = exp(6.0140 – 0.1830ROS – 0.1201FL). This model was fitted using weighted nonlinear regression; the R2-value was 0.76.

Microplot Sampling of Fire Behavior on Populus tremuloides Stands in North-Central Colorado

1993 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 85 ◽  
Author(s):  
JK Smith ◽  
RD Laven ◽  
PN Omi
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Total Heat Release ◽  
Spread Rate ◽  
North Central ◽  
Area Burned ◽  
In Fire

Fire behavior research has traditionally used whole burns as sampling units. Numerous burns were required to quantify relationships between pre-burn descriptors, fire behavior, and fire effects. Recent studies have used small plots within burns (called microplots) as the sampling units. This study measured pre-burn descriptors and fire behavior on 0.75-m2 microplots in two Populus tremuloides Michx. burns in north-central Colorado. Microplot estimates of woody fuels, spread rate, and area burned were comparable with measurements from whole burns. Two methods of estimating fire intensity on microplots produced inconsistent results. Juniperus communis L. patches burned more intensely and released more heat than herbaceous areas. Duff characteristics were the most useful pre-burn descriptors for predicting area burned, spread rate, flame length, and total heat release. Microplot sampling on two bums enabled us to relate variability in fire behavior to pre-burn characteristics and to obtain replicate estimates of these relationships.

scholarly journals Potential Effects of Climate Change on Fire Behavior, Economic Susceptibility and Suppression Costs in Mediterranean Ecosystems: Córdoba Province, Spain

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Ramón Molina ◽  
Armando González-Cabán ◽  
Francisco Rodríguez y Silva
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Economic Valuation ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Adaptation Measures ◽  
Digital Version ◽  
Mitigation And Adaptation

The potentially large ecological, economic, and societal impacts of climate change makes it a significant problem of the 21st century. These consequences have led to tremendous development in climate change scenarios and new technologies to increase knowledge on the effect and efficiency of mitigation and adaptation measures. Large fires will occur at a higher rate than currently because of lower fuel moisture content resulting in a lower resistance to burning. This is also evidenced by more extreme fire behavior that contributes to higher economic impacts, suppression difficulties and suppression costs. The economic susceptibility concept integrates a set of economic valuation approaches for valuing timber and non-timber resources, considering the fire behavior, and as a consequence, the net value changes for each resource. Flame length increased by 4.6% to 15.69%, according to the different future climate scenarios. Climate change is expected to cause widespread changes to economic susceptibility and suppression costs because of higher flame length and fire intensity. Therefore, our outcomes show an increase in the economic susceptibility of Córdoba Province in the medium and long term (2041–2070) between 6.05% and 25.99%, respectively. In addition, we have found an increase between 65.67% and 86.73% in suppression costs in the last decade. The digital version of the economic susceptibility model using Geographic Information Systems improves its operational capabilities enhancing also its dynamism and simplicity to accept modifications and predictions revisions.

scholarly journals Observed versus predicted fire behavior in an Alaskan black spruce forest ecosystem: an experimental fire case study

Fire Ecology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy A. Drury
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Behavior Modeling ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Modeling Tools ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Fire Behavior Modeling ◽  
Modeling Systems ◽  
Hazard And Risk

Abstract Background Fire managers tasked with assessing the hazard and risk of wildfire in Alaska, USA, tend to have more confidence in fire behavior prediction modeling systems developed in Canada than similar systems developed in the US. In 1992, Canadian fire behavior systems were adopted for modeling fire hazard and risk in Alaska and are used by fire suppression specialists and fire planners working within the state. However, as new US-based fire behavior modeling tools are developed, Alaskan fire managers are encouraged to adopt the use of US-based systems. Few studies exist in the scientific literature that inform fire managers as to the efficacy of fire behavior modeling tools in Alaska. In this study, I provide information to aid fire managers when tasked with deciding which system for modeling fire behavior is most appropriate for their use. On the Magitchlie Creek Fire in Alaska, I systematically collected fire behavior characteristics within a black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) ecosystem under head fire conditions. I compared my fire behavior observations including flame length, rate of spread, and head fire intensity with fire behavior predictions from the US fire modeling system BehavePlus, and three Canadian systems: RedAPP, CanFIRE, and the Crown Fire Initiation and Spread system (CFIS). Results All four modeling systems produced reasonable rate of spread predictions although the Canadian systems provided predictions slightly closer to the observed fire behavior. The Canadian fire behavior prediction modeling systems RedAPP and CanFIRE provided more accurate predictions of head fire intensity and fire type than BehavePlus or CFIS. Conclusions The most appropriate fire behavior modeling system for use in Alaskan black spruce ecosystems depends on what type of questions are being asked. For determining the rate of fire movement across a landscape, REDapp, CanFIRE, CFIS, or BehavePlus can all be expected to provide reasonably accurate estimates of rate of spread. If fire managers are interested in using predicted flame length or energy produced for informing decisions such as which firefighting tactics will be successful, or for evaluating the ecological impacts due to burning, then the Canadian fire modeling systems outperformed BehavePlus in this case study.

scholarly journals WRF-Fire: Coupled Weather–Wildland Fire Modeling with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model

2013 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice L. Coen ◽  
Marques Cameron ◽  
John Michalakes ◽  
Edward G. Patton ◽  
Philip J. Riggan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Weather Research And Forecasting ◽  
Spread Rate ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Weather Research

AbstractA wildland fire-behavior module, named WRF-Fire, was integrated into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) public domain numerical weather prediction model. The fire module is a surface fire-behavior model that is two-way coupled with the atmospheric model. Near-surface winds from the atmospheric model are interpolated to a finer fire grid and are used, with fuel properties and local terrain gradients, to determine the fire’s spread rate and direction. Fuel consumption releases sensible and latent heat fluxes into the atmospheric model’s lowest layers, driving boundary layer circulations. The atmospheric model, configured in turbulence-resolving large-eddy-simulation mode, was used to explore the sensitivity of simulated fire characteristics such as perimeter shape, fire intensity, and spread rate to external factors known to influence fires, such as fuel characteristics and wind speed, and to explain how these external parameters affect the overall fire properties. Through the use of theoretical environmental vertical profiles, a suite of experiments using conditions typical of the daytime convective boundary layer was conducted in which these external parameters were varied around a control experiment. Results showed that simulated fires evolved into the expected bowed shape because of fire–atmosphere feedbacks that control airflow in and near fires. The coupled model reproduced expected differences in fire shapes and heading-region fire intensity among grass, shrub, and forest-litter fuel types; reproduced the expected narrow, rapid spread in higher wind speeds; and reproduced the moderate inhibition of fire spread in higher fuel moistures. The effects of fuel load were more complex: higher fuel loads increased the heat flux and fire-plume strength and thus the inferred fire effects but had limited impact on spread rate.

scholarly journals COMPORTAMENTO DO FOGO, EM CONDIÇÕES DE LABORATÓRIO, EM COMBUSTÍVEIS PROVENIENTES DE UM POVOAMENTO DE Pinus elliottii L.

FLORESTA ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciana Valle De Loro ◽  
Nelson Akira Hiramatsu
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Test ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Pinus Elliottii ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
Flame Height ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Forest Fuels ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Fire Laboratory

De um povoamento de Pinus elliottii localizado na Fazenda Canguiri-UFPR, foram coletadas seis amostras de material combustível superficial. Este material foi separado em classes, pesado e levado para o laboratório. Efetuou-se a queima da classe acículas num leito de areia no laboratorio, em seis queimas, sendo cada queima com acículas proveniente de cada uma das amostras coletadas. Foram medidas a altura, o comprimento e a velocidade de propagação do fogo. Aplicou-se para cada queima cerca de 746 g de acículas, equivalente a 0,678 Kg/m2, com uma espessura média de 3 cm. Foram obtidos como dados médios: velocidade de propagação de 0,00423 m/s, comprimento da chama de 35,22 cm e altura de 38,79 cm, resultando numa intensidade do fogo igual a 57,07 kW/m. O resíduo médio ficou na ordem de 40,3 %. FIRE BEHAVIOR, IN LABORATORY CONDITIONS, OF FOREST FUELS FROM A Pinus elliottii L. STAND Abstract Pinus elliottii needles from a stand located at Fazenda Canguiri-UFPR were collected to run a laboratory test on fire behavior. The fuel from six samples was separated in classes, weight, and taken to the Federal University of Paraná Forest Fire Laboratory. The pine needles were burned in a sand bed. About 746.0g of each one of the six samples, equivalent to 0.678kg.m-2 and 3cm depth, were used in each fire run. Flame height and length, and rate of spread were measured. The average values obtained were: fire spread, 0,00423 m.s-1, flame length, 35,22cm, and flame height, 38,79cm. Fire intensity was of 57,07 kW.m-1 and residual fuel content about 40,3%.

scholarly journals Native American fire management at an ancient wildland–urban interface in the Southwest United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. e2018733118
Author(s):  
Christopher I. Roos ◽  
Thomas W. Swetnam ◽  
T. J. Ferguson ◽  
Matthew J. Liebmann ◽  
Rachel A. Loehman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Native American ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Wildland Urban Interface ◽  
Wood Harvesting ◽  
Surface Fires ◽  
Fire Use ◽  
Dynamic Landscape

The intersection of expanding human development and wildland landscapes—the “wildland–urban interface” or WUI—is one of the most vexing contexts for fire management because it involves complex interacting systems of people and nature. Here, we document the dynamism and stability of an ancient WUI that was apparently sustainable for more than 500 y. We combine ethnography, archaeology, paleoecology, and ecological modeling to infer intensive wood and fire use by Native American ancestors of Jemez Pueblo and the consequences on fire size, fire–climate relationships, and fire intensity. Initial settlement of northern New Mexico by Jemez farmers increased fire activity within an already dynamic landscape that experienced frequent fires. Wood harvesting for domestic fuel and architectural uses and abundant, small, patchy fires created a landscape that burned often but only rarely burned extensively. Depopulation of the forested landscape due to Spanish colonial impacts resulted in a rebound of fuels accompanied by the return of widely spreading, frequent surface fires. The sequence of more than 500 y of perennial small fires and wood collecting followed by frequent “free-range” wildland surface fires made the landscape resistant to extreme fire behavior, even when climate was conducive and surface fires were large. The ancient Jemez WUI offers an alternative model for fire management in modern WUI in the western United States, and possibly other settings where local management of woody fuels through use (domestic wood collecting) coupled with small prescribed fires may make these communities both self-reliant and more resilient to wildfire hazards.

ON AN ORIENTATION TRANSITION IN NEMATIC LIQUID CRYSTALS INDUCED BY THE THICKNESS OF THE SAMPLE

1993 ◽  
Vol 07 (18) ◽  
pp. 1215-1222
Author(s):  
A. L. ALEXE-IONESCU
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Phase Transitions ◽  
Liquid Crystal ◽  
Nematic Liquid Crystal ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Critical Thickness ◽  
Large Range ◽  
Square Root ◽  
Chiral Molecules ◽  
Homeotropic Orientation

An orientation transition observed in nematic liquid crystal samples, induced by the thickness, is interpreted in a new way. By supposing that the nematic liquid crystal contains chiral impurities, it is shown that the homeotropic orientation is stable only for thicknesses smaller than a critical one, and is dependent on the concentration of the chiral molecules. At the critical thickness, the transition from the homeotropic orientation to the distorted one is characterized by a tilt angle proportional to the square root of the actual thickness minus the critical one. This trend is typical of second order phase transitions. The agreement between the theory and the experimental data is fairly good over a large range of thickness of the sample.

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