Six Decades of Forest Fire Science in Canada

1990 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Van Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fire ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Fire Ecology ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Related Science ◽  
Changing Attitudes

This account of the history and accomplishments of forest fire research in Canada begins with a few basic statistics, and some background on changing attitudes to fire. A historical note on the contributions of Wright and Beall in the 1930's and 1940's follows. Fire science is then divided into six diverse categories: fire behavior, fire management systems, fire ecology, prescribed fire, fire economics, and fire suppression, with a note on developments and accomplishments in each. The references given are examples of the wide range of activity within the whole field of fire-related science and technology, but do not constitute a bibliography.

scholarly journals Using the Landsat Burned Area Products to Derive Fire History Relevant for Fire Management and Conservation in the State of Florida, Southeastern USA

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Casey Teske ◽  
Melanie K. Vanderhoof ◽  
Todd J. Hawbaker ◽  
Joe Noble ◽  
John Kevin Hiers
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Behavior Modeling ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Burn Probability

Development of comprehensive spatially explicit fire occurrence data remains one of the most critical needs for fire managers globally, and especially for conservation across the southeastern United States. Not only are many endangered species and ecosystems in that region reliant on frequent fire, but fire risk analysis, prescribed fire planning, and fire behavior modeling are sensitive to fire history due to the long growing season and high vegetation productivity. Spatial data that map burned areas over time provide critical information for evaluating management successes. However, existing fire data have undocumented shortcomings that limit their use when detailing the effectiveness of fire management at state and regional scales. Here, we assessed information in existing fire datasets for Florida and the Landsat Burned Area products based on input from the fire management community. We considered the potential of different datasets to track the spatial extents of fires and derive fire history metrics (e.g., time since last burn, fire frequency, and seasonality). We found that burned areas generated by applying a 90% threshold to the Landsat burn probability product matched patterns recorded and observed by fire managers at three pilot areas. We then created fire history metrics for the entire state from the modified Landsat Burned Area product. Finally, to show their potential application for conservation management, we compared fire history metrics across ownerships for natural pinelands, where prescribed fire is frequently applied. Implications of this effort include increased awareness around conservation and fire management planning efforts and an extension of derivative products regionally or globally.

scholarly journals Flammable Mexico

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juli G. Pausas
Keyword(s):  
Fire Ecology ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Vegetation Fires ◽  
Book Covers

The frequency of disturbances is an important factor contributing to the megabiodiversity of Mexico, and fire is a prominent disturbance in this region. Here I briefly summarise important aspects of fire ecology in Mexico and introduce a new book for fire science in this country: Incendios de la vegetación (Vegetation fires) by D. Rodríguez-Trejo. The book covers many fire topics including fire ecology, fire behaviour, fire management, fire history and the anthropology of fire, and provides a basis for sustainable vegetation management in the region; it also advocates for the use of fire as a management tool. The message is that the biodiversity of Mexico, and therefore its management, cannot be understood without considering fire.

Simulation analysis of the impact of ignitions, rekindles, and false alarms on forest fire suppression

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abílio P. Pacheco ◽  
João Claro ◽  
Tiago Oliveira
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fire ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Simulation Analysis ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Discrete Event ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
False Alarms ◽  
Forest Fire Management ◽  
The Impact

Rekindles and false alarms are phenomena that have a significant presence in the Portuguese forest fire management system and an important impact on suppression resources in particular and fire management resources in general. In this paper, we propose a discrete-event simulation model of a forest fire suppression system designed to analyze the joint impact of ignitions, rekindles, and false alarms on the performance of the system. The model is applied to a case study of the district of Porto, Portugal, for the critical period of the forest fire season, between July and September 2010. We study the behavior of the system’s point of collapse, comparing the real base scenario with a benchmark scenario built with reference values for rekindles and false alarms, and also as a function of the number of fire incidents, considering historical variations. The results of the analysis are useful for operational decision-making and provide relevant information on the trade-off between prevention and suppression efforts.

scholarly journals Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System: An Overview

1989 ◽  
Vol 65 (4) ◽  
pp. 258-265 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Stocks ◽  
T. J. Lynham ◽  
B. D Lawson ◽  
M. E. Alexander ◽  
C. E. Van Wagner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fire ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Danger ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Fire Occurrence ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Fire Danger Rating System ◽  
Forest Fire Danger

Forest fire danger rating research in Canada was initiated by the federal government in 1925. Five different fire danger rating systems have been developed since that time, each with increasing universal applicability across Canada. The approach has been to build on previous danger rating systems in an evolutionary fashion and to use field experiments and empirical analysis extensively. The current system, the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS), has been under development by Forestry Canada since 1968. The first major subsystem of the CFFDRS, the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System, provides numerical ratings of relative fire potential based solely on weather observations, and has been in use throughout Canada since 1970. The second major subsystem, the Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System, accounts for variability in fire behavior among fuel types (predicting rate of spread, fuel consumption, and frontal fire intensity), was issued in interim form in 1984 with final production scheduled for 1990. A third major CFFDRS subsystem, the Canadian Forest Fire Occurrence Prediction (FOP) System, is currently being formulated. This paper briefly outlines the history and philosophy of fire danger rating research in Canada discussing in detail the structure of the current CFFDRS and its application and use by fire management agencies throughout Canada. Key words: fire danger, fire behavior, fire occurrence prediction, fuel moisture, fire danger rating system, fire management.

scholarly journals Fifty years of wildland fire science in Canada

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Coogan ◽  
Lori D Daniels ◽  
Dennis Boychuk ◽  
Philip J. Burton ◽  
Mike Flannigan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Canadian Journal ◽  
Fire Ecology ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
50Th Anniversary ◽  
Forest Research ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Wildland Fire Management

We celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Journal of Forest Research by reflecting on the considerable progress accomplished in select areas of Canadian wildfire science over the past half century. Specifically, we discuss key developments and contributions in the creation of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System; the relationships between wildland fire and weather, climate, and climate change; fire ecology; operational decision support; and wildland fire management. We also discuss the evolution of wildland fire management in Banff National Park as a case study. We conclude by discussing some possible directions in future Canadian wildland fire research including the further evaluation of fire severity measurements and effects; the efficacy of fuel management treatments; climate change effects and mitigation; further refinement of models pertaining to fire risk analysis, fire behaviour, and fire weather; and the integration of forest management and ecological restoration with wildfire risk reduction. Throughout the paper we reference many contributions published in the Canadian Journal of Forest Research, which has been at the forefront of international wildland fire science.

The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System: An Overview

1989 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 450-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Stocks ◽  
T. J. Lynham ◽  
B. D. Lawson ◽  
M. E. Alexander ◽  
C. E. Van Wagner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fire ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Danger ◽  
Rating System ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Fire Occurrence ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Fire Danger Rating System ◽  
Forest Fire Danger

Forest fire danger rating research in Canada was initiated by the federal government in 1925. Five different fire danger rating systems have been developed since that time, each with increasing universal applicability across Canada. The approach has been to build on previous danger rating systems in an evolutionary fashion and to use field experiments and empirical analysis extensively. The current system, the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS), has been under development by Forestry Canada since 1968. The first major subsystem of the CFFDRS, the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System, provides numerical ratings of relative fire potential based solely on weather observations, and has been in use throughout Canada since 1970. The second major subsystem, the Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System, accounts for variability in fire behavior among fuel types (predicting rate of spread, fuel consumption, and frontal fire intensity), was issued in interim form in 1984 with final production scheduled for 1990. A third major CFFDRS subsystem, the Canadian Forest Fire Occurrence Prediction (FOP) System, is currectly being formulated. This paper briefly outline the history and philosophy of fire danger rating research in Canada discussing in detail the structure of the current CFFDRS and its application and use by fire management agencies throughout Canada. Key words: fire danger, fire behavior, fire occurrence prediction, fuel moisture, fire danger rating system, fire management.

scholarly journals Invigorating Prescribed Fire Science Through Improved Reporting Practices

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie R. Bonner ◽  
Chad M. Hoffman ◽  
Jeffrey M. Kane ◽  
J. Morgan Varner ◽  
J. Kevin Hiers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Reporting Standards ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Reporting Practices ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Fire Experiments

Interest in prescribed fire science has grown over the past few decades due to the increasing application of prescribed fire by managers to mitigate wildfire hazards, restore biodiversity, and improve ecosystem resilience. Numerous ecological disciplines use prescribed fire experiments to provide land managers with evidence-based information to support prescribed fire management. Documenting variation in the context and conditions during prescribed fire experimental treatments is critical for management inference, but inconsistencies in reporting critical experimental details can complicate interpretation. Such details are needed to provide ecological and empirical context for data, facilitate experimental replication, enable meta-analyses, and maximize utility for other scientists and practitioners. To evaluate reporting quality in the recent literature, we reviewed 219 prescribed fire experiments from 16 countries published in 11 refereed journals over the last 5 years. Our results suggest substantial shortcomings in the reporting of critical data that compromise the utility of this research. Few studies had specific information on burning conditions such as fuel moisture (22%), quantitative fuel loads (36%), fire weather (53%), and fire behavior (30%). Further, our analysis revealed that 63% of the studies provided precise coordinates for their study area, while 30% of studies indicated the prescribed fire date. Only 54% of the studies provided descriptions of the ignition characteristics. Given these common deficiencies, we suggest minimum reporting standards for future prescribed fire experiments. These standards could be applied to journal author guidelines, directed to researchers and reviewers by the editor, and promoted in the education of fire ecologists. Establishing reporting standards will increase the quality, applicability, and reproducibility of prescribed fire science, facilitate future research syntheses, and foster actionable science.

scholarly journals Walking through a 'phoenix landscape': hiker surveys reveal nuanced perceptions of wildfire effects

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 561
Author(s):  
Alexandra M. Weill ◽  
Lauren M. Watson ◽  
Andrew M. Latimer
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Fire Ecology ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
The Past ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Local Ecology

Public opinion of wildfire is often perceived to be negative and in support of fire suppression, even though research suggests public opinions have become more positive over the past few decades. However, most prior work on this topic has focused on homeowners in forested regions. In this study, we shift the lens to hikers in a chaparral- and oak-savannah-dominated landscape that burned at high severity in 2015. We surveyed hikers before and after their hike about their familiarity and perceptions of local fire, and wildfire in the nation at large. We found hikers were familiar with topics such as prescribed fire and basic fire ecology, but knew little about local ecology or fire regimes. Post-hike perceptions of fire and feelings about wildfire in the USA were complex and heterogeneous, not predominantly negative. Contrary to frequent media descriptions of post-fire landscapes as ‘devastated’ or ‘moonscapes,’ many participants described the burned landscape with awe and admiration. These results suggest that residents of fire-prone landscapes may benefit from programming that emphasises benefits and challenges of fire in the local landscape and incorporates visits to local burned sites throughout the recovery period.

scholarly journals Wildland Fire Science Literacy: Education, Creation, and Application

Fire ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devan McGranahan ◽  
Carissa Wonkka
Keyword(s):  
Fire Ecology ◽  
Science Literacy ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Human Dimensions ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Standard Data

Wildland fire science literacy is the capacity for wildland fire professionals to understand and communicate three aspects of wildland fire: (1) the fundamentals of fuels and fire behavior, (2) the concept of fire as an ecological regime, and (3) multiple human dimensions of wildland fire and the socio-ecological elements of fire regimes. Critical to wildland fire science literacy is a robust body of research on wildland fire. Here, we describe how practitioners, researchers, and other professionals can study, create, and apply robust wildland fire science. We begin with learning and suggest that the conventional fire ecology canon include detail on fire fundamentals and human dimensions. Beyond the classroom, creating robust fire science can be enhanced by designing experiments that test environmental gradients and report standard data on fuels and fire behavior, or at least use the latter to inform models estimating the former. Finally, wildland fire science literacy comes full circle with the application of robust fire science as professionals in both the field and in the office communicate with a common understanding of fundamental concepts of fire behavior and fire regime.

scholarly journals Prescribed fire science: the case for a refined research agenda

Fire Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Kevin Hiers ◽  
Joseph J. O’Brien ◽  
J. Morgan Varner ◽  
Bret W. Butler ◽  
Matthew Dickinson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Prescribed Fires ◽  
Wildfire Management ◽  
Fire Science ◽  
Useful Knowledge ◽  
Global Challenge

Abstract The realm of wildland fire science encompasses both wild and prescribed fires. Most of the research in the broader field has focused on wildfires, however, despite the prevalence of prescribed fires and demonstrated need for science to guide its application. We argue that prescribed fire science requires a fundamentally different approach to connecting related disciplines of physical, natural, and social sciences. We also posit that research aimed at questions relevant to prescribed fire will improve overall wildland fire science and stimulate the development of useful knowledge about managed wildfires. Because prescribed fires are increasingly promoted and applied for wildfire management and are intentionally ignited to meet policy and land manager objectives, a broader research agenda incorporating the unique features of prescribed fire is needed. We highlight the primary differences between prescribed fire science and wildfire science in the study of fuels, fire behavior, fire weather, fire effects, and fire social science. Wildfires managed for resource benefits (“managed wildfires”) offer a bridge for linking these science frameworks. A recognition of the unique science needs related to prescribed fire will be key to addressing the global challenge of managing wildland fire for long-term sustainability of natural resources.

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