Orientation Presentation Introduction to Danger Rating and the Fire Weather Index System

1. Orientation PresentationIntroduction to Danger Rating and the Fire Weather Index System

2. Introduction to Fire Danger Rating Introduction to the CFFRDS- break - Introduction to the FWI Outline

3. A general term used to describe conditions of the fire environment including ease of ignition, rate of spread, difficulty of control and fire impact Fire Danger • Indicates the ability of a fire to start, spread and do damage

4. There is no fire danger if a fire cannot start, spread and do damage Damage is largely based on human values such as life, property, timber, etc. Fire also has a natural, ecological role in the forest so fire can be beneficial and is not always damaging Fire Danger

5. Fire Danger • Fixed factors that affect fire danger • fuel • topography • values at risk • Variable factor • wind • Fixed or variable • ignition sources

6. Fire Danger Rating • Evaluation of factors that influence fire danger • A system for fire danger rating evaluates the fire environment on regular intervals and in an objective way. • Interpretation provides information and guidelines for fire management

7. Fire Danger Rating Systems • An FDRS is used to solve fire management problems • Each country and global region has unique fire problems • Therefore the calculations and interpretations of an FDRS must be built or adapted to the local fire situation • There is extensive research on FDR

8. Fire Danger Rating Systems • Applications • Prevention • Pre-Suppression Planning • Suppression Decision Support • Seasonal Planning & Analysis • Wildfire Threat Assessment • Fire Statistics for Monitoring and Reporting

9. Fire Danger Rating Systems • Best approach to developing a new FRDS is to take advantage of previous research and adapt to local conditions • FDR research in Canada, US and Australia has been ongoing for about 75 years • All 3 countries use a similar general approach (ie, weather and fuels)

10. CFFDRS Introduction to the CFFRDS

11. Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System • Danger Rating Research Initiated in 1925 • Current System Developed in Late 1960s • Used in Canada, Alaska, Florida, New Zealand, Fiji • Two Major Sub Systems • Fire Weather Index System • Fire Behavior Prediction System

12. Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System Weather Topography Fuels Risk of Ignition Fire Weather Index System Fire Occurrence Prediction System Accessory Fuel Moisture System Fire Behavior Prediction System CFFDRS Fire Management Resources and Values at Risk Guides and Other Systems Developed by Fire Management and Fire Research Fire Management Problems and Opportunities Fire Management Decisions and Solutions

13. Canadian Fire Weather Index System Temperature RH Wind Rain Fire Weather Observations Temperature RH Rain Temperature Rain Wind Fuel Moisture Codes FFMC Fine Fuel Moisture Code DMC Duff Moisture Code DC Drought Code Fire Behavior Indexes ISI Initial Spread Index BUI Buildup Index FWI Fire Weather Index

14. Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System Elevation, Lat, Long & Date FWI, Wind Speed & Direction Slope & Direction Elapsed Time, Point or Line Ignition Fuel Type INPUTS Foliar Moisture Fuels Weather Topography Type & Duration Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System Primary Secondary Spread Distances Flank & Back Fire Rates of Spread Flank & Back Fire Intensities Elliptical Fire Area & Perimeter Rate of Perimeter Growth Length-to Breadth Ratio Rate of Spread Fuel Consumption Head Fire Intensity Crown Fraction Burned Fire Description OUTPUTS

15. Fire Danger Classes Class FWI Ignition Spread Control Low 0 – 10 Unlikely Slow Easy Moderate 11 - 15 High 16 - 30 Extreme 31 + Readily Rapid Difficult

16. Spatial Fire Management System (sFMS) • Fire management information system • GIS platform • Fire science models (CFFDRS) • Fire Weather Index (FWI) • Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) • Daily operations • Functions as a set of ArcView extensions

17. Spatial Fire Management System (sFMS) Example outputs:

18. Spatial Fire Management System (sFMS) • Requirements • Computer hardware • Computer software: ArcView with Spatial Analyst • Weather station locations • Daily local noon weather observations • Elevation • Fuels

19. Introduction to the FWI System

20. Introduction Moisture Codes Behavior Indices Weather Measurements FWI calculation Outline

21. evaluates the fire danger at any time based on the current and recent weather produce maximum amount of information with minimum amount of data. Used in fire management since 1970 although developed in Canada, FWI System can be adapted to other global regions (eg., New Zealand) Introduction FWI System

22. Required inputs to the FWI system are the: temperature, relative humidity, precipitation 10 m wind speed previous day’s FWI calculations All inputs measured at 12:00 Local Standard Time Introduction FWI System Inputs

23. Provides a relative measure of fuel moisture and fire activity Can be applied to any fuel type by calibration with fire behavior data Introduction FWI Structure

24. Introduction FFMC DMC DC ISI BUI FWI FWI StructureComponents used individually and in combination Wind speed RH Rainfall Temperature Inputs Moisture Codes Behavior indices

25. FWI Moisture Codes Rainfall RH Wind Speed Temperature Rainfall RH Temperature Rainfall Temperature FFMC DMC DC ISI BUI FWI

26. Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) tracks the amount of moisture in the fine dead fuels on the forest floor. Duff Moisture Code (DMC) tracks the amount of moisture in the loosely compacted duff and small branchwood beneath the forest floor. Drought Code (DC) tracks the amount of moisture in the deeper compacted organic soil and larger branchwood and logs. FWI Moisture Codes Moisture Codes

27. moisture content is the ratio between the mass of water and the mass of tissue in a quantity of fuel saturation moisture is the maximum amount of moisture a fuel can hold equilibrium moisture is the point at which the fuel’s moisture is equal to that of the surrounding air FWI Moisture Codes Moisture Content

28. each moisture code corresponds directly do the actual moisture content of the fuel FWI Moisture Codes Moisture Code Value % Moisture Content Moisture Content vs. Moisture Code

29. The Moisture Codes are an accounting method to keep track of moisture content through the wetting and drying phases in the fuel layers. FWI Moisture Codes Wetting and Drying Phases Surface Litter Upland Duff (organic soil or humus) Deep Duff

30. Wetting phase adds moisture only if the amount of precipitation is greater than the threshold for a fuel class. FWI Moisture Codes Wetting Phase As moisture content increases, the Fuel Moisture Codes decrease to represent a decrease in fire danger

31. Subtracts moisture lost through evaporation. Drying rate of fuel is exponential Fuel moisture will reach equilibrium point under constant conditions. FWI Moisture Codes Drying Phase As moisture content decreases, the Fuel Moisture Codes increase to represent an increase in fire danger

32. Time-lag constant is time required for fuels to lose 2/3 of available moisture under constant conditions Time-lag constant determines how quickly each of the fuel types will reach their equilibrium moisture levels. Each moisture code has a different time-lag constant. FWI Moisture Codes Drying Phase

33. FWI Moisture Codes Drying Phase

34. Measures moisture content in litter and other fine cured fules at a depth of 1-2cm. Indicates of the ease of ignition and flammability of fine fuels. FWI Moisture Codes FFMC: Fine Fuel Moisture Code

35. Temperature Relative Humidity Wind Speed Humidity Previous day’s FFMC FWI Moisture Codes FFMC Inputs

36. FFMC has scale of 0-99 Fires seldom start when FFMC<70 Fire starts increase dramatically when FFMC reaches 86-89 FFMC>90 is explosive burning conditions FWI Moisture Codes FFMC Scale

37. Wetting phase threshold of 0.5 mm to account for tree canopy interception. Saturation (100%) corresponds to < 1 mm of water. Time-lag of 2/3 of a day. From saturation, FFMC takes only a few days to reach its ignition threshold level of 78. FWI Moisture Codes FFMC Wetting & Drying

38. FWI Moisture Codes FFMC Drying Phase under standard conditions

39. 12:00 weather used for 16:00 forecast can make hourly FFMC calculations with hourly weather data FWI Moisture Codes Diurnal FFMC Changes

40. Tracks the moisture content in duff layers at a depth of 5-10 cm below the litter and medium sized woody fuel. Indicates the fuel consumption of woody fuels and in the duff layer. FWI Moisture Codes DMC: Duff Moisture Code

41. Temperature Relative Humidity Precipitation Previous day’s DMC FWI Moisture Codes DMC Inputs

42. DMC scale has no upper bound. DMC is usually less than 150 Threshold DMC required for ignition of these fuels is 20 High fuel consumption at DMC=40. FWI Moisture Codes DMC Scale

43. Wetting phase threshold of 1.4 mm due to interception by tree canopy and FFMC fuels. Time-lag of 15 days. From saturation, DMC takes a week or so to reach its ignition threshold level of 20. DMC has a longer memory than FFMC. FWI Moisture Codes DMC Wetting & Drying

44. FWI Moisture Codes DMC Drying Phase under standard conditions

45. Tracks the moisture content in deep compacted organic matter at a depth of 10-20 cm below the litter and logs. Indicates seasonal drought effects, total fuel consumption and smoldering in deep layers. It also indicates mop-up problems. FWI Moisture Codes DC: Drought Code

46. Temperature Precipitation Previous day’s DC FWI Moisture Codes DC Inputs

47. DC scale has no upper bound. deep burning fires are not a concern when DC<300 deep burning peat fires become a problem when DC approaches 500 Maximum likely values under severe drought about 1500. FWI Moisture Codes DC Scale

48. DC has a wetting threshold of 2.8 mm due tointerception by the tree canopy and other fuels Saturation (400 %) corresponds to 100 mm water. Time-lag of 53 days. From saturation, the DC takes 65 days to reach its ignition threshold level of 400-500. DC has longest memory. FWI Moisture Codes DC Wetting & Drying

49. FWI Moisture Codes DC Drying Phase under standard conditions

50. Each code corresponds to a different fuel size or density class in the forest floor Each is calculated from yesterday’s code and today’s weather. Rain is added to moisture content only if the threshold precipitation value is exceeded. Different fuels take different amount of time to dry. FWI Moisture Codes FWI Moisture Codes Summary