Wildland fires behaviour: wind effect versus Byram’s convective number and consequences upon the regime of propagation
D. Morvan A B and N. Frangieh A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Aix Marseille University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, M2P2, Marseille, France.
B Corresponding author. Email: dominique.morvan@univ-amu.fr
International Journal of Wildland Fire 27(9) 636-641 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF18014
Submitted: 31 January 2018 Accepted: 20 July 2018 Published: 10 August 2018
Abstract
With fuel moisture content and slope, wind velocity (UW) is one of the major physical parameters that most affects the behaviour of wildland fires. The aim of this short paper was to revisit the relationship between the rate of spread (ROS) and the wind velocity, through the role played by the two forces governing the trajectory of the flame front and the plume, i.e. the buoyancy of the plume and the inertia due to wind. A large set of experimental data (at field and laboratory scale) from the literature was analysed, by introducing the ratio between these two forces, namely Byram’s convective number NC and considering the relationship between the fire ROS/wind speed ratio and Byram’s number. This short note was also an opportunity to make a point on particular issues, such as the existence of two regimes of propagation of surface fires (wind-driven fire vs plume-dominated fire), the relative importance of the two modes of heat transfer (by convection and radiation) on the propagation of a fire front, and others scientific debates animating the wildland fire community.
References
Anderson WR, Cruz MG, Fernandes PM, McCaw L, Vega JA, Bradstock RA, Fogarty L, Gould J, McCarthy G, Marsden-Smedley JB, Matthews S, Mattingley G, Pearce HG, van Wilgen BW (2015) A generic, empirical-based model for predicting rate of fire spread in shrublands. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24, 443–460.| A generic, empirical-based model for predicting rate of fire spread in shrublands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Baeza MJ, DeLuis M, Ravenstos J, Escarré A (2002) Factors influencing fire behaviour in shrublands of different stand ages and the implications for using prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk. Journal of Environemental Management 65, 199–208.
| Factors influencing fire behaviour in shrublands of different stand ages and the implications for using prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Beer T (1991) The interaction of wind and fire. Boundary-Layer Meteorology 54, 287–308.
| The interaction of wind and fire.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Bilgili E, Saglam B (2003) Fire behavior in maquis fuels in Turkey. Forest Ecology and Management 184, 201–207.
| Fire behavior in maquis fuels in Turkey.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Butler B, Teske C, Jimenez D, O’Brien J, Sopko P, Wold C, Vosburgh M, Hornsby B, Loudermilk E (2016) Observations of energy transport and rate of spreads from low-intensity fires in longleaf pine habitat – RxCADRE 2012. International Journal of Wildland Fire 25, 76–89.
| Observations of energy transport and rate of spreads from low-intensity fires in longleaf pine habitat – RxCADRE 2012.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Catchpole EA, Catchpole WR, Rothermel RC (1993) Fire behavior experiment in mixed-fuel complexes. International Journal of Wildland Fire 3, 45–57.
| Fire behavior experiment in mixed-fuel complexes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Catchpole WR, Catchpole EA, Butler BW, Rothermel RC, Morris GA, Latham DJ (1998) Rate of spread of free-burning fires in woody fuels in a wind tunnel. Combustion Science and Technology 131, 1–37.
| Rate of spread of free-burning fires in woody fuels in a wind tunnel.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Cheney NP, Gould JS, Catchpole WR (1998) Prediction of fire spread in grasslands. International Journal of Wildland Fire 8, 1–13.
| Prediction of fire spread in grasslands.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Clements CB, Lareau NP, Seto D, Contezac J, Davis B, Teske C, Zajkowski ThJ, Hudak AT, Bright BC, Dickinson MB, Butler BW, Jimenez D, Hiers JK (2015) Fire weather conditions and fire–atmosphere interactions observed during low-intensity prescribed fires – RxCADRE 2012. International Journal of Wildland Fire 25, 90–101.
| Fire weather conditions and fire–atmosphere interactions observed during low-intensity prescribed fires – RxCADRE 2012.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
de Groot WJ, Bothwell PM, Taylor SW, Wotton BM, Stocks BJ, Alexander ME (2004) Jack pine regeneration and crown fires. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 34, 1634–1641.
| Jack pine regeneration and crown fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dupuy JL, Maréchal J (2011) Slope effect on laboratory fire spread: contribution of radiation and convection to fuel bed preheating. International Journal of Wildland Fire 20, 289–307.
| Slope effect on laboratory fire spread: contribution of radiation and convection to fuel bed preheating.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Finney MA, Cohen JD, McAllister SS, Jolly WM (2013a) On the need for a theory of wildland fire spread. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22, 25–36.
| On the need for a theory of wildland fire spread.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Finney MA, Forthofer J, Grenfell IC, Adam BA, Akafuah NK, Saito K (2013b) A study of flame spread in engineered cardboard fuelbeds. Part I. Correlations and observations. In ‘Proceedings of 7th International Symposium on Scale Modeling (ISSM-7)’, Hirosaki, Japan, 6–9 August. (International Scale Modeling Committee: Hirosaki, Japan)
Frankman D, Webb BW, Butler BW, Jimenez D, Forthofer JM, Sopko P, Shannon KS, Hiers JK, Ottmar RD (2013) Measurement of convective and radiative heating in wildland fires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 22, 157–167.
| Measurement of convective and radiative heating in wildland fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Marsden-Smedley JB, Catchpole WR (1995) Fire behavior modelling in Tasmanian buttongrass moorlands: II Fire behavior. International Journal of Wildland Fire 5, 215–228.
| Fire behavior modelling in Tasmanian buttongrass moorlands: II Fire behavior.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morandini F, Silvani X (2010) Experimental investigation of the physical mechanisms governing the spread of wildfires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 19, 570–582.
| Experimental investigation of the physical mechanisms governing the spread of wildfires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morandini F, Perez-Ramirez Y, Tihay V, Santoni PA, Barboni T (2013) Radiant, convective and heat release characterization of vegetation fire. International Journal of Thermal Sciences 70, 83–91.
| Radiant, convective and heat release characterization of vegetation fire.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morvan D (2011) Physical phenomena and length scales governing the behaviour of wildfires. Fire Technology 47, 437–460.
| Physical phenomena and length scales governing the behaviour of wildfires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morvan D (2013) Numerical study of the effect of fuel moisture content (FMC) upon the propagation of a surface fire on a flat terrain. Fire Safety Journal 58, 121–131.
| Numerical study of the effect of fuel moisture content (FMC) upon the propagation of a surface fire on a flat terrain.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morvan D (2014) Wind effects, unsteady behaviors and regimes of propagation of surface fires in open fields. Combustion Science and Technology 186, 869–888.
| Wind effects, unsteady behaviors and regimes of propagation of surface fires in open fields.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Morvan D, Lamorlette A (2014) Impact of solid fuel particles size upon the propagation of a surface fire through a homogeneous vegetation layer. Fire Safety Sciences 11, 1326–1338.
| Impact of solid fuel particles size upon the propagation of a surface fire through a homogeneous vegetation layer.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nelson RM (1993a) Byram’s derivation of the energy criterion for forest and wildland fires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 3, 131–138.
| Byram’s derivation of the energy criterion for forest and wildland fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nelson RM, Jr (1993b) Byram’s energy criterion for wildland fires: units and equations. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station, Research Paper INT-415.
Nelson RM (2015) Re-analysis of wind and slope effects on flame characteristics of Mediterranean shrub fires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 24, 1001–1007.
Nelson RM, Adkins CW (1988) A dimensionless correlation for the spread of wind-driven fires. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 18, 391–397.
| A dimensionless correlation for the spread of wind-driven fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nelson RM, Butler BW, Weise DR (2012) Entrainment regimes and flame characteristics of wildland fires. International Journal of Wildland Fire 21, 127–140.
| Entrainment regimes and flame characteristics of wildland fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pagni PJ, Peterson ThG (1973) Flame spread through porous fuels. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 14, 1099–1107.
| Flame spread through porous fuels.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pitts WM (1991) Wind effects on fires. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 17, 83–134.
| Wind effects on fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Pyne SJ, Andrews PL, Laven RD (1996) ‘Introduction to wildland fire.’ (2nd edn) (Wiley: New York, NY, USA)
Raupach MR (1990) Similarity analysis of the interaction of bushfire plumes with ambient winds. Mathematical and Computer Modelling 13, 113–121.
| Similarity analysis of the interaction of bushfire plumes with ambient winds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Rothermel RC (1972) A mathematical model for predicting fire spread in wildland fuels. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Research Paper INT-RP-115. (Ogden, UT)
Rothermel RC, Anderson HE (1966) Fire spread characteristics determined in the laboratory. USDA Forest Service, Intermountain research station, Research Paper INT-30.
Stocks BJ (1987) Fire behavior in immature jack pine. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 17, 80–86.
| Fire behavior in immature jack pine.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sullivan AL (2007) Convective Froude number and Byram’s energy criterion of Australian experimental grassland fires. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 31, 2557–2564.
| Convective Froude number and Byram’s energy criterion of Australian experimental grassland fires.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Sullivan AL (2009) Wildland surface fire spread modelling, 1990–2007. 2. Empirical and quasi-empirical models. International Journal of Wildland Fire 18, 369–386.
| Wildland surface fire spread modelling, 1990–2007. 2. Empirical and quasi-empirical models.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Taylor SW, Wotton BM, Alexander ME, Dalrymple GN (2004) Variation in wind and crown fire behaviour in a northern jack pine spruce forest. 34, 1561–1576.
