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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 15(1)

Predicting the ignition of crown fuels above a spreading surface fire. Part II: model evaluation

Miguel G. Cruz A D , Bret W. Butler B and Martin E. Alexander C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Associação para o Desenvolvimento da Aerodinâmica Industrial, Apartado 10131, 3031-601 Coimbra, Portugal. Present address: Ensis – Forest Biosecurity and Protection, CSIRO, PO Box E4008, Kingston, ACT 2604, Australia.

B USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT 59834, USA.

C Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada, Wildland Fire Operations Research Group, 1176 Switzer Drive, Hinton, AB T7V 1V3, Canada. Present address: Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Centre, 5320 122nd Street, Edmonton, AB T6H 3S5, Canada.

D Corresponding author. Email: miguel.cruz@ensisjv.com

International Journal of Wildland Fire 15(1) 61-72 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF05045
Submitted: 31 March 2005  Accepted: 6 January 2006   Published: 6 March 2006

Abstract

A crown fuel ignition model (CFIM) describing the temperature rise and subsequent ignition of the lower portion of tree crowns above a spreading surface fire was evaluated through a sensitivity analysis, comparison against other models, and testing against experimental fire data. Results indicate that the primary factors influencing crown fuel ignition are those determining the depth of the surface fire burning zone and the vertical distance between the ground/surface fuel strata and the lower boundary of the crown fuel layer. Intrinsic crown fuel properties such as fuel particle surface area-to-volume ratio and foliar moisture content were found to have a minor influence on the process of crown fuel ignition. Comparison of model predictions against data collected in high-intensity experimental fires and predictions from other models gave encouraging results relative to the validity of the model system.


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