Empirical modelling of surface fire behaviour in maritime pine stands
Paulo M. Fernandes A C , Hermínio S. Botelho A , Francisco C. Rego B and Carlos Loureiro A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agro-Ambientais e Biológicas (CITAB), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Apartado 1013, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
B Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal.
C Corresponding author. Email: pfern@utad.pt
International Journal of Wildland Fire 18(6) 698-710 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF08023
Submitted: 6 February 2008 Accepted: 11 November 2008 Published: 22 September 2009
Abstract
An experimental burning program took place in maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) stands in Portugal to increase the understanding of surface fire behaviour under mild weather. The spread rate and flame geometry of the forward and backward sections of a line-ignited fire front were measured in 94 plots 10–15 m wide. Measured head fire rate of spread, flame length and Byram’s fire intensity varied respectively in the intervals of 0.3–13.9 m min–1, 0.1–4.2 m and 30–3527 kW m–1. Fire behaviour was modelled through an empirical approach. Rate of forward fire spread was described as a function of surface wind speed, terrain slope, moisture content of fine dead surface fuel, and fuel height, while back fire spread rate was correlated with fuel moisture content and cover of understorey vegetation. Flame dimensions were related to Byram’s fire intensity but relationships with rate of spread and fine dead surface fuel load and moisture are preferred, particularly for the head fire. The equations are expected to be more reliable when wind speed and slope are less than 8 km h–1 and 15°, and when fuel moisture content is higher than 12%. The results offer a quantitative basis for prescribed fire management.
Additional keywords: flame length, fuel, Portugal, prescribed fire, rate of spread.
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by projects FIRE TORCH (ENV4-CT98–0715/DGXII/CE) and PEAM/IF/0009/97, and by a grant (SFRH/BD/3277/2000) from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT). Technical staff and undergraduate students at the Forestry Department of Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro gave important field assistance. The paper benefited from comments made by Martin Alexander, Miguel G. Cruz and three anonymous reviewers. The experimental fire database is available on request.
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