Effect of live/dead condition, moisture content and particle size on flammability of gorse (Ulex europaeus) measured with a cone calorimeter

Katharine O. Melnik; Andres Valencia; Marwan Katurji; Daniel Nilsson; Greg Baker; Oleg M. Melnik; H. Grant Pearce; Tara M. Strand

doi:10.1071/WF23167

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Next Contents Vol 33(7)

Effect of live/dead condition, moisture content and particle size on flammability of gorse (Ulex europaeus) measured with a cone calorimeter

Katharine O. Melnik

^A ^* , Andres Valencia

^A , Marwan Katurji

^B , Daniel Nilsson

^A , Greg Baker

^A ^C , Oleg M. Melnik

^D , H. Grant Pearce

^E and Tara M. Strand ^F

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

^B School of Earth and Environment, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

^C Halliwell Fire Research, Wellington, New Zealand.

^D Forest Management Division, Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of the Northwest Territories, Hay River, Canada.

^E Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Christchurch, New Zealand.

^F New Zealand Forest Research Institute (Scion), Christchurch, New Zealand.

^* Correspondence to: kme96@uclive.ac.nz

International Journal of Wildland Fire 33, WF23167 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF23167

Submitted: 10 October 2023 Accepted: 3 June 2024 Published: 26 June 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of IAWF. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Background

Live fuel comprises a significant portion of the fuel consumed in forest and scrub crown fires. However, its flammability remains poorly understood. Although live fuel differs from dead fuel in moisture content, chemical composition, cellular structure and physiological characteristics, its higher moisture content masks the effect of other characteristics on its flammability.

Aims

The aim of the study was to delineate and assess the effects of live/dead condition, moisture content and particle size on flammability of gorse (Ulex europaeus L.).

Methods

Live and dead gorse material of three size classes (0–3, 3–6, and 6–10 mm in diameter) at six moisture contents (0, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) was tested in a cone calorimeter to evaluate its flammability using new sample preparation and moisture conditioning techniques.

Key results

On average, live fuel ignited 21% slower, reached 11% higher peak heat release rate, and had a 12% shorter burn duration than dead fuel of the same moisture content. These differences were most pronounced in coarser material.

Conclusions

For gorse, fine dead fuels increase the likelihood of ignition, fine live fuels contribute to high burning intensities, and coarser live and dead fuels prolong combustion.

Implications

These findings highlight the need to account for flammability differences between live and dead fuels in fire behaviour models beyond those driven by variations in moisture content.

Keywords: burning behaviour, calorimetry, dead fuel, foliage, heat release rate, HRR, live fuel, New Zealand, oxygen consumption, scrub, shrub, surface area, time to ignition, twigs, water content.

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