Fire spread upslope: Numerical simulation of laboratory experiments

Sánchez-Monroy, X.; Mell, William E.; Torres-Arenas, J.; Butler, Bret W.

doi:10.1016/j.firesaf.2019.102844

Cited by 23 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Verification and validation of the Fire Dynamics Simulator are presented in McGrattan et al (2013 b , c ). Further evaluation of the use of WFDS‐PB for vegetative fuels can be found in Mell et al (2007, 2009), Castle et al (2013), Mueller et al (2014), Overholt et al (2014), Hoffman et al (2016), Perez‐Ramirez et al (2017), and Sánchez‐Monrory et al (2019).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine‐scale fire patterns mediate forest structure in frequent‐fire ecosystems

et al. 2020

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In frequent‐fire forests, wildland fire acts as a self‐regulating process creating forest structures that consist of a fine‐grained mosaic of isolated trees, tree groups of various sizes, and non‐treed openings. Though the self‐regulation of forest structure through repeated fires is acknowledged, few studies have investigated the role that fine‐scale pattern‐process linkages play in determining fire behavior and effects. To better understand the physical mechanisms driving these pattern‐process linkages, we used a three‐dimensional, physics‐based fire behavior model to investigate how the local arrangement of canopy fuels influences heat transfer from a surface fire to tree crowns and subsequent crown ignition and consumption. In particular, we were interested in the impacts of tree group size and crown separation distance on heat transfer. We found increased convective cooling for isolated individual trees and 3‐tree groups as compared to larger 7‐ and 19‐tree groups which resulted in a reduction of the net energy transferred from the surface fire to the tree crowns. Because isolated individuals and 3‐tree groups are exposed to less thermal energy, they require a greater surface fireline intensity to initiate torching and have less crown consumption than trees within larger groups. Similarly, we found that increased crown separation distance also reduced heat transfer and crown ignition. However, differences in crown ignition and consumption among various sized groups and separation distances depended upon the surface fireline intensity, suggesting that any change in crown consumption or tree mortality due to pattern‐process linkages may be best viewed as a conditional in nature. These findings identify the potential physical mechanisms responsible for supporting the complex forest structures typical of high‐frequency fire regimes, and the results may be useful for managers designing fuel hazard reduction and ecological restoration treatments.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fine‐scale fire patterns mediate forest structure in frequent‐fire ecosystems

et al. 2020

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“…Wildland fuels are described in the model in three dimensions based on their geometry (e.g., crown base height, width, length, and shape) and their bulk properties (e.g., bulk density, and fuel moisture). Additional references provide model details and verification and validation studies [24,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34].…”

Section: Simulated Fire Behavior and Effects On Conifersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulated Fire Behavior and Fine-Scale Forest Structure Following Conifer Removal in Aspen-Conifer Forests in the Lake Tahoe Basin, USA

Ziegler

Hoffman

Collins

et al. 2020

Fire

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Quaking aspen is found in western forests of the United States and is currently at risk of loss due to conifer competition at within-stand scales. Wildfires in these forests are impactful owing to conifer infilling during prolonged fire suppression post-Euro-American settlement. Here, restoration cuttings seek to impact wildfire behavior and aspen growing conditions. In this study, we explored how actual and hypothetical cuttings with a range of conifer removal intensity altered surface fuel and overstory structure at stand and fine scales. We then simulated wildfires, examining fire behavior and effects on post-fire forest structures around aspen trees. We found that conifer removal constrained by lower upper diameter limits (<56 cm) had marginal effects on surface fuel and overstory structure, likely failing to enhance resource conditions sufficiently to sustain aspen. Increasing the diameter limit also led to a higher likelihood of fire spread and a higher rate of spread, owing to greater within-canopy wind speed, though crown fire activity decreased. Our simulations suggest heavier treatments could facilitate reintroduction of fire while also dampening the effects of wildfires on forest structure. Cutting specifications that relax diameter limits and remove a substantial portion of conifer overstory could better promote aspen restoration and mitigate fire hazard.

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“…Rate of spread (ROS), also referred to as fire spread rate, is a key focus of fire scientists, first responders, and fire management agencies and has been the subject of many studies seeking to quantify its dependence on environmental factors. Research on the mechanisms that govern wildfire spread are commonly conducted using laboratory [4][5][6][7] or outdoor fire experiments [8][9][10], where inputs may be controlled by researchers. Findings discerned from such studies have been extended to larger spatial scales using numerical models that simulate wildfire spread in various environments and conditions e.g., [11][12][13][14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Topography, particularly slope angle in the relative direction of forward fire progression, is another landscape feature that influences wildfire spread [5][6][7]29]. Slope aspect, orientation (i.e., up-or downslope in direction of fire spread), and angle also indirectly affect fuel conditions and weather, which in turn control ROS [46][47][48].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining Landscape-Scale Fuel and Terrain Controls of Wildfire Spread Rates Using Repetitive Airborne Thermal Infrared (ATIR) Imagery

Schag

Stow

Riggan

et al. 2021

Fire

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The objectives of this study are to evaluate landscape-scale fuel and terrain controls on fire rate of spread (ROS) estimates derived from repetitive airborne thermal infrared (ATIR) imagery sequences collected during the 2017 Thomas and Detwiler extreme wildfire events in California. Environmental covariate data were derived from prefire National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) orthoimagery and USGS digital elevation models (DEMs). Active fronts and spread vectors of the expanding fires were delineated from ATIR imagery. Then, statistical relationships between fire spread rates and landscape covariates were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate regression. Directional slope is found to be the most statistically significant covariate with ROS for the five fire imagery sequences that were analyzed and its relationship with ROS is best characterized as an exponential growth function (adj. R2 max = 0.548, min = 0.075). Imaged-derived fuel covariates alone are statistically weak predictors of ROS (adj. R2 max = 0.363, min = 0.002) but, when included in multivariate models, increased ROS predictability and variance explanation (+14%) compared to models with directional slope alone.

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Fire spread upslope: Numerical simulation of laboratory experiments

Cited by 23 publications

References 42 publications

Fine‐scale fire patterns mediate forest structure in frequent‐fire ecosystems

Fine‐scale fire patterns mediate forest structure in frequent‐fire ecosystems

Simulated Fire Behavior and Fine-Scale Forest Structure Following Conifer Removal in Aspen-Conifer Forests in the Lake Tahoe Basin, USA

Examining Landscape-Scale Fuel and Terrain Controls of Wildfire Spread Rates Using Repetitive Airborne Thermal Infrared (ATIR) Imagery

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