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Application of a Canyon Fire Behavior Model to fatality fires in California Chaparral
Forest Ecology and Management 234S (2006) S142
Abstract
Application of a Canyon Fire Behavior Model to fatality fires in California Chaparral Jo Ann Fites, Dave Weixelman US Forest Service, Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team, 15924 Highway 49, Camptonville CA 95922, USA
Keywords: Fire behavior; Fire blow-ups; Fire modeling; Chaparral; Fatality fires
Many of the wildland fires in California that have taken lives have been in chaparral under conditions of extreme fire behaviour. The contributing factors to extreme fire behaviour vary but common to these fatality fires are the topographic settings, canyons or drainages, and wind. Acceleration of fire spread in these topographic settings can occur in the absence of wind, where convection induced by the fire is enhanced by air entrainment in the enclosed topography. Based on the laboratory experiments, Viegas (2005) developed a nondimensional model for fire blowups in canyons or similar topographic features. We applied the Viegas (2005) model to several past fatality fires in California to: (1) further evaluate the applicability of the model; and (2) to develop quantitative information on fire spread patterns in canyons or chimney’s for
DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2006.08.189 E-mail addresses: [email protected] (J.A. Fites), [email protected] (D. Weixelman).
several fatality fires that are used for firefighter safety training. Our modelled fire progression closely matched that of the reported fire progression for the Rattlesnake fire that killed 15 persons in 1953. The application version that allowed canyon slope and angle inputs provided the best match for arrival time (within several minutes). Our application of the model to the Tunnel #6 fire, that killed three firefighters in 1954 was useful in reconstructing possible fire behaviour scenarios for a training program developed by local fire managers. In both modelling applications, we utilized the topographic coefficient applied by Viegas (2005) to the South Canyon Fire. Further validation of the model on other fires with varying conditions is needed. We have developed aerial drop sensors to evaluate the model in situ during fires.
Abstract
Application of a Canyon Fire Behavior Model to fatality fires in California Chaparral Jo Ann Fites, Dave Weixelman US Forest Service, Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team, 15924 Highway 49, Camptonville CA 95922, USA
Keywords: Fire behavior; Fire blow-ups; Fire modeling; Chaparral; Fatality fires
Many of the wildland fires in California that have taken lives have been in chaparral under conditions of extreme fire behaviour. The contributing factors to extreme fire behaviour vary but common to these fatality fires are the topographic settings, canyons or drainages, and wind. Acceleration of fire spread in these topographic settings can occur in the absence of wind, where convection induced by the fire is enhanced by air entrainment in the enclosed topography. Based on the laboratory experiments, Viegas (2005) developed a nondimensional model for fire blowups in canyons or similar topographic features. We applied the Viegas (2005) model to several past fatality fires in California to: (1) further evaluate the applicability of the model; and (2) to develop quantitative information on fire spread patterns in canyons or chimney’s for
DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2006.08.189 E-mail addresses: [email protected] (J.A. Fites), [email protected] (D. Weixelman).
several fatality fires that are used for firefighter safety training. Our modelled fire progression closely matched that of the reported fire progression for the Rattlesnake fire that killed 15 persons in 1953. The application version that allowed canyon slope and angle inputs provided the best match for arrival time (within several minutes). Our application of the model to the Tunnel #6 fire, that killed three firefighters in 1954 was useful in reconstructing possible fire behaviour scenarios for a training program developed by local fire managers. In both modelling applications, we utilized the topographic coefficient applied by Viegas (2005) to the South Canyon Fire. Further validation of the model on other fires with varying conditions is needed. We have developed aerial drop sensors to evaluate the model in situ during fires.