The Use of Fire Weather Indices in the Prediction of Extreme Fire Loads

Authors: Mees, Romain¹; Bednar, Larry¹

Source: Western Journal of Applied Forestry, Volume 4, Number 2, 1 April 1989 , pp. 46-48(3)

Publisher: Society of American Foresters

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Abstract:

We examined the correlation between fire activity and weather records for a 15-year period and a number of National Forests located in Oregon and California. Correlations between burned area and personnel usage, and fire weather indices of the National Fire Danger Rating System were weak. But time periods for which the fire weather indices showed extreme values also have a considerably larger proportion of extreme fire activity. In this sense, the indices can serve as predictors of extreme fire acitvity. This holds true in areas of widely divergent climates and differing fuel types. The joint influence of time-clustering of fires and extreme fire conditions, as reflected by the burning index, is also quantified. West. J. Appl. For. 4(2):46-48, April 1989.

Document Type: Journal article

Affiliations: 1: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service, Riverside, CA 92507

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