Field plot measures and fuel treatment units used to assess the effectiveness of (WUI) fuel treatments burned through by the 2007 East Zone and Cascade megafires in central Idaho (2nd Edition)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Hudak ◽  
Benjamin C. Bright
Keyword(s):  
Field Plot ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Central Idaho

Corrigendum to: Prioritising fuels reduction for water supply protection

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (11) ◽  
pp. 1054
Author(s):  
Benjamin M. Gannon ◽  
Yu Wei ◽  
Lee H. MacDonald ◽  
Stephanie K. Kampf ◽  
Kelly W. Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Risk Mitigation ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Water Supplies ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Fuels Reduction ◽  
Forest Fuels ◽  
Multiple Resources

Concerns over wildfire impacts to water supplies have motivated efforts to mitigate risk by reducing forest fuels. Methods to assess fuel treatment effects and prioritise their placement are needed to guide risk mitigation efforts. We present a fuel treatment optimisation model to minimise risk to multiple water supplies based on constraints for treatment feasibility and cost. Risk is quantified as the expected sediment impact costs to water supplies by combining measures of fire likelihood and behaviour, erosion, sediment transport and water supply vulnerability. We demonstrate the model's utility for prioritising fuel treatments in two large watersheds in Colorado, USA, that are critical for municipal water supply. Our results indicate that wildfire risk to water supplies can be substantially reduced by treating a small portion of the watersheds that have dense, fire-prone forests on steep slopes that drain to water supply infrastructure. Our results also show that the cost of fuel treatments outweighs the expected cost savings from reduced sediment inputs owing to the low probability of fuel treatments encountering wildfire and the high cost of thinning forests. This highlights the need to expand use of more cost-effective treatments, like prescribed fire, and to identify fuel treatment projects that benefit multiple resources.

Comparing landscape-based decision rules for placement of fuel treatments in the boreal mixedwood of western Canada

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc-André Parisien ◽  
David R. Junor ◽  
Victor G. Kafka
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Decision Rules ◽  
Limited Area ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Burn Probability ◽  
Rule Sets ◽  
Rule Based Approach

The present study used a rule-based approach to prioritise locations of fuel treatments in the boreal mixedwood forest of western Canada. The analysis, which was conducted in and around Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, was based on burn probability (BP) mapping using the Burn-P3 (Probability, Prediction, and Planning) model. Fuel treatment locations were determined according to three rule-sets and five fuel treatment intensities. Fuel treatments were located according to BP only; jurisdictional boundaries and BP; and non-flammable landscape features, BP, and fuel treatment orientation. First, a baseline BP map was created from the original (i.e. unmodified) fuels grid. Fuel treatments were then added to the selected areas and BP maps produced for each combination of rule-set and treatment intensity. BP values for the treated landscapes were compared with those of the baseline BP map. Results varied substantially among scenarios. Locating fuel treatments as a function of the jurisdictional boundaries and BP yielded the lowest reduction in BP. Results suggest that clumping fuel treatments within a limited area or using landscape features to maximise the large-scale spatial benefits of the fuel treatments can significantly reduce landscape-level BP. Although these two strategies may produce similar overall reductions in BP, their appropriateness and utility depend on management objectives.

An optimization model for locating fuel treatments across a landscape to reduce expected fire losses

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 868-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Wei ◽  
Douglas Rideout ◽  
Andy Kirsch
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Information ◽  
Solution Process ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Simulation Models ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Mip Model ◽  
Fire Ignition

Locating fuel treatments with scarce resources is an important consideration in landscape-level fuel management. This paper developed a mixed integer programming (MIP) model for allocating fuel treatments across a landscape based on spatial information for fire ignition risk, conditional probabilities of fire spread between raster cells, fire intensity levels, and values at risk. The fire ignition risk in each raster cell is defined as the probability of fire burning a cell because of the ignition within that cell. The conditional probability that fire would spread between adjacent cells A and B is defined as the probability of a fire spreading into cell B after burning in cell A. This model locates fuel treatments by using a fire risk distribution map calculated through fire simulation models. Fire risk is assumed to accumulate across a landscape following major wind directions and the MIP model locates fuel treatments to efficiently break this pattern of fire risk accumulation. Fuel treatment resources are scarce and such scarcity is introduced through a budget constraint. A test case is designed based on a portion of the landscape (15 552 ha) within the Southern Sierra fire planning unit to demonstrate the data requirements, solution process, and model results. Fuel treatment schedules, based upon single and dual wind directions, are compared.

Simulating fuel treatment effects in dry forests of the western United States: testing the principles of a fire-safe forest

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 1018-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morris C. Johnson ◽  
Maureen C. Kennedy ◽  
David L. Peterson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Treatment Effects ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Crown Fire ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Fuel Treatment

We used the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FFE-FVS) to simulate fuel treatment effects on 45 162 stands in low- to midelevation dry forests (e.g., ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. P. & C. Laws.) and Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) of the western United States. We evaluated treatment effects on predicted post-treatment fire behavior (fire type) and fire hazard (torching index). FFE-FVS predicts that thinning and surface fuel treatments reduced crown fire behavior relative to no treatment; a large proportion of stands were predicted to transition from active crown fire pre-treatment to surface fire post-treatment. Intense thinning treatments (125 and 250 residual trees·ha–1) were predicted to be more effective than light thinning treatments (500 and 750 residual trees·ha–1). Prescribed fire was predicted to be the most effective surface fuel treatment, whereas FFE-FVS predicted no difference between no surface fuel treatment and extraction of fuels. This inability to discriminate the effects of certain fuel treatments illuminates the consequence of a documented limitation in how FFE-FVS incorporates fuel models and we suggest improvements. The concurrence of results from modeling and empirical studies provides quantitative support for “fire-safe” principles of forest fuel reduction (sensu Agee and Skinner 2005. For. Ecol. Manag. 211: 83–96).

scholarly journals Resource Communication. Temporal optimization of fuel treatment design in blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus) plantations

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. eRC09 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Martin ◽  
Brigite Botequim ◽  
Tiago M. Oliveira ◽  
Alan Ager ◽  
Francesco Pirotti
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Eucalyptus Globulus ◽  
Fire Hazard ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Management Planning ◽  
Wildfire Risk ◽  
Forest Management Planning ◽  
Eucalypt Plantations

Aim of study: This study was conducted to support fire and forest management planning in eucalypt plantations based on economic, ecological and fire prevention criteria, with a focus on strategic prioritisation of fuel treatments over time. The central objective was to strategically locate fuel treatments to minimise losses from wildfire while meeting budget constraints and demands for wood supply for the pulp industry and conserving carbon.Area of study: The study area was located in Serra do Socorro (Torres Vedras, Portugal, covering ~1449 ha) of predominantly Eucalyptus globulus Labill forests managedcultivated for pulpwood by The Navigator Company.Material and methods: At each of four temporal stages (2015-2018-2021-2024) we simulated: (1) surface and canopy fuels, timber volume (m3 ha-1) and carbon storage (Mg ha-1); (2) fire behaviour characteristics, i.e. rate of spread (m min-1), and flame length (m), with FlamMap fire modelling software; (3) optimal treatment locations as determined by the Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD).Main results: The higher pressure of fire behaviour in the earlier stages of the study period triggered most of the spatial fuel treatments within eucalypt plantations in a juvenile stage. At later stages fuel treatments also included shrublands areas. The results were consistent with observations and simulation results that show high fire hazard in juvenile eucalypt stands.Research highlights: Forest management planning in commercial eucalypt plantations can potentially accomplish multiple objectives such as augmenting profits and sustaining ecological assets while reducing wildfire risk at landscape scale. However, limitations of simulation models including FlamMap and LTD are important to recognise in studies of long term wildfire management strategies.Keywords: Eucalypt plantations; Fire hazard; FlamMap; fuel treatment optimisation; Landscape Treatment Designer; wildfire risk management.

scholarly journals Review of fuel treatment effectiveness in forests and rangelands and a case study from the 2007 megafires in central, Idaho, USA

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew T. Hudak ◽  
Ian Rickert ◽  
Penelope Morgan ◽  
Eva Strand ◽  
Sarah A. Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Effectiveness ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Central Idaho

Fuel treatments change forest structure and spatial patterns of fire severity, Arizona, U.S.A.

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1357-1370
Author(s):  
Morris C. Johnson ◽  
Maureen C. Kennedy ◽  
Sarah Harrison
Keyword(s):  
Forest Structure ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Treatment Unit ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Treated Area ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Management Objectives

Fuel reduction treatments are often designed to achieve multiple resource management objectives in addition to reducing potential fire hazard. In the White Mountains of Arizona State (U.S.A.), the 2014 San Juan Fire burned through several thinning prescriptions designed to achieve wildlife habitat objectives. Many studies have documented reduced fire severity for a standard set of fuel treatments, but the range of variability in fuel treatment effectiveness for alternative treatment designs is poorly understood. We used nonlinear mixed-effects modeling to estimate the distance into the treated area at which fire severity decreases and randomization tests to compare forest structure. High-severity fire effects were estimated to be reduced between 114 m and 345 m into the treated area. The range of variability in observed-distance high-severity fire effects persist into the treated area and, in conjunction with estimated relationships between posttreatment forest structure and severity, can inform the design of alternative fuel treatment prescriptions with various target prescriptions. We found that as cover was maintained in a treatment unit for wildlife habitat, the size of the fuel treatment necessary to observe a reduction in severity needs to be larger. Our study will inform decision makers on the size of treatments required to accomplish management objectives.

A fuel treatment reduces fire severity and increases suppression efficiency in a mixed conifer forest

2007 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason J. Moghaddas ◽  
Larry Craggs
Keyword(s):  
Fire Severity ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Mixed Conifer ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Private Lands ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Spot Fires

Fuel treatments are being implemented on public and private lands across the western United States. Although scientists and managers have an understanding of how fuel treatments can modify potential fire behaviour under modelled conditions, there is limited information on how treatments perform under real wildfire conditions in Sierran mixed conifer forests. The Bell Fire started on 22 September 2005 on the Plumas National Forest, CA. This fire burned upslope into a 1-year old, 158-ha mechanical fuel treatment on private land. Prior to coming into contact with the fuel treatment, the main fire ignited spot fires 400 feet (122 metres) into the treated area. Overall, this fuel treatment resulted in: (1) increased penetration of retardant to surface fuels; (2) improved visual contact between fire crews and the Incident Commander; (3) safe access to the main fire; and (4) quick suppression of spot fires. This treatment was relatively small and isolated from other fuel treatments but resulted in decreased severity, suppression costs and post-fire rehabilitation needs, leading to cost savings for local public and private land managers.

scholarly journals Understanding How Fuel Treatments Interact With Climate and Biophysical Setting to Affect Fire, Water, and Forest Health: A Process-Based Modeling Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. Burke ◽  
Christina Tague ◽  
Maureen C. Kennedy ◽  
Max A. Moritz
Keyword(s):  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Treatment Effects ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Fuel Treatments ◽  
Fuel Treatment ◽  
Response Variable ◽  
Treatment Type

Fuel treatments are a key forest management practice used to reduce fire severity, increase water yield, and mitigate drought vulnerability. Climate change exacerbates the need for fuel treatments, with larger and more frequent wildfires, increasing water demand, and more severe drought. The effects of fuel treatments can be inconsistent and uncertain and can be altered by a variety of factors including the type of treatment, the biophysical features of the landscape, and climate. Variation in fuel treatment effects can occur even within forest stands and small watershed management units. Quantifying the likely magnitude of variation in treatment effects and identifying the dominant controls on those effects is needed to support fuel treatment planning directed at achieving specific fire, water, and forest health goals. This research aims to quantify and better understand how local differences in treatment, landscape features, and climate alter those fuel treatment effects. We address these questions using a mechanistic coupled ecohydrologic model—the Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys). We ran 13,500 scenarios covering a range of fuel treatment, biophysical, and climate conditions, for the Southern Sierra Nevada of California. Across fuel treatment type, biophysical, and climate parameters, we find nontrivial variation in fuel treatment effects on stand carbon, net primary productivity, evapotranspiration, and fire-related canopy structure variables. Response variable estimates range substantially, from increases (1–48%) to decreases (−13 to −175%) compared to untreated scenarios. The relative importance of parameters differs by response variable; however, fuel treatment method and intensity, plant accessible water storage capacity (PAWSC), and vegetation type consistently demonstrate a large influence across response variables. These parameters interact to produce non-linear effects. Results show that projections of fuel treatment effects based on singular mean parameter values (such as mean PAWSC) provide a limited picture of potential responses. Our findings emphasize the need for a more complete perspective when assessing expected fuel treatment outcomes, both in their effects and in the interacting biophysical and climatic parameters that drive them. This research also serves as a demonstration of methodology to assess the likely variation in potential effects of fuel treatments for a given planning unit.

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