Understanding how fire behavior and wildland fuels affect ember generation and deposition

Firebrands are tiny burning embers that can fly through the air during a wildfire and start new fires (called spot fires). Although less common, firebrands sometimes cause new fires during prescribed burns (controlled fires). They can also carry fire beyond containment lines into populated areas. Similarly, when embers land in forested areas, they can start new fires that cut off public and firefighter escape routes and make firefighting more difficult.

This study focuses on identifying the fuel, weather, and fire behavior conditions that produce firebrands and spot fires. The ultimate goal is to be able to predict when and how firebrands will occur as well as how to reduce the risk of firebrands by strategically removing the fuels that produce them. Understanding firebrand dynamics will matter in both wildland firefighting situations and when planning and carrying out prescribed fires.

This research directly supports the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy, which emphasizes using the best available science and technology to reduce wildfire risks. Two key parts of the strategy are:

1. Fuels management. This means managing vegetation like trees and brush to prevent fires from spreading to homes.
2. Strategic Fuels Treatment. These are actions taken to stop fires from moving from wildlands into populated areas.

Objectives

This project aims to fill key research gaps so that we can predict and remove firebrand hazards. By understanding firebrands better, land and fire managers can reduce risk (especially risks to structures and communities) and prevent wildfires from spreading to populated areas.

Specific objectives include:

• Characterizing firebrand parent materials. What are firebrands made of?
• Understanding fuel treatment effects. How do treatments like controlled burns affect firebrand availability, behavior, and transport?
• Improving fire behavior models. How can scientists represent firebrands more accurately in wildfire models?
• Understanding landscape factors. How do things like geography and fuel type impact firebrand movement and where firebrands land?

Expected Results

Outputs

This research will uncover important information about how to treat fuels (dead materials on the forest floor, herbs and shrubs, and tree trunks) that can cause firebrands and spot fires. Fire managers and scientists can use this information to create better strategies for managing and containing wildfires.

The researchers will work with the North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange to organize workshops, field trips, and other ways to share the study findings.

Expected Outcomes

Expected positive outcomes include:

• Reducing wildfire spread. This research will improve our ability to stop fires from moving from wildland areas to communities.
• Community preparedness. Communities will be better prepared to limit structure fires during wildfires.
• Safe controlled burns. The findings will enhance safety during prescribed burns.

Metrics of Success

The research team will measure success by looking at how often dangerous firebrand conditions (which historically have had catastrophic consequences) occur. If these occurrences can be reduced, wildfires may be smaller and cause less damage.