Potential Fire Behavior on the Savannah River Site

Project Description

In collaboration with Savannah River Site staff, FERA completed work with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to assess fuels and fire hazard, and the potential for fuels consumption. We developed and analyzed a matrix of FCCS fuelbeds and fire behavior predictions (table 1 - see Related Documents) that represent the range of current and anticipated surface fire behavior and crown fire potentials in each of seven land cover and stand age types.

Purpose and Scope

Assess fuels and fire hazard as well as the potential for fuels consumption in a wildland fire.

Methods

Using inventory data from 629 plots established in the upper Atlantic Coastal Plain, South Carolina, we constructed FCCS fuelbeds representing median fuel characteristics by major forest type and age class. With a dry fuel moisture scenario and 6.4 km h−1 midflame wind speed, the FCCS predicted moderate to high potential fire hazard for the majority of the fuelbeds under study. To explore fire hazard under potential future fuel conditions, we developed fuelbeds representing the range of quantitative inventory data for fuelbed components that drive surface fire behavior algorithms and adjusted shrub species composition to represent 30- and 60-percent relative cover of highly flammable shrub species.

Implementation

We developed a matrix framework for surface fire behavior based on the Fuel Characteristic Chart thresholds used to make fire-fighting deployment decisions (Andrews and Rothermel, 1982) and the experience of SRS fire managers. To construct FCCS fuelbeds representing average conditions within each forest type-age class category, we used data from 629 forest inventory plots sampled in 1999–2002.

Key Findings

• Evaluated surface fire behavior using data-derived and simulated fuelbeds
• High flame lengths produced by dense litter, moderate shrub cover with needle drape; or dense litter, high non-woody cover
• Litter is major contributor to surface fire intensity in most forest types studied
• Simulated fuelbed approach creates incrementally different sets of fuelbed characteristics
• Simulated fuelbed approach is applicable to regions with rapidly changing surface fuel complexes.

Project Deliverables

We created a catalog of thousands of simulated fuelbeds that can be used to represent fuel conditions and predict surface fire behavior throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Because these fuelbeds are based on inventory data and the contribution of each surface fuel stratum is considered separately in FCCS, they provide a more robust tool for assessing fuel reduction options for treatment planning than stylized fuel models.