Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 4: Relation of roads to burn severity

Abstract

Effects of roads on fire behavior intensity and severity can be studied directly or indirectly. A direct study of road effects would include uses by fire suppression, burnout operations, and delay of fire progress at the roadside. Interpretations after the fire burns are easily confounded by the unknown nature of suppression activities and fire arrival time, and fire behavior. Indirect study of road effects is by association. We chose to perform only an indirect analysis given the uncertainties in road usage by suppression resources and the imprecision of the fire progression. Our methods relied on a calculation of road density across the area and examined the correlations or differences in fire behavior intensity and severity, biophysical settings, vegetation types, canopy cover, and fuel models. This offered a more comprehensive means of evaluating effects throughout a large fire area.

Parent Publication

• Hayman Fire Case Study

Citation

McHugh, Charles W.; Finney, Mark A. 2003. Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 4: Relation of roads to burn severity. In: Graham, Russell T., Technical Editor. Hayman Fire Case Study. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-114. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 127-130