Relative impact of weather vs. fuels on fire regimes in coastal California

Abstract

Extreme fire weather is of over riding importance in determining fire behavior in coastal chaparral and on these landscapes fire suppression policy has not resulted in fire exclusion. There is regional variation in foehn winds, which are most important in southern California. Under these severe fire weather conditions fuel age does not constrain fire behavior. As a consequence prefire fuel manipulations have limited impact on fire spread during mass fire events, although strategic placement of fuel modifications may determine the outcome of fires under moderate weather conditions.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the 2002 fire conference: managing fire and fuels in the remaining wildlands and open spaces of the Southwestern United States

Citation

Keeley, Jon E. 2008. Relative impact of weather vs. fuels on fire regimes in coastal California. In: Narog, Marcia G. 2008. Proceedings of the 2002 fire conference: managing fire and fuels in the remaining wildlands and open spaces of the Southwestern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-189, Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 263-270