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

Andrew T. Hudak; Ian Rickert; Penelope Morgan; Eva Strand; Sarah A. Lewis; Pete R. Robichaud; Chad Hoffman; Zachary A. Holden

doi:10.2737/RMRS-GTR-252

Treesearch

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

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Andrew T. Hudak, Ian Rickert, Penelope Morgan, Eva Strand, Sarah A. Lewis, Pete R. Robichaud, Chad Hoffman, Zachary A. Holden

Year:

2011

Type:

General Technical Report

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2737/RMRS-GTR-252

Source:

Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-252. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 60 p.

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Download (PDF 2.44 MB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/37405.pdf

Abstract

This report provides managers with the current state of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of fuel treatments for mitigating severe wildfire effects. A literature review examines the effectiveness of fuel treatments that had been previously applied and were subsequently burned through by wildfire in forests and rangelands. A case study focuses on WUI fuel treatments that were burned in the 2007 East Zone and Cascade megafires in central Idaho. Both the literature review and case study results support a manager consensus that forest thinning followed by some form of slash removal is most effective for reducing subsequent wildfire severity.

Keywords

fire severity, fuel treatment, National Fire Plan, post-fire effects, wildland-urban interface (WUI)

Citation

Hudak, Andrew T.; Rickert, Ian; Morgan, Penelope; Strand, Eva; Lewis, Sarah A.; Robichaud, Peter R.; Hoffman, Chad; Holden, Zachary A. 2011. Review of fuel treatment effectiveness in forests and rangelands and a case study from the 2007 megafires in central, Idaho, USA. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-252. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 60 p.