Understanding wildfire as a dynamic system: A new comprehensive book on wildland fire behavior

Abstract

Understanding wildfire behavior requires knowledge of how physical processes interact with fuels, topography, and weather and can be hard to approach or explain for those without a background in engineering or physical sciences. A greater familiarity with the physics of fire behavior translates to not only a better-prepared fire management workforce but also improved fire behavior prediction models. Both are critical for developing proactive approaches to managing wildfires and using fire itself as a stewardship tool.A new book, Wildland Fire Behaviour: Dynamics, Principles, and Processes, authored by Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists, was written for fire practitioners, firefighters, managers, and anyone else interested in how wildland fires spread and behave, providing relatively straightforward explanations of wildfire dynamics. The book includes a description of a new fire spread model that incorporates physical processes that drive fire behavior and treats fire as a dynamic system.

Citation

Kantor, Sylvia; Finney, Mark; McAllister, Sara; Grumstrup, Torben; Forthofer, Jason; Prichard, Susan; Smith, Alistair. 2023. Understanding wildfire as a dynamic system: A new comprehensive book on wildland fire behavior. Science You Can Use Bulletin, Issue 64. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 11 p.