FIRE WILDLAND FIRES

Fires: good versus bad?

Natural versus human influence
o Wildland fires:
45% lightning
55% human (accidentally or deliberately)
What is fire:
o Rapid combination of oxygen with hydrogen and carbon rich materials (usually
organic) that produces heat and light in effect, photosynthesis in reverse
Photosynthesis:
6CO2.
Fire( material heated above its combustion point):
6O2.
A fire will begin to burn, and continue to burn, only when fuel, heat, and oxygen are
present in the right combination
o Fire triangle:
Fuel: any combustible material; usually organic
o Grasses, shrubs, trees,
o Made up of ;
Cellulose, hemicellulose
50-70 of plant material
Burn at relatively low t, produce visible flame
Lignin
Gives wood its strength
Burn at higher t , glowing combustion hot coals
Resins, oils, fats, terrines
Many aromatics / low combustion points
Tend to flame suddenly, produce other gasess
Oxygen:
o 21 of atmosphere
o Also tied up in organic compounds, and may be released by burning
Heat:
o Warm/summer, drought = heat and dry material
o Amount of fuel usually limiting factor
Stages of fire:
o Preheating;
Drives water out of combustible material (high heat capacity/noncombustible)

Raises temperature(cellulose can remain stable to -250c, breaks down

by -325c)
o Pyrolysis;
Thermal degradation into flammable hydrocarbons, water vapout, CO
and CO2, and mineral residues
If sufficient oxygen and heat present, may ignite and combustion may
begin = flaming combustion
Complete combustion: white smoke
o At- 1000C the gases breakdown releasing oxygen and leaving carbon
Incomplete combustion: black/grey smoke
o Unburned wood fragments, ashes, gases
Burning :
o Flaming combustion; pyrolysed surface burns hot and fast= greatest energy
release
o Heat transferred by ;
Convection and radiation up and away
Conduction inwards
Glowing combustion; slower burning that consumes solid material =
slower oxidation of charred remains
Forced convection; occurs when the wind aids convection
In a wildfire, all the stages can occur in different areas
The spread of fire:
o Styles;
o 1 may move along the ground with glowing combustion the main role
o 2 advance as a wall of fire along flaming combustion front
o 3 race through tree tops as crown fire
The spread of fire depends on;
o Fuel- types of material burned; trees, grasses, ex. Eucalyptus trees
o Wind- brings oxygen, distributes heat, pushes flames, carries debris
o Topography- microclimates/varying vegetation, turbulence over rugged terrain,
faster buring up slope
o Fire behavior strength of a fire created partly by its own actions;
Heat creates unstable air conditions
Rising air in convection columns
May spin off fire tornados
Wind sucked in at bottom adding oxygen
Fire suppression
o Methods; ground, air
Remove fuel, soak with water/ chemicals
Back burn
Fire weather:

Does not matter if natural or human started, if material is too wet, fires will not
burn
o Prolonged dry-spells will reduce moistures content
o Strong winds can transport embers some distance= spread farther/faster
o Winds also encourage convection= hotter
o Amount of lightning activity/(human carelessness/stupidity)
o Necessary weather conditions include:
Low relative humidity
Strong winds lightning activity
Fire suppression;
o Total suppression 1920, Bitterroot Mtns fires in Idaho and Montana 3 million
acres burned, towns destroyed, 85 people killed
o Periodic burning/prescribed burns
o Let it burn
Fire frequency
o Under natural conditions, frequency depends on climate and type of vegetation
Boreal forest /interior BC. =200 yrs
Great Lakes/Maritimes = 300 400 yres
Mediterranean climates = 30 -100 yrs
Tropical rainforests = do not burn