Forecasting diurnal variations in fire intensity to enhance wildland firefighter safety

J. A. Beck, M. E. Alexander, S. D. Harvey and A. K. Beaver

Abstract

The extent to which the concept of displaying the diurnal variation in Byram's fire intensity on a daily basis during the fire season has been applied in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, to ensure safe and productive wildland firefighting work practices is described. This has been made possible by using the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System coupled with fire weather forecasts and local information on the state of the fire environment in regards to fuel types, fuel moisture conditions and slope steepness. The resulting operational fire management tool has been the development, beginning in the mid 1990s, of the British Columbia Fire Weather and Behavior Advisory and Warning System. Potential areas for improvement in this system are detailed.

Keywords: advisories; British Columbia; Canada; Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System; Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System; Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System; fire behavior; fire behavior prediction; fire danger rating; fire environment; fire weather; fire weather forecasting.

International Journal of Wildland Fire 11(4) 173 - 182 (2002) doi:10.1071/WF02002