Containment tables for initial attack on forest fires

Long-range planning of forest fire initial attack systems requires a method for evaluation of force effectiveness against an assumed pattern of fire occurrence on the planning unit. Note: The author is an Operations Research Analyst at the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, stationed at Riverside, California.     

A new fire management policy on Forest Service lands

A new Forest Service policy, effective February 1978, allows some wildfires to burn under prescribed conditions, urges a multidisciplinary approach to fire control, and has applications to rural and urban situations. Note: The author, formerly with the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Berkeley, Calif., is now with the Forest Fire and Atmospheric Sciences Research Staff, Washington, D.C.     

Measuring mass loss rates in free burning fires

Accurate data on mass loss rates of fuels in large, free-burning fires are scant. However, the authors report a method of making such measurements, which, when tested, provided reliable data. Note: Mr. Murray is now in the Forestry and Timber Bureau, Canberra, Australia; Mr. Northcutt is now in the Division of Forest Fire and Atmosphere Research, Forest Service, USDA, Washington, D. C.; and Mr. Countryman is stationed at Riverside, California.     

Evaluating fire prevention effectiveness through a probability model

A probability model has been developed to evaluate the effectiveness of fire prevention efforts applied under specific weather conditions. Note: Bradley B. Nickey is assigned to the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Clifford B. Chapman is with the Department of Forestry, State of California.     

Developing a cost-effective fire management plan for California’s Kern Plateau

The Kern Plateau in Sequoia National Forest was selected as a pilot study area for the development and application of a new fire management planning process. Note: Jason M. Greenlee is President of Fire and Land Management Enterprises (FLAME), Boulder Creek, California. Carl C. Wilson was formerly National Fire Specialist for the Forest Service, USDA, and is now a Forest Fire Consultant at Berkeley, California.     

Effect of fire whirlwind formation on solid fuel burning rates

Burning rates of Douglas fir wood were measured using crosspiled sticks 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1 in. (0.64, 1.27, 1.90, and 2.54 cm) in cross-sectional dimensions. Burning was 1.4 to 4.2 times as fast with the whirlwind as without. Note: Mr. Martin is Project Leader, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Professor, College of Forest Resources, University of Washington. Mr. Pendleton is a Forester, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Leavenworth, Washington. Mr. Burgess is a Forester, Pack River Forest Products, Peshastin, Washington. This paper was presented at the Combustion Institute, Western States Section at Pullman, Washington, May 6–7, 1974.     

A high temperature water-cooled anemometer

Prior attempts to measure air velocity within and near fires have not been completely successful because of mechanical and electronic failures due to heat. A system of cooling critical mechanical and electronic parts of anemometers using liquids has been developed to overcome this problem. Note: Mr. Palmer is stationed at Riverside, California, and Mr. Northcutt’s current address is Division of Forest Fire and Atmospheric Sciences Research, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250.     

Handtools and chain saws outproduce hydraulic units

Field tests assessed forest fireline construction capabilities of two power-assisted tooling systems—a chain saw system and a hydraulic power unit system. These were compared with the conventional handtool system as to fireline construction rate, cost, and other considerations. Note: Irene A. Althaus is a Natural Resource Economist assigned to the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Berkeley, California, stationed at Riverside, California. Robert W. Weaver is Fire Research Coordinator with the California Department of Forestry, Sacramento, California.     

Application of CMA program to wood charring

Experiments were conducted to test the ability of a computer program to describe the charring of ovendried wood. Note: Mr. White is a Forest Products Technologist and Dr. Schaffer is a Supervisory Research Engineer at the Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory. The Laboratory is maintained at Madison, Wisconsin in cooperation with the University of Wisconsin. Note: The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute official endorsement or approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable.     

Energy release rates in fire retardant evaluation

Rate of spread and other indirect measurements of fire intensity are often used as measures of flammability when fire-retardant chemicals are evaluated under laboratory conditions. The authors describe a system for obtaining the energy release rate directly and show its importance and relation to retardant effectiveness. Note: The authors are Research Foresters stationed at the Northern Forest Fire Laboratory, Missoula, Montana.     

The modeling of pulsating fires

The authors present scaling relationships for modeling pulsating fires. Data gathered from various sizes of pulsating fires compared favorably with the predicted relationships between fire diameter and pulsation frequency. Note: Mr. Byram is Principal Physicist and Mr. Nelson a Forest Products Technologist with the Southern Forest Fire Laboratory. The paper was presented at the fall meeting, Western States Section, The Combustion Institute, La Jolla, California, October 27 and 28, 1969.     

The trouble with fire intensity

The author discusses the inadequacies and limitations of the term “fire intensity” as it is used to describe the severity of forest fires and suggests that the term “fire front power” is more appropriate. General Physical Scientist, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, USDA, Forest Service, Macon, Georgia.     

Living on the edge: a process for redesigning campgrounds in grizzly bear habitat

The North Fork of the Shoshone Highway Corridor contains 52% of the developed recreation sites within the Shoshone National Forest. The highway is a popular access route for visitors traveling from Cody, WY to Yellowstone National Park. This river corridor is also an important habitat for a growing population of grizzly bears. The Shoshone National Forest is currently proposing a major reconstruction of recreation facilities along the highway corridor. This has presented the Forest with an excellent opportunity to recreate facilities that encourage more appropriate human behavior in grizzly habitat. This concept for campground design is a composite of many design strategies currently used internationally in bear habitat designs and information derived from current research in bear/human conflict, grizzly bear behavior and bear habitat use and habitat assessment. The application of this concept to recreational facilities in the North Fork Corridor is the product of an interagency design team of landscape architects and biologists from the US Forest Service, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service in the Greater Yellowstone Area. The design process involves identifying local grizzly bear use patterns and zoning campground components to accommodate these patterns. The most vulnerable facilities (tent pads), are located furthest from bear travel corridors and food preparation areas. Buffer zones, leave strips, trails and barriers are used to help direct bear travel around the campground. Food storage facilities, garbage facilities, cooking sites, and other attractants are consolidated. Human access into bear travel zones is structurally controlled. A major focus of the design is to emphasize the presence of the bear through the actual layout of campground facilities and to capitalize on the unique experience of camping in the grizzly bear's domain.     

Occurrences of lightning fires — Can they be simulated?

A computer simulation model of lightning fire discoveries has been developed by analyzing historical records of lightning fire occurrences. The model is being tested by using reports of lightning fires from four national forests. Results to date suggest that statistical distributions can be used to model the characteristics of lightning fire discoveries. Note: The author is stationed at the Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Station, Riverside, California.     

The effect of humidity,air temperature,and wind speed on fine fuel moisture content

A controlled environmental chamber was used to study the effects of relative humidity, air temperature, and wind speed on moisture content of tobosa grass. Prediction equations were developed to show rates of change in fine fuel moisture content and equilibrium fine fuel moisture content for both absorption and desorption. Note: Mr. Britton is a Research Associate at Texas Tech University; Mr. Countryman, a Project Leader, Forest Fire Laboratory, Riverside, California; Dr. Wright, Associate Professor of Range Management, Texas Tech University; and Dr. Walvekar, Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering, Texas Tech University. Mr. Britton’s current address is Range Science Department, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas. Note: This paper is College of Agricultural Sciences, Texas Tech University Contribution No. T-9-111.     

Part I Ignition temperatures and flame spread rates

Part I of this two-part report deals with the effects of oxygen enrichment on ignition temperatures and flame spread rates of materials that might be found in hospital hyperbaric chambers. Part II will be carried in the November issue. Increased use of oxygen-enriched atmospheres in medicine, undersea exploration, and the space program (twice with tragic results) has caused attention to be focused on the effects of oxygen enrichment on the flammability of, materials. Note: This paper is based on research sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, under Appropriation 7560370. Reference to specific brandse is, made for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the Bureau of Mines.     

Minimum ignition energies

In this, the final part of a two-part report, the authors take a look at the electrical energy required to ignite certain solids in air and in oxygen both at 1 atmosphere and at hyperbaric pressures. Increased use of oxygen-enriched atmospheres in medicine, undersea exploration, and the space program (twice with tragic results) has caused attention to be focused on the effects of oxygen enrichment on the flammability of materials. Note: This paper is based on research sponsored by the U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education and Welfare under Appropriation 7560370. Reference to trade names is made for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the Bureau of Mines.     

FOCUS: A computer simulation model for fire control planning

The U.S. Forest Service has been working toward the development of a mathematical model that is expected to point the way to improved efficiency in forest fire fighting and fire prevention.     

Mass fire characteristics in large-scale tests

The suburban sprawl into rural and wildland areas increases the potential for damage from mass fires, either through nuclear attack or natural disaster. But defenses against the devastating effects of mass fires suffer from lack of quantitative information on behavior of large intense fires. Laboratory-scale testing is not enough —it is very likely that a different set of controlling factors take over when a fire grows to a certain size and intensity. A series of large-scale tests using woodland fuels in ordered piles simulating built-up residential areas has been started to provide the missing data. Preliminary tests in the series are reported here. Note: This paper was presented at a fire research symposium sponsored by the Office of Civil Defense at Washington, D.C., May 17, 1965. It is based on a report “Mass Fires and Fire Behavior” (U.S.Forest Service Research Paper PSW-19, 1964, Contract Nos. OCD-OS-62-173 and OCD-PS-64-32 for the Office of Civil Defense) and is availiable from the Clearinghouse of Federal Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Note: This paper was presented at a fire research symposium sponsored by the Office of Civil Defense at Washington, D.C., May 17, 1965. It is based on a report “Mass Fires and Fire Behavior” (U.S.Forest Service Research Paper PSW-19, 1964, Contract Nos. OCD-OS-62-173 and OCD-PS-64-32 for the Office of Civil Defense) and is availiable from the Clearinghouse of Federal Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Department of Commerce, Springfield, Virginia 22151.     

Wildland fire modeling and strategy assessment

The U.S. Forest Service has developed a computer model called FOCUS. The model works by testing various suppression force allocations and positions against an array of historical ignitions. Fire and Land Management Enterprises