Observations of wildfire spread dynamics in southern Australian grasslands

IF 2.9 3区农林科学 Q1 FORESTRY

International Journal of Wildland Fire Pub Date : 2024-09-04 DOI:10.1071/wf24095

Miguel G. Cruz, Musa Kilinc, James S. Gould, Wendy R. Anderson

{"title":"Observations of wildfire spread dynamics in southern Australian grasslands","authors":"Miguel G. Cruz, Musa Kilinc, James S. Gould, Wendy R. Anderson","doi":"10.1071/wf24095","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":" BackgroundWildfire propagation is inherently non-steady, although forecasts of their spread focus on a pseudo-steady state assumption. AimsTo investigate the variability in rate of fire spread of wildfires in southern Australian grassland landscapes, and the effect of landscape features in inhibiting fire propagation. To evaluate the adequacy of grassfire rate of spread models currently used in Australia. MethodsWe reconstructed the propagation of six wildfires in grassland fuels and characterised the unsteady nature of rate of spread. We also analysed the effect of barriers to fire spread in slowing or halting wildfire propagation. Key resultsHeadfire rate of spread in wildfires was observed to be non-steady, with peaks in forward rate of spread being on average 2.6-times higher than mean values. The rate of spread had an average coefficient of variation of 88%. Areas of fuel discontinuity, such as roads, did not stop fires under moderate burning conditions, but resulted in slowing the average rate of fire spread. ConclusionsAnalysis of wildfire observations is key to understand fire behaviour features that are not replicable in experimental or modelling environments. Findings from the analysis can support fire-fighting safety awareness and inform landscape fire propagation modelling.","PeriodicalId":14464,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Wildland Fire","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1071/wf24095","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"FORESTRY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Wildfire propagation is inherently non-steady, although forecasts of their spread focus on a pseudo-steady state assumption.

Aims

To investigate the variability in rate of fire spread of wildfires in southern Australian grassland landscapes, and the effect of landscape features in inhibiting fire propagation. To evaluate the adequacy of grassfire rate of spread models currently used in Australia.

Methods

We reconstructed the propagation of six wildfires in grassland fuels and characterised the unsteady nature of rate of spread. We also analysed the effect of barriers to fire spread in slowing or halting wildfire propagation.

Key results

Headfire rate of spread in wildfires was observed to be non-steady, with peaks in forward rate of spread being on average 2.6-times higher than mean values. The rate of spread had an average coefficient of variation of 88%. Areas of fuel discontinuity, such as roads, did not stop fires under moderate burning conditions, but resulted in slowing the average rate of fire spread.

Conclusions

Analysis of wildfire observations is key to understand fire behaviour features that are not replicable in experimental or modelling environments. Findings from the analysis can support fire-fighting safety awareness and inform landscape fire propagation modelling.

查看原文本刊更多论文

澳大利亚南部草原野火蔓延动态观测

背景野火的传播本质上是非稳态的，尽管对其传播的预测主要基于伪稳态假设。目的研究澳大利亚南部草地景观中野火传播速度的变化，以及景观特征对抑制火势传播的影响。评估澳大利亚目前使用的草地火灾蔓延率模型的适当性。方法我们重建了六场野火在草地燃料中的传播，并描述了传播速度的不稳定性。我们还分析了阻碍火势蔓延的因素对减缓或阻止野火蔓延的影响。主要结果观察到野火的蔓延率并不稳定，前向蔓延率的峰值平均比平均值高出 2.6 倍。蔓延率的平均变异系数为 88%。在中度燃烧条件下，道路等燃料不连续区域并不能阻止火灾，但会导致火灾的平均蔓延速度减慢。结论分析野火观测数据是了解火灾行为特征的关键，而这些特征在实验或建模环境中是无法复制的。分析结果有助于提高消防安全意识，并为景观火灾传播建模提供信息。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Journal of Wildland Fire 农林科学-林学

CiteScore

5.50

自引率

9.70%

发文量

审稿时长

12-24 weeks

期刊介绍： International Journal of Wildland Fire publishes new and significant articles that advance basic and applied research concerning wildland fire. Published papers aim to assist in the understanding of the basic principles of fire as a process, its ecological impact at the stand level and the landscape level, modelling fire and its effects, as well as presenting information on how to effectively and efficiently manage fire. The journal has an international perspective, since wildland fire plays a major social, economic and ecological role around the globe. The International Journal of Wildland Fire is published on behalf of the International Association of Wildland Fire.