Fire Mitigation, Fire Mitigation, Prescription Burning Prescription Burning and and Post- -fire Treatments: the fire Treatments: the Post BAER process BAER process ESPM 134 Spring 2008 ESPM 134 Spring 2008
Forest in desperate need of fire! Nice Fireline! Skilled Firefighters! FLAMES 00% Hose Lay! Fabulous Handtools!
Blodgett News: Blodgett News: � They They’ ’re still in prescription & permit re still in prescription & permit � � They still don They still don’ ’t know exactly what we t know exactly what we’ ’re going re going � to burn, but we’ ’re going to try Saturday re going to try Saturday to burn, but we � Remember: heavy boots if you want to play with Remember: heavy boots if you want to play with � fire fire � You You’ ’re going to get re going to get smokey smokey… …bring a change of bring a change of � clothes clothes
Where we’re going: � Concepts in Fire Mitigation � The how & why’s of setting up and executing prescribed fire � Russell Research Station Example � Yosemite National Park Examples � Why, and hows, of post-fire treatments
Reducing Fire Hazards in Forests: Mitigation � We know that fire once was a very frequent event in the forests of the western US � Areas subject to fires every 5 to 25 years � Fire absence, for various reasons, has modified: � Forest Structure � Forest Processes � This has altered what were once primarily frequent, low to moderate intensity fire regimes � Increased density of small shade tolerant tree species � Higher surface fuels loadings � Increased horizontal and vertical fuels continuity � All of these reasons increase the chances of a sever fire out of normative ranges of variability
Reducing Fire Hazards in Forests: Mitigation � High severity stand replace fires are appropriate for many forest types � Lodgepole � Knobcone Pine � Bishop Pine � However, most species adapted to frequent low-moderate intensity fire regimes are unable to successfully regenerate after large high-severity events
Reducing hazards in forests We, as managers, cannot reduce the potential of high severity � fires everywhere simultaneously A procedure is required that prioritizes areas � Four-step process: � Assess fire hazards, including � � Wildland fuels � Topography (Slope, Elevation, Aspect) Assess ignitions, weather, and climate � Assess ecosystem values: � � Wildlife habitat � Timber � Rare, threatened and endangered species � Watersheds � The political wildcard: Wildland Urban Interfaces (WUI’s) Assess differing spatial relationships of different fuels treatments �
Reducing hazards in forests First three assessments � GIS systems can be used to perform these assessments � � Topographic identification of areas of interest Fuels Models: FARSITE, BEHAVE, ARCFUELS, etc � � How those areas might burn given modern, or future, fuels Fourth Step: � � Investigate how successful different staila and temporal combinations of fuels and silvic treatments can reduce severe fire potentials � Areas previously identified as high hazard, high risk or high value can be treated first � Spatial arrangements can be evaluated by modelling, experimental treatments SPLATS: Strategically Placed Land Area Treatments � SPOT: Strategic Placement of Treatments � FSS: Fire Surrogate Studies �
Desired Future Conditions � All depends of land management goals � Heavily dependent on: � Knowledge of past forest conditions � Comparison of relatively undisturbed forests � Other Stuff: � Climate projections, land use, encroaching urbanization, etc.
Fuels Treatments � Fuels Rearrangement: � Transport � Move somewhere else - expensive � Fuels Modification � Alter the surface arrangement � Piles, windrows � Mastication, chipping � Alter the stand structure � Shelterwood & Shaded Fuelbreaks � DFPZ; Defensible Fuel Profile Zones � Prescription Burning
DFPZ’s
Fuels Modification: Chipping SBNF 2003
Prescription fire Wildland Fire � burning under specific, pre- defined conditions that will accomplish specific planned objectives: hence the term ‘Prescribed fire”
Prescription (Rx) Treatments � 5 groups: � Low-moderate consumption, low-moderate intensity � Low consumption, high severity patches � High consumption, low-moderate intensity � High consumption, high intensity � Prescription crown fires
Low-moderate consumption, low-moderate intensity � Winter or early spring � Large fuels will not burn (no time to dry out) � Burns mainly fine fuels � Burning may occurring during: � Active breeding seasons � Plant growth seasons � Times where soils are more negatively impacted � Water
Low consumption, low intensity: Russell Research Station November 2006
Low consumption, high severity patches � “Jackpot” burns: � Usually after rains, snow � Ignition difficult � Wet fine, 1 hr, 10 hour fuels � Once ignited, large classes fuels are consumed � Jackpots, Piles, Windrows
Jackpot Burning: Russell Research Station, April 2007
High consumption, low- moderate intensity � Autumn, prior to seasonal precipitation � Low fuel moistures required � Intensity controlled by ignition, firing patterns, weather � High consumption of live & dead fuels � Labor intensive
High Consumption., low-moderate intensity Tuolumne Grove 10/2005 NPS
High Consumption., low-moderate intensity Tuoloumne Grove 10/2005 NPS
High consumption, high intensity � Autumn before seasonal precipitation � Low fuel moistures � Ignitions are for intensity: � Big strips � Center firing � Heli-torch � Maximizing flame lengths…
High Intensity High Consumption, Tamarack Flat 10/05
Prescription Crown Fires � Fires in Chaparral, Knobcone Pine, Red Pine, Lodgepole Pine, etc � Stand-replacement crown fires � Must be appropriate for the vegetation type � Difficult to plan & execute..but very important
Rx Crown Fire, Cow Mountain 2005
Prescription fires � What is takes: � Decision for management action � The Actual Prescription: � A specific application of fire, during very specific weather, fuels conditions � Smoke Impact � Environmental Impact Statement? � Manning � Equipment � Cooperators � Air Quality Management Districts � Adjoining Suppression Forces, Area of Responsibilty
Rx Fire: Case Studies: Russell Research Station & Yosemite National Park � Effective fuels reduction in plantations of the Russell Experimental Station (RES) � Fire-Safe University Property � Those little 8000 sq ft ‘starter castles’ in the LaMorinda metropolitan area…staring at the Oakland fire scenario � Training � ESPM 181, 134 � Co-operators Training � YNP: acknowledgement of dangerous fuels build-up, Major recreation & visual resource
Land Management Decision � Center for Forestry (C4F) needed to acknowledge the need for management, after that: � Designate Forest officer for oversight � Designate Incident commander – Site representative
Permitting In our case, controlled by: � BAAQMD: � Bay Area Air Quality Management District � Contra Costa County � Contra Costa Fire & Cooperating Fire districts, structure protection � 911: need to be informed of burn ops. � Agriculture Permit Division: Burn Permits � CALFIRE � The all-important Law Enforcement 5 Permit: the actual permission to ignite � Wildland Fire Unit Standby, Structure Protection � BAAQMD controlling agency variable: � Air pollution holds the trump card… � Boils down to size, and what’s burning: � < 10 acres � > 10 acres � Native or Non-native vegetation �
BAAQMD � Regulates all burning; � Major limitation to all operations in California � Regulations vary by air basin; San Joaquin Valley is strictest re: forest Rx fire (most Sierra Nevada forests, YNP, SNP all have to deal with these guys) � Smoke Management Plan � Requires Environmental Impact Statement � Required on: � Any burn from May 1 to October 31 � Any burn over 10 acres � Any burn in native vegetation, including WFU � Any non-training burn
BAAQMD: � November 1 to April 30: � Burning in less than 10 acres of non-native vegetation can occur without Smoke Plan � RES: � Regulation 5 exemptions used: < 10 acres � � Plantation, non-native vegetation suite � Training
RES Calendar: Convincing C4F that prescribed fires can be included in management: � May to December 2005 Actual decision to proceed with burn permitting: December 2005 � Contact (Everett) of regulating agencies: January 2006 � Fuels Vegetation Workup start � Final C4F ‘nod’ for equipment, manning: February 2006 � ICS � Equipment Committal � Manning Committal � Fuels (181) � March 2006: � Felling � Line construction � Equipment relocation (PPE, hose, handtools) �
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