Notes: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology & Management Lesson 5 - - PDF document

NR406

GIS Applications in Fire Ecology & Management

Lesson 5 Mapping Fuels and Sim ulations in Farsite

Notes:

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

http://www.fire.org/

Mark Finney Fire Sciences Lab, Missoula, MT

FARSI TE – Dow nload Fire Area Sim ulator FARSI TE – Dow nload Fire Area Sim ulator

Notes:

The fire growth simulation program Farsite was developed by Mark Finney at the Fire Sciences Laboratory in Missoula,

• Montana. You can download the program from

http://www.fire.org. In this lesson you will learn what information is required as inputs to Farsite and how to use GIS to create these data.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

• FARSITE is a fire growth simulation model. It uses spatial

information on topography and fuels along with weather and wind files.

• FARSITE incorporates the existing models for surface fire,

crown fire, spotting, post-frontal combustion, and fire acceleration into a 2-dimensional fire growth model.

• FARSITE runs under Microsoft Windows operating

systems (Windows 98, me, NT, 2000, and XP) and features a graphical interface.

• FARSITE users must have the support of a geographic

information system (GIS) to use FARSITE because it requires spatial landscape information to run.

W hat is FARSI TE? W hat is FARSI TE?

Notes:

Farsite is a fire growth simulation model that uses spatial information on topography and fuels along with weather and wind files to predict the spread of fires across the landscape. Farsite incorporates existing models for surface fires, crown fire, spotting, post-frontal combustion and fire acceleration into a 2-dimensional spatial fire growth model.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

• Computes wildfire growth and behavior through time under

heterogeneous conditions of terrain, fuels, and weather.

• Uses existing fire behavior m odels for surface and crown fires,

post-frontal combustion, and fuel moisture.

• It is a determ inistic model, meaning that you can relate

simulation results directly to your inputs.

• Produces outputs that are compatible with PC and GIS.
• Can simulate air and ground suppression actions.
• Can be used for fire gaming, asking multiple "what-if"

questions and com paring the results.

W hat does FARSI TE do? W hat does FARSI TE do?

Notes:

Farsite computes the growth of wildfires and behavior through time under heterogeneous conditions of terrain, fuels and

• weather. It is a deterministic model which means that if you

are running the model several times with the same input variables the results will be the same, i.e. there is no stochastic component in the model. The outputs from Farsite are compatible with ArcGIS. You can use Farsite to ask what-if questions and compare different management scenarios.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

Learn more by reading the FARSITE User’s Guide

http://www.fire.org go to the FARSITE tab

Learn More… Learn More…

Notes:

Learn more about Farsite in the documentation pages

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

GIS data is required to build the Landscape file

Flow Diagram Flow Diagram

Notes:

This is the ‘simple’ flow diagram for how to create a Farsite

• project. In this Lesson you will view a demonstration on how to

set up and run a simple project. Data layers created in a GIS are required to build the landscape file in Farsite. Since the input GIS layers to Farsite are raster data, the Spatial Analyst Extension is required for GIS data processing.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

Required

• Elevation
• Aspect
• Slope
• Fuel Model
• Canopy Cover

Optional

• Crown Bulk Density
• Crown Base Height
• Stand Height
• Duff Loading
• Course Woody

Landscape Layers from GI S Landscape Layers from GI S

Notes:

The required GIS layers are elevation, slope, aspect, fuel model and canopy cover. Optional layers are Crown Bulk Density, Crown Base Height, Stand Height, Duff Loading, Course Woody Debris. We will focus on preparing the topographic layers and the fuel model layers in this lesson and exercise.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

We do not have a fuel model map for Craig Mountain How could we estimate fuel models from vegetation?

Notes:

We will prepare GIS input layers to Farsite for the Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area in west central Idaho. We have a cover type grid at a 30 m pixel size developed by the GAP Analysis Project (http://www.wildlife.uidaho.edu/idgap/). Since we do not have a fuel model dataset for Craig Mountain we will estimate the fuel models from the existing vegetation. For example the Douglas-fir cover type will be assigned Fuel Model 8 (short needle coniferous forest) and Foothills grassland will be assigned Fuel Model 1 (Short grass). This type of fuel model assignment can easily be done using the RECLASSIFY tool in ArcGIS Spatial Analyst.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

FM 1 – Short Grass FM 2 – Open Timber Grass Understory FM 5 – Short Brush FM 8 – Closed Short Needle Conifer FM 9 – Closed Long Needle Conifer FM 10 – Closed Timber Heavy DWD FM 11 – Light Logging Slash

Fuel m odels (Anderson, 1982) Fuel m odels (Anderson, 1982)

Notes:

A few fuel models are listed here. If you are not familiar with the concept of the Anderson fuel models, please take some time to read: Anderson, Hal E. 1982. Aids to determining fuel models for estimating fire behavior. USDA For. Serv. Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-122, 22p. lntermt. For. and Range Exp. Stn., Ogden, Utah 84401 Available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs_int/int_gtr122.html GIS Fuel Model data layers are available for download from the Landfire web site (http://www.Landfire.gov). Lesson 8 covers the Landfire project and access to Landfire data.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

Digital Elevation Models Digital Elevation Models

Digital elevation models are available for most areas in USA. This elevation model was downloaded from the INSIDE I daho GIS clearing-house http: / / inside.uidaho.edu Slope and aspect grids can be derived from the digital elevation model in Spatial Analyst.

Notes:

Digital elevation models are available for most areas in USA. This elevation model was downloaded from the INSIDE Idaho GIS clearing-house http://inside.uidaho.edu Slope and aspect grids can be derived from the digital elevation model in Spatial Analyst.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

All raster data must be converted to ASCII GRIDS in ArcINFO or ArcToolbox

TI P TI P

Notes:

After the data layers have been prepared in ArcGIS they must be converted to the Grid ASCII format. You can do this in ArcToolbox.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

Required

• Weather (.WTR)
• Wind (.WND)
• Adjustment Factors (.ADJ)
• Initial Fuel Moistures (.FMS)

Optional

• Custom Fuel Models (.CFM)
• Burn Period (.BPD)
• Coarse Woody Profiles (.CWD)
• Fuel Model Conversions (.CNV)

Files Required to Run Farsite Files Required to Run Farsite

Notes:

Other files required to run Farsite are information about weather, wind, and fuel moistures.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

Craig Mountain Management Area Craig Mountain Management Area

August 12, 2000, path 42 row 28

Craig Mountain Management Area

Notes:

This is a Landsat satellite image from August 12, 2000 over the Craig Mountain Management Area south of Lewiston in west central Idaho. The fire we will be simulating in Farsite started at the eastern end of the management area.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

Craig Mountain Management Area Craig Mountain Management Area

September 13, 2000, path 42 row 28

Notes:

The same area a month later after the Maloney Creek fire had stopped burning.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

Start Aug 12? Enable spot fires! Barriers can be added Progression of Maloney Creek Fire on Craig Mtn. Progression of Maloney Creek Fire on Craig Mtn.

Notes:

This map shows the fire progression map for the Maloney Creek fire on Craig Mountain in August 2000.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

FARSI TE – Dem o FARSI TE – Dem o

Notes:

The fire is here burning in Farsite. Notice how the progression

• f the fire in this graphic is very similar to the extent of the fire
• n August 15 in the previous slide.

NR406: GIS Applications in Fire Ecology and Management

FARSI TE – Dem o FARSI TE – Dem o

Notes:

The fire has here been allowed to burn in Farsite longer that the Maloney Creek fire actually burned on Craig Mountain. In the following lab you will learn now to use GIS to prepare the necessary input data layers for simulation in Farsite.