Forest Fires in the United States: 9 February 2000

Several active fire signals were recorded by OSEI with the NOAA-14 POES AVHRR HRPT satellite on 8 February 2000 in the southeastern United States.

Fig. 1. and 2. Scattered heat signatures and smoke plumes from areas of fire burning in southern Georgia, northern Florida, Mississippi and Alabama .
(Source: NOAA/OSEI)

The Wildland Fire Assessment System is a contribution of "The Fire Behavior Research Work Unit", Missoula (Montana USA). The broad area component of the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) generated national maps of selected fire weather and fire danger components. Fire Danger (Potential) is a normalized adjective rating class across different fuel models and station locations. It is based on information provided by local station managers about the primary fuel model, fire danger index selected to reflect staffing level, and climatological class breakpoints. Low danger (class 1) is green and extreme potential (class 5) is red.

Fig. 3. and 4. Fire Danger Forecast Maps of the United States for 8 February (observation time) and 9 February (next day forecast; right map) 2000
(Source: Fire Behavior Research Work Unit, Missoula)

The Morning Report of the SOUTHERN AREA COORDINATION CENTER is a narrative summary of fire activity within the Southern Area including number of fires, wildfires as well as prescribed burns, and area. "Wildland fire activity across the Southern Area continues to increase. Large fire activity continues in Mississippi and Louisiana".

In following states the number of fires, area and fire weather conditions were reported on 8 February 2000:

The forecast for the rest of the week calls for a slight chance of showers along the South Carolina and Georgia coast Wednesday and windy conditions across the center portion of the Southern Area on Thursday ahead of an approaching front. That front will bring scattered precipitation on Friday to eastern TX, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee. It will continue across the area Saturday into Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Moisture from the system should be fairly widespread. The Preparedness Level has been raised to PL II. Six units are reporting high fire danger and the recent large fire activity has required some mobilization of resources.

ARKANSAS/OKLAHOMA: Fire danger is increasing across Oklahoma. The moisture from the January snow storms is beginning to evaporate from wildland fuels. Forecast calls for warm weather and continued dry conditions in Oklahoma and continued dry air in Arkansas from an approaching cold front.

LOUISIANA: Some precipitation was received yesterday across the state. Although it was not a significant quantity, it should help lower fire conditions until the next front moves through the end of the week. The next front is expected to bring significant rainfall to the area.

MISSISSIPPI: Initial attack activity slowed yesterday. Suppression units were used on the Fort, Leno Road and Sam Road fires. No precipitation is in the forecast.
The Fort is 100% contained at 368 ha. Rehabilitation of dozer lines is in progress and the fire is being patrolled.
The Sam Road Fire is 80% contained at 713 ha. The fire began as a debris fire on private lands which escaped. The fire is burning in marshes and pinelands on the Refuge. Burn out is continuing and indirect attack is being used to contain the fire. The fire continued to burn actively overnight with 100% humidity.
The Leno Road Fire is 100% contained at 81 ha and was caused by arson. The fire is in mop up and patrol status.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Prescribed and wildland fire activity has increased along the coast and is starting in the piedmont. Low humidity and warmer temperatures are expected the next few days. Additional prescribe burning is planned for the week if the weather conditions are appropriate.

According to the INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT three categories of fires are distinguished, such as:
1. Fires*
2. Prescribed Fires
3. Wildland Fire Use Fires**

* This classification corresponds to the category "wildland fires" as defined by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)
** A brief excursion to wildland fire terminology:

Wildland Fires: Fires occurring on any tpye of vegetation, regardless of ignition sources, damages or benefits.

Wildfire: Any uncontrolled wildland fire which (1) may require suppression response, or (2) any uncontrolled wildland fire which meets management objectives and is declared as a Wildland Fire Use Fire (see below) or syn. Prescribed Natural Fire or Prescribed Fire.

Prescribed Fire: Occasionally also called management-ignited fire, or prescribed burning, is a controlled application of fire to vegetation in either their natural or modified state, under specified environmental conditions which allow the fire to be confined to a predetermined area and at the same time to produce the intensity of heat and rate of spread required to attain planned resource management objectives.

Wildland Fire Use Fire: Naturally ignited fire which is managed to achieve resource benefits under close supervision (syn. Prescribed Natural Fire)

Currently, Wildland Fire Use Fire data are not available. The differentiation of the above mentioned three fire classes do not point out clearly for the moment, whether the classified wildland fires included prescribed burned areas.

Geographic Area	Number of Wildland Fires	Area Burned (ha)
Alaska	0	0
Northwest	0	0
California	162	36
Northern Rockies	0	0
Eastern Great Basin	1	1.2
Western Great Basin	1	0.4
Southwest	46	1,599
Rocky Mountain	7	759
Eastern	17	114
Southern	2930	15,535
Total United States	3164	18,046

Geographic Area	Number of Prescribed Fires	Area Burned (ha)
Alaska	0	0
Northwest	3	590
California	36	561
Northern Rockies	0	0
Eastern Great Basin	3	11
Western Great Basin	0	0
Southwest	37	990
Rocky Mountain	0	0
Eastern	2	232
Southern	175	35,501
Total United States	162	37,887

Fire is an important natural tool for ecosystem management. It can reduce dense vegetation improving wildlife habitat and lessening the potential for large, wildfire disasters. Land managers are directed to prepare a prescribed fire/burn plan for every area of public land that can burn. Some areas require total suppression while others will benefit from a wildland fire. Those areas that will benefit from a fire can be treated by a prescribed fire.

Especially, for the moment, in the southern and southeastern regions of the United States prescribed fire activities will be carried out in the following weeks and months. In this case, fire signals on satellite images can be traced back to this kind of land management activities.

In the Prescribed Fire Position Paper of the Forest Protection Bureau by the Division of Forestry in Florida, prescribed fire activity is described as a land management application that is essential to the practice of forestry, management of wildlife, preservation of endangered plant and animal species, improvement of range conditions and reduction of wildfire damage in the wildland/urban interface areas. While there is general public and landowner concern with increased smoke, reduced air quality, and liability; the general public and landowners benefit significantly from the reduction of devastating wildfire, improved wildlife habitat and forage, preservation of endangered and threatened plant and animal species, and improved management of forest resources. The prospect of severe reductions in the utilization of this management tool is of major concern to Florida's natural resource managers and conservationists due to the subsequent loss of derived public and private benefits. They suggest the need for legislative attention.

A set of photographic documents on prescribed burning techniques and objectives in the Southeast can be visited in our photo archive.