Forest Fires in the United States: 3 April 2000

Nearly 1000 firefighters were on the lines on 1 April 2000 in northern California, working to contain three major fires pushed by high winds, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee. The Cabbage Fire east of Lake Pillsbury has grown to nearly 1,500 acres (607 hectares) on the Mendocino National Forest. The fire's burning in mixed conifer and chaparral in a remote area, with many spot fires, and is headed toward the Snow Mountain Wilderness. According to United States Forest Service reports, Scott Vail's California Type 1 team is on the fire; additional resources have been ordered and are en route. Seven helicopters, 27 engines, and 22 crews are on the fire. Another Mendocino National Forest fire was being fought Saturday west of the town of Elk Creek and had consumed 500 acres (202 ha) by late afternoon.

A wind-driven wildfire has blackened nearly 50 acres (20 ha) north of Placerville. The fire was burning two miles from downtown Placerville. Two helicopters, 19 engines and five hand crews have responded to the fire, which was burning north of Mosquito Road in rural El Dorado County.

The Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) is a contribution of "The Fire Behavior Research Work Unit", Missoula (Montana USA). The broad area component of the Wildland Fire Assessment System (WFAS) generates 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. 1. & 2. Fire Danger Forecast Maps of the United States for 2 April (observation time) and 3 April (forecast) 2000
(Source: Fire Behavior Research Work Unit, Missoula)

Wildland Fire Update (31 March 2000)
The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) provides new data of the current wildland fire season in the United States. These data were analysed after different geographic regions. Further, a five-year wildland fire comparison statistic shows the number and the area of wildland fires from 1996 to 2000.

Fire conditions in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Kentucky remain extreme. Several large and hundreds of small wildland fires were reported from the Southwest, Southern and Eastern areas during the past week.
While burning conditions in some states are severe, other states throughout the country are experiencing ideal conditions for prescribed fires. As of today, nearly 480,000 acres (194,249 hectares) of wildlands have been treated by prescription fires. Prescribed fires are planned under specified conditions intended to improve the health of the natural landscape and/or reduce hazardous build-up of vegetation that lead to devastating wildland fires.
Long-range, 30-day weather forecasts are predicting above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for the southern tier of states from southern California to Florida and throughout the Midwest (see Fig.4. 30 and 90-day forecast maps).

Tab.1. Five-Year Wildland Fire Comparison Statistics Year-to-Date for the United States (31 March 2000)
(Source: National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC))

As of 03/27/00	Number of Wildland Fires	Area burnt
As of 03/27/00	Number of Wildland Fires	Acres	Hectars
2000	20,346	569,567	230,495
1999	18,202	216,197	87,491
1998	8,505	147,095	59,527
1997	11,465	240,723	97,417
1996	24,191	524,235	212,150

Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) by Florida's Division of Forestry / Forest Protection Bureau
John Keetch and George Byram developed the K/B index at the Southern Forest Fire Laboratory to evaluate the effects of long-term drying on litter and duff and subsequently, on fire activity (1968). The index is based on a measurement of 8 inches (20 cm) of available moisture in the upper soil layers that can be used by vegetation for evapotranspiration. The index measure is in hundredths (0.01) of an inch of water and has a range of 0 through 800, with 0 being saturated and 800 representing the worst drought condition. The index indicates deficit inches of available water in the soil. A K/B reading of 250 means there is a deficit of 2.5 inches (64 mm) of ground water available to the vegetation. As drought progresses, there is more available fuel that can contribute to fire intensity.
For further information on the KBDI please refer to Keetch-Byram Drought Index Revisited: Prescribed Fire Applications.

The Florida Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System is part of the "Florida Fire Management Information System (FFMIS)" and consists of six components that account for the effects of fuel moisture and wind on fire behavior. The first three components are fuel moisture codes that follow daily changes in the moisture contents of three classes of forest fuel with different drying rates. The last three components are fire behavior indexes, representing rate of spread, amount of available fuel, and fire intensity; their values increase as fire weather severity increases. For detailed information on the Florida Fire Management Information System (FFMIS) the GFMC would like to refer to the original website.
According to the FFMIS for 1 April these parameters show various fire weather conditions for Florida.


Fine Fuel Moisture Code	Duff Moisture Code	Drought Code

Initial Spread Index	Buildup Index	Fire Weather Index

The Southern Area Coordination Center Morning Report (2 April 2000) is a narrative summary of fire activity within the Southern Area including number of fires, wildfires as well as prescribed burns, and area. (For detailed numbers of wildfires and prescribed burns, please refer to the original website of the report.)

SOUTHERN AREA:
The Asheville Hotshot crew is staged in Kentucky and available. The Cherokee #32 Crew was mobilized for a 60-acre fire on the Carolina/Tennessee border.
Moderate to heavy rain is expected throughout the region, with severe thunderstorm warnings from Texas through Virginia. Flood warnings have been issued from Texas to the Tennessee valley. A tornado watch has been issued for south Florida. This front is predicted to slowly move eastward to the Atlantic coast through Sunday.
KENTUCKY: Kentucky Interagency Coordination Center: The Asheville Hotshots are available. Low RHs resulted in Red Flag conditions for most of the state. Heavy thunderstorms are forecasted through Sunday with expectations of 1.5” to 2.5” of rain, causing flash flooding in some areas. Staffing hours for Sunday will be set after the impact of the storm is assessed.
Kentucky Division of Forestry: DBF had five fires in three districts.
TENNESSEE: Tennessee Interagency Coordination Center: Widespread heavy rain forecast today.
Cherokee National Forest: One wildfire on the northern Cherokee approximately 60 acres. Four tanker drops today (one in North Carolina,
three in Tennessee).

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)

Current Situation:
The Southern and Southwest Areas reported large fires to the National Interagency Coordination Center this week. Moderate initial attack activity occurred in the Eastern, Southern, and Southwest Areas and was minimal elsewhere. Very high to extreme fire indices were reported in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Kentucky.
Outlook:
Arizona will be mostly cloudy this weekend with a chance of scattered showers in the south and snow in the north. High temperatures in the 40's (5-10�C) in the north and 70's (21-26�C) in the south. The rest of the week will be partly cloudy and warmer in the valleys. Temperatures will range from the 20's (-6 to -2�C) in the mountains to the 80's (27-30�C) in lower elevations.
New Mexico will be mostly cloudy this weekend with the chance of showers and possible snow in the higher elevations. High temperatures will be in the 70's (21-26�C) in the south and 50's (10-15�C) in the mountains. The remainder of the week will be partly cloudy with a slight chance of precipitation. High temperatures will be in the 40's (5-10�C) in the mountains up to the 70's (21-26�C) elsewhere.
Texas will be partly cloudy with a chance of showers or thunderstorms Tuesday. For the remainder of the week the highs will be in the 70's (21-26�C) to 80's (27-30�C) with little or no precipitation.
Kentucky will be partly cloudy and cool this weekend with a chance of showers on Sunday. The remainder of the week will be cooler with showers ending on Tuesday. Highs will be in the 60's (16-20�C).
Tennessee will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers this weekend. For the remainder of the week, with highs in the mid 60's (16-20�C) to mid 70's (21-26�C).
North Carolina will be partly cloudy with a chance of showers in the northwest this weekend. Highs will be in the mid 70's (21-26�C) with cooler temperatures in the mountains. Chance of showers to continue on Monday and Tuesday with highs in the mid 60's (16-20�C) to mid 70's (21-26�C).

Geographic Area	Number of Fires	Area Burnt
Geographic Area	Number of Fires	acre	ha
Alaska	0	0	0
Northwest	2	0	0
California	279	131	53
Northern Rockies	1	10	4
Eastern Great Basin	6	55	22
Western Great Basin	1	1	0.4
Southwest	577	192,467	77,889
Rocky Mountain	54	2,720	1,101
Eastern	2,339	48,067	19,452
Southern	17,087	326,115	131,974
Total United States	20,346	569,567	230,496

Geographic Area	Number of Prescribed Fires	Area Burnt
Geographic Area	Number of Prescribed Fires	acre	ha
Alaska	0	0	0
Northwest	26	3,095	1,252
California	96	3,601	1,457
Northern	0	0	0
Eastern Great Basin	8	934	378
Western Great Basin	0	0	0
Southwest	389	32,203	13,032
Rocky Mountain	40	4,434	1,794
Eastern	87	19,060	7,713
Southern	748	415,658	168,211
Total United States	1,394	478,986	193,838

Geographic Area	Number of WFU Fires	Area Burnt
Geographic Area	Number of WFU Fires	acre	ha
Alaska	0	0	0
Northwest	0	0	0
California	1	0	0
Northern Rockies	0	0	0
Eastern Great Basin	0	0	0
Western Great Basin	0	0	0
Southwest	1	390	158
Rocky Mountain	0	0	0
Eastern	0	0	0
Southern	0	0	0
Total United States	2	390	158

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.