Fire today ManagementVolume 73 • No. 3 • 2014
Being Prepared
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Fire Management Today is published by the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC. The Secretary of Agriculture has determined that the publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required by law of this Department.
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Tom Vilsack, Secretary Melissa Frey U.S. Department of Agriculture General Manager
Thomas L. Tidwell, Chief Mary A. Carr, EMC Publishing Arts Forest Service Editor
Tom Harbour, Director Fire and Aviation Management
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June 2014
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Fire Management Today 2 Fire Management today Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014
On the Cover: Contents Anchor Point: Fire Doctrine–Where Has All the Fire Doctrine Gone?...... 4 Tom Harbour
Fire Adapted Communities...... 7 Pam Leschak
Proactive Protection: A Community-Wide Approach to Wildfire Preparedness ...... 9 Molly Mowery and Cathy Prudhomme
Setting the Stage: The Role of a Fire Department in a Fire Adapted Community...... 13 A house inside of the Fourmile Lucian Deaton Canyon Fire near Boulder, CO, in the wildland-urban interface. The 7,000-acre fire claimed nearly 170 How the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety houses in the first days of the blaze. Is Working With Its Partners To Advance the Creation of For several of the houses that were Fire Adapted Communities ...... 15 saved, the homeowners had properly prepared their land for the potential Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety staff of wildfire, including building with fire-resistant materials, as well as Fire Prevention—Who Ya Gonna’ Call?...... 18 preparing defensible, fuel-minimized Helene Cleveland spaces in the areas surrounding the structure. Photo by Matthew B. Slaby, National Interagency Adopting a Learning Network Approach for Growing Fire Fire Center. Adapted Communities...... 20 Nick Goulette, Lynn Decker, Michelle Medley-Daniel, The USDA Forest Service’s Fire and Aviation and Bruce Evan Goldstein Management Staff has adopted a logo reflecting three central principles of wildland Firewise: Empowering Wildland-Urban Interface Residents fire management: To Take Responsibility for Their Wildfire Risk...... 25 • Innovation: We will respect and value thinking minds, voices, and thoughts of Michele Steinbergn those that challenge the status quo while focusing on the greater good. Ready, Set, Go! Florida Wildfire Program...... 28 • Execution: We will do what we say we Ronda Sutphen will do. Achieving program objectives, improving diversity, and accomplishing targets are essential to our credibility. Wildfire, Wildlands, and People: Homeowners • Discipline: What we do, we will do well. in the Wildland-Urban Interface...... 30 Fiscal, managerial, and operational Susan M. Stein, James Menakis, Mary A. Carr, Sara J. Comas, Susan I. discipline are at the core of our ability to Stewart, Helene Cleveland, Lincoln Bramwell, Volker C. Radeloff fulfill our mission. Forest Service Response to Nonfire Emergencies. . . . . 34 Gordy Sachs
New and Revised Fire Effects Tools for Fire Management . . 37 Robert E. Keane, Greg Dillon, Stacy Drury, Robin Innes, Penny Morgan, Duncan Lutes, Susan J. Prichard, Jane Smith, and Eva Strand Firefighter and public safety is our first priority.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 3 Anchor by Tom Harbour Director, Fire and Aviation Management Point Forest Service
Fire Doctrine— Where Has All the Fire Doctrine Gone? judgment in application, while Definition—Doctrine is the body of principles that sets the adherence to rules does not. In moral or ethical standard and forms the foundation of judg- combination, principles and rules ment, mode of action, decision, and behavior. It is authoritative guide our fundamental wildland fire but flexible, definitive enough to guide specific operation, yet suppression practices and behav- adaptable enough to address diverse and varied situations. iors and are mutually understood at every level of command. The —Doctrine (
Crew members on the Yarnell we are committed to the aggressive Today, our vision for Fire and Hill Fire in Arizona—19 young management of risk.” Aviation Management has evolved men who did not return home on to “safely and effectively extinguish June 30, 2013, who will forever The original purpose of the Fire fire, when needed; use fire where be missed, who paid the ultimate Suppression Doctrine, accepted by allowable; manage our natural sacrifice in service to others. Our the agency in 2006, was to assist us resources; and as a Nation, live hearts go out to the families, in evolving operational doctrine to with wildland fire” (Wildland Fire friends, and co-workers of these keep pace with change. Using the Leadership Council 2010). brave men. We have and will con- principles of a doctrine requires tinue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers; most importantly, we will never forget. We must learn Doctrine establishes a particular way of thinking about from what happened and vow that, together, we will do everything pos- sible to ensure an incident like this never happens again. fire suppression and our way of fire suppression, a philosophy for leading firefighters on the fireline, a - As we remember the Granite mandate for professionalism, and a common language. Mountain Interagency Hotshot Doctrinal development benefits from our collective ex
Crew, I would ask each of you to perience and distills its lessons to further education and reflect on the foundational doc- training. trine that guides fire suppression in the Forest Service, beginning Our doctrine within the Forest Service begins with the with the operational environment philosophy contained in our mission statement. This that states, “No resource or facil- philosophy underlies publications that contain tactics, - ity is worth the loss of human life; techniques, and procedures for specific functions. This however, the wildland fire suppres- body of thought helps form firefighters and fire suppres sion environment is complex and sion leaders through its implementation in possesses inherent hazards that education and training.
Fire Management Today 4 • Mitigating the effects and managing fatigue of Principles of Risk mind and body is a fire suppression leadership, Management as well as personal, responsibility. • Safety is the ability firefighters have to deal • To promote a bias for action, firefighters are with risks or hazards to avoid damage or losses expected to maximize suppression opportuni- and yet still achieve the leader’s intent. ties while minimizing exposure to inherent • Risk management is a dynamic process exer- risks. cised by everyone having fire suppression • Organizational learning is crucial to risk man- responsibilities or duties; it allows individuals agement. Firefighters are students of fire and to assess a given situation and take what they continually learn from all situations including determine is the most appropriate course of successes, failures, agency safety investiga- action based on leaders’ intent. tions, and reviews. The agency fosters an atmo- • The agency recognizes and accepts the inher- sphere of willful communication. Therefore, it ent risks associated with fire suppression. is critical that employee statements for agency Firefighters will depend on their doctrine, safety investigations are treated as “confiden- training, skilled experience, and leadership to tial.” mitigate those risks. Disregard for these rec- • Extensive formal and informal training is criti- ognized inherent risks and failure to practice cal to risk management and mission accom- risk management is unacceptable, regardless of plishment. whether or not it results in injury or death. • Fire suppression leadership will ensure all • Individuals will be held accountable for their employees with an incident qualifications card decisions. Those decisions should be consid- adhere to and maintain an appropriate level of ered to be reasonable and prudent based on physical fitness. doctrine, training, and experience given the • Fire suppression leadership will recognize context of the situation. those firefighters practicing and promoting the use of risk management in the accomplishing of the agency mission.
To support this vision, five objec- These objectives, combined with hazards in fire suppression while tives have been defined and are the principles from the Fire maximizing the opportunities to essential for supporting the vision Suppression Doctrine, help to cre- achieve mission objectives during and will help move the agency for- ate an organization guided by well- fire suppression operations. Risk ward in the future. They are: stated doctrinal principles that rep- management includes communica- resent the reality of the work, the tions and a process for situational • Transform our workforce into fire environment, and the mission. awareness, hazard assessment, a more refined safety culture hazard control, decision point, and through risk management and Risk management is intrinsic to evaluation. risk reduction processes; our success and to our goal that • Implement fire management pro- each and every firefighter returns Reading and understanding the grams to protect the ecology of home safely at the end of each shift. principles of risk management National Forest System lands for Risk management minimizes the are the initial steps on the path to multiple use; exposure and effects of the inherent becoming more creative and deci- • Enhance and improve collabora- tion and partnerships; • Utilize science, research, and We must learn from what happened on innovative practices to learn; and • Empower employees in leader- June 30, 2013, and vow that, together, we will ship, judgment, and decisionmak- do everything possible to ensure an incident ing. like this never happens again.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 5 What is most important is that we not forget whether your actions are taken on the fireline or in the course of your these lessons, and we continue to strive for the daily life. day when, regardless of the hazards, each of us comes home safe and sound We will undoubtedly learn les- sons from the actions taken by the Granite Mountain Interagency sive leaders and firefighters. The cessful action. On-the-job training Hotshot Crew on the evening of primary way a firefighter becomes a completes the picture by allowing June 30, 2013. Learning, after all, is fire leader is through training and individuals and groups to integrate a major component of the doctrinal education, both of which are firmly their training and education, pro- philosophy. What is most important rooted in doctrine. Doctrine estab- ducing a whole that is greater than is that we not forget these lessons, lishes the philosophy and practical the sum of the parts. The lessons and we continue to strive for the framework for how we fight fire we learn from training and opera- day when, regardless of the haz- now and how we will fight fire into tional experience then modify the ards, each of us comes home safe the future. doctrine. and sound.
Education develops the under- Doctrine establishes the fundamen- References standing, creativity, judgment, and tal beliefs of the Forest Service on Wildland Fire Leadership Council. 2010. the background essential for effec- the subject of fire suppression and A National Cohesive Wildland Fire tive fireline leadership. how we practice our profession. Management Strategy. Washington, DC.
Did You Know
The Forest Service has been working with USDA photographer David Kosling over the last few summers to capture videos and pictures of firefighters on the fireline. Kosling has taken hours of video on fires and has interviewed firefighters across the country. Kosling has put together a 2-minute trailer, available at
Fire Management Today 6 Fire Adapted Communities Pam Leschak
ildfires that threaten com- munities cost the Nation Fire Adapted Communities is not a new program; Wmillions of dollars every year through suppression costs, rather, it is a new strategy, and it represents the structural losses, and economic and desired end state for communities at risk. natural resource damage; they also
There are no indications that Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) the WUI; the tools are beneficial development in the wildland-urban is not a new program; rather, it is a only if implementation is shared by interface (WUI) will abate; in fact, new strategy, and it represents the all. trends indicate that retiring baby desired end state for communities boomers may increase develop- at risk. This is a holistic approach For example, a Firewise commu- ment in high wildfire-risk areas. to mitigation rather than a piece- nity may not achieve adequate risk Fire authorities must deal with that meal one; see the basic elements in reduction if the fuels near the com- increasing development and the the FAC graph (figure 1). munity are not treated by the juris- ever-rising cost of protecting struc- dictions with the authority to do tures. The risk from wildfire greatly The FAC strategy combines tools so. Conversely, fuels treatments on decreases, however, if communities available to address WUI fire issues public property around at-risk com- are prepared or adapted to accept with strong multijurisdictional col- munities will be of limited value fire as a natural part of the larger laborative partnerships. The tools if private property owners do not environmental landscape. make the partnerships stronger, create defensible space or use fire- and the partnerships make the tools resistant building materials. A fire adapted community could more effective. These tools do not be defined as a knowledgeable and belong to one authority but rather Think of the FAC approach as an engaged community in which the to all jurisdictions and partners in umbrella under which exist the awareness and actions of residents regarding infrastructure, buildings, landscaping, and the surround- ing ecosystem lessens the need for extensive protection actions and enables the community to safely accept fire as a part of the sur- rounding landscape. The process is a pro-active approach that concen- trates on prefire strategy and action to reduce risks, and thus costs, rather than relying on suppression activities alone to protect commu- nities after a wildfire starts.”
Pam Leschak is manager of the Forest Service’s national Fire Adapted Communities Program in Washington, DC. Figure 1.—Conceptual framework for evaluating potential cost impacts of fuel treatments.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 7 Fuels treatments on public property around at-risk The articles in this issue of Fire Management Today illustrate how communities will be of limited value if private partners working collaboratively property owners do not create defensible space can accomplish more together or use fire-resistant building materials. than they can separately; indeed, that’s one of the keys to adapting communities to wildfire—working mitigation tools, programs, col- Coalition members are: together for the greater good. The whole is greater than the sum of its laborative partnerships, and “elbow • International Association of Fire grease” needed to reduce wildfire parts. Chiefs, risks to communities. Partners at • The Nature Conservancy, every level join forces to use exist- I hope you enjoy reading about the • Insurance Institute for Business FAC approach and what we and our ing and new mitigation and preven- and Home Safety, tion tools to create FAC—thereby national, State, and local partners • U.S. Fire Administration, are doing to reduce risk. For more reducing risk, loss, and costs. And, • Forest Service, partners at all levels help to edu- information, please visit
The fire adapted communities effort grew out of the 2005 Forest Service-related Fire Adapted and 2009 Quadrennial Fire Reviews (QFRs) (
Fire Management Today 8 Proactive Protection: A Community-Wide Approach To Wildfire Preparedness Molly Mowery and Cathy Prudhomme
very year, wildfires burn across the United States; today, more Each member of a community can help prepare Eand more people are living and protect against the threat of wildfire. where wildfires are a real threat. An estimated 72,000 communities are located in wildfire-prone areas (See erty; increase public safety; protect • Community members use codes the National Association of State infrastructure and businesses; and ordinances to determine Foresters Communities at Risk reduce recovery costs and time; where and how structures are Report, FY 2012 at
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 9 Fire Adapted Community Toolkit. Graphic courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association.
The fire adapted community cepts. Community leaders need to Communities Web site (
Fire Management Today 10 A fire adapted community accepts wildfire as part Dakota Game and Fish, Rapid City Fire, South Dakota Wildland Fire of the natural landscape and takes Suppression, Great Plains Fire Safe responsibility for its risk. Council, and nine private business organizations.
Each coalition member is com- State, tribal, and Federal partners Rapid City recently approved a new mitted to helping communities in at the community level. wildland-urban management plan the wildland-urban interface adapt and increased its budget to just to living with wildfire and reduce As coalition members continue to over $300,000. The program man- their risk for damage or loss with- collaborate and share resources, ages fire mitigation and the moun- out compromising firefighter or the consistency of the fire adapted tain pine beetle on lands within the civilian safety. Each coalition mem- community message and concepts city, and it offers a 50-percent cost- ber also plays a key role in connect- are magnified. share to homeowners for work on ing unique audiences to resources, private property. while delivering a consistent mes- A Fire Adapted sage on wildfire preparedness. For Community Example A recent Bureau of Land example, the Ready, Set, Go! and Management grant will fund hir- Firewise Communities programs Becoming a fire adapted commu- ing veterans for a program aimed have incorporated the broader nity is a process that occurs over at training for future employment. concepts of fire adapted communi- time. Each community is unique The veterans will help Rapid City ties within their messaging to help and chooses the most appropriate with wildfire mitigation in areas audiences understand the benefits direction to address its risk. Some that border neighborhoods at risk of a holistic approach to commu- communities take a voluntary in the wildland-urban interface and, nity mitigation. approach rather than implement at the same time, they’ll receive codes or requirements; others pre- training in firefighting, forestry, Other coalition efforts include the fer regulation and enforcement. Emergency Medical Service, and Forest Service’s recent partner- Many tools and programs are avail- other public service disciplines. ship with the Watershed Research able, and a community should cus- and Training Center and the Fire tomize and determine its own path Two new city ordinances are being Learning Network to establish a to success. considered that will provide guide- pilot Fire Adapted Communities lines for fuel management and Learning Network in eight hub A great example of a community exterior building products in the communities—Santa Fe County, that is working toward becoming primary wildland-urban interface NM; Tahoe Basin NV/CA; Towns more fire adapted is Rapid City, hazard zones. County, GA; Mid-Klamath, CA; SD. Community members have Leavenworth, WA; Rogue Basin, been working on a “Survivable For more examples, resources, and OR; Ely, MN; and Woodland Park, Space Initiative” since 2011 and information, visit
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 11 A sample “roadmap” to serve as a guide to help communities become adapted to fire.
Fire Management Today 12 Setting the Stage: The Role of a Fire Department in a Fire Adapted Community Lucian Deaton
hether you are at the town, firefighters are uniquely respected helps to frame the wildland mes- county, or regional level, in their communities and can proj- sage to the fire departments’ audi- Widentifying and bringing ect a trusted voice to the public- ence and explains the role they can together the proper players in preparedness appeal. play in this collective effort. RSG! wildland-fire preparedness can be program fire departments serve as a challenge. Each player has an The RSG! program develops and a link to affected residents and offer important role in preparedness, improves the dialogue on wildland another advocate at the local level and each brings both benefits and fire between fire departments and for State forestry outreach efforts. unique challenges to the local dis- the residents they serve. The pro- cussion. gram helps fire departments teach While some fire departments are individuals who live in high-risk closely involved with prefire activi- A goal of the National Cohesive wildfire areas—and in the wildland- ties, other departments are facing Wildland Fire Management Strategy urban-interface—how to best pre- this threat for the first time as the is the creation of fire adapted com- pare themselves and their proper- wildland-urban interface grows and munities, in which human com- ties against wildland fire threats. local demographics change. If a fire munities are composed of informed and prepared citizens who collab- oratively plan and take action to Whether fires are called wildland fires, safely co-exist with wildland fire. In grass fires, forest fires, outdoor fires, or brush this vision, local fire departments play an integral role in their com- fires, their threat to residents and resources munities because the public’s per- remains the same. ception of response to fire is associ- ated with their great service. With more than 800 department adapted community is to develop, The national Ready, Set, Go! members, the program works in a the connection between fire and (RSG!) program, managed by the complementary and collaborative forestry must be established and International Association of Fire fashion with existing wildland fire sustained. Chiefs (IAFC), seeks to be a bridge public education efforts and ampli- to that goal. Whether fires are fies their messages to individuals In helping to explain the role of a called wildland fires, grass fires, to better achieve the common goal fire department in a fire adapted forest fires, outdoor fires, or brush of fire adapted communities. The community, The RSG! program fires, their threat to residents RSG! program principles help resi- has fostered numerous local suc- and resources remains the same. dents be Ready with preparedness cesses of fire departments and local Engaging in a fire-preparedness understanding, be Set with situ- outreach agency groups by engag- dialogue is particularly important ational awareness when fire threat- ing with residents on wildland fire for the fire departments because ens, and be prepared to Go, acting preparedness and acting as the new national studies have shown that early when a fire starts. voice for the forestry aspect of fire preparedness. Lucian Deaton was the International Importantly, the RSG! program also Association of Fire Chiefs Ready, Set, Go! helps build partnerships between A recent example is from the program manager in Fairfax, VA, and is currently the senior program manager of local fire departments and State Colorado State University Extension the National Fire Protection Association in forestry agencies. The program in Summit County, which has Denver, CO.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 13 been actively involved in RSG! out- receive a free cloth bag adorned departments and agencies who reach efforts since 2011. Colorado with the Summit County RSG! logo work to connect the issue of wild- State University Extension Natural and “alert” Web site (
Fire Management Today 14 How the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety Is Working With Its Partners To Advance the Creation of Fire Adapted Communities Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety staff
hether conducting build- post-disaster wildfire research and that of three master planned ing science to investigate in San Diego County, CA. The communities, employing the con- Wbest practices, developing research focused on the Witch cept known as “shelter-in-place,” educational materials, or bringing Creek Wildfire, which damaged and was examined. The shelter-in-place together insurers and firefighters, destroyed more than 1,700 homes communities performed much bet- the Insurance Institute for Business and resulted in the loss of $1 billion ter with significantly fewer home and Home Safety (IBHS) has long worth of insured property. losses. been committed to creating fire adapted communities. IBHS evaluated nearly 3,000 homes Nearly 6 years after the Witch to determine why some survived Creek Wildfire, many of the con- Embracing the fire adapted com- and others did not, despite similar cepts used in the shelter-in-place munities (FAC) concept when it wildfire conditions. It also analyzed communities and most of the IBHS emerged in 2011 was a natural fit meteorological conditions, vegeta- recommendations that are outlined for the IBHS, which fully supported tion and topography, building char- in the report are considered best the creation of the FAC Coalition as acteristics, and social attitudes. practices as part of the FAC initia- another way to create what IBHS tive. calls surround sound for wildfire The IBHS published Mega Fires: preparedness best practices. When The Case for Mitigation in 2008 IBHS’ involvement with the Witch home and business owners hear the (
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 15 Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and the Forest a huge step forward in wildfire mitigation strategy recommended Service, as well as fire marshals, research. Together, they created by the FAC program. fire chiefs, and wildfire research- the world’s first indoor, full-scale ers. The primary goal of the first ember storm at the IBHS’ Research Colorado Rebuilds: Fire gathering was to identify gaps in Center. Adapted Communities wildfire research that could be In September 2012, IBHS launched addressed at the IBHS Research Dr. Stephen Quarles, IBHS senior Colorado Rebuilds: Fire Adapted Center in South Carolina. The scientist and wildfire expert, Communities in partnership second summit was focused on designed the 2011 research project with Lowes Home Improvement developing strategies to address the to provide lessons on how easily stores, the IAFC, Colorado wildfire hazard; the third, which some commonly used materials State Fire Chiefs, NFPA, Forest was co-hosted by IBHS and IAFC, and combustible items near or on Service, Colorado State Forest focused on improving collaborative houses can ignite from embers, and Service, Colorado Division of Fire efforts between insurers and wild- what homeowners can do to better Prevention and Control, and dozens fire organizations to help residents protect their homes from the threat of other national, local, and State and businesses in wildfire prone of ember showers. More wildfire partners. The united effort was areas learn what they can do to bet- related research focusing on ember intended to help the State recover, ter withstand wildfires. intrusion via vents and other key rebuild, and repair after the Waldo mitigation issues began at the IBHS Canyon and High Park Fires, Information offered by FAC lab in fall 2013. includes nine regional wildfire which were considered the worst in Colorado history. retrofit guides developed by IBHS In July 2012, IBHS was presented that provide geographically spe- with another opportunity to study The project included community cific strategies and instructions the effects of wildfire in the field wildfire preparedness workshops at for home and business owners to as part of the FAC Coalition. Lowes Home Improvement stores over the course of 3 days in three The IBHS Guide to Creating a Fire Adapted Home, strategic locations that had recently experienced wildfire: Fort Collins, which was created for the Colorado Littleton, and Colorado Springs. public workshops, has since been made available to the public at The workshops were hands-on
Fire Management Today 16 “The Nature Conservancy (TNC), The Watershed Training Center (TWTC), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) (all members of the Fire Adapted Communities Coalition) work with the U.S. Forest Service through cooperative agreements to support projects on the ground that help residents and communities adapt to wildfire by reducing risk. This map shows the locations of current FAC Learning Network pilots (driven by TNC and TWTC); Firewise Communities (a program of NFPA) and Ready, Set, Go! Fire Departments (an IAFC program .”
during a wildfire and presented ment in the report, Lessons from his or her property directly affects mitigation solutions. The session Waldo Canyon
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 17 Fire Prevention— Who Ya Gonna’ Call? Helene Cleveland
here are different types of wild- land fire management experts to The primary role of a fire prevention and education Tcall when fire severity increases. team is to supplement and support the wildfire One type—the wildland Fire Prevention and Education Team prevention efforts of local personnel and agencies. (FPET)—is designed to focus on reducing the number of human- or unexpected social events that 2013, Colorado teams worked with caused wildfires, educating com- increase the potential for human- regional personnel to develop a munities to reduce their risk from caused wildfires. The requesting social media campaign revolving wildfires, and working on special unit may use severity dollars in around the Fourth of July holiday fire-related events. support of a team, or the team can to help people re-think their use of
be mobilized using Federal funds fire during hot and dry weather. The primary role of an FPET is that are provided for the wildfire to supplement and support the incident to cover all costs of the Wildfire prevention education wildfire prevention efforts of local wildfire. activities can reduce the number personnel and agencies. FPETs can of human-caused wildfires and, assist a single unit or statewide In May 2013, national wildland thus, fire-related costs. A 2009 interagency efforts. Teams provide FPETs helped implement the study on wildfire prevention edu- interagency expertise in wildfire California interagency statewide cation programs in Florida found prevention, public relations and fire prevention campaign, “One that the benefit-to-cost ratio could outreach, fire safety, the role of less spark–one less wildfire,” be as much as 35:1—that is, for fire, and developing Firewise/fire which focuses on vehicle- and every additional dollar spent, it adapted communities. equipment-caused fires. In June would have reduced wildfire-related These interagency teams are highly successful at reducing the occur- CLEAN CLEAN rence of unwanted human-caused GUTTERS CUT CLEAN GUTTERS GUTTERS OVERHANGING wildfires by using trained specialists REMOVE CUT FIREWOOD TRIM OVERHANGING BRANCHES and state-of-the-art communication HEDGES BRANCHES and education techniques. FPETs are available to support any geo- graphic area preceding, during, or REMOVE FIREWOOD after periods of high fire danger or fire activity. In the Forest Service, severity funds may be provided to Forest Service units experiencing short-term needs related to weather LEA R N TO LEA R N TO conditions that are creating, or RECOGNIZE WILDFIRE HAZARDS RECOGNIZE WILDFIRE HAZARDS have potential to create, abnor- IN YOUR COMMUNITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY A single ember from a wildfire can travel over a mile to your home or community. A single ember from a wildfire can travel over a mile to your home or community. mal wildfire protection workloads Learn how to reduce wildfire damage by spotting potential hazards at fireadapted.org. Learn how to reduce wildfire damage by spotting potential hazards at fireadapted.org.
FIREADAPTED.ORG FIREADAPTED.ORG Helene Cleveland is the former national A single ember from a wildfire can travel Learn how to reduce wildfire damage by fire prevention program manager for the over a mile to your home or community. spotting potential hazards at
Fire Management Today 18 From the AD Council, for more safety tips, visit
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 19 Adopting a Learning Network Approach for Growing Fire Adapted Communities Nick Goulette, Lynn Decker, Michelle Medley-Daniel, and Bruce Evan Goldstein
ortions of this article are to accelerate the adoption of best U.S. Department of the Interior, adapted from The Fire practices in the movement toward has demonstrated the value of the PLearning Network: A Promising fire adapted communities across learning network model for advanc- Conservation Strategy for Forestry the Nation. ing the restoration of fire adapted (Goldstein et al. 2010) and used ecosystems across the United States with permission. The Forest Service recognized that over the past decade (Goldstein et supporting in‐person and interac- al. 2010). Introduction tive forms of communication and learning provides one of the most The complexity of contemporary The Forest Service’s Fire Adapted efficient and effective means of resource management challenges, Communities (FAC) program accelerating program adoption including community adaptation invests in a wide range of partner- and transferring best practices to wildland fire, requires strategies ships and programs to promote the and innovations across geogra- that promote adaptive management mitigation of wildfire threats and phies. The Fire Learning Network (Norton 2005); facilitate network- impacts to communities. FAC sup- (FLN), a project led by The Nature ing and collaboration within and ports Firewise Communities/USA; Conservancy (TNC) in partnership across disciplinary, institutional, Ready, Set, Go!; and community with the Forest Service and the and property boundaries; and build wildfire protection plans. FAC staff also leads the national Fire Adapted Communities Coalition, among other efforts. Both prior to and in concert with the development of the National Cohesive Wildfire Management Strategy , FAC pro- gram leaders have sought to priori- FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES tize effective and innovative ways LEARNING NETWORK
Nick Goulette leads the Fire Adapted Communities Network and is the execu- The Fire Adapted Communities (FAC) initiative and the FAC tive director of the Watershed Research Learning Network (FAC Network) are helping homeowners, and Training Center in Salt Lake City, UT. His work is grounded in community-based communities, and land managers in fire-prone areas prepare land management and development. Lynn for inevitable fires—to “live with fire” safely. The FAC Network Decker is director of the Fire Learning Network in Salt Lake City, UT, and works encourages the development and sharing of best practices for The Nature Conservancy where she and innovations in order to accelerate the adoption of fire advises public-private collaborations and links them to external sources of support. adapted community concepts nationwide. The FAC Network Michelle Medley-Daniel focuses on net- supports selected hub organizations and communities that - working people who are working to rebal- ance their relationship to the country’s have committed to implementing, assessing, and sharing the public lands as the communication and work that they are doing to increase their communities’ resil partnership coordinator for the Watershed ience to wildfire. Funding is provided by the Forest Service’s Research and Training Center, Hayfork, - CA. Bruce Evan Goldstein is associate FAC Program (and participants’ matching funds), and the FAC professor of environmental design and Network is managed by the Watershed Research and Train environmental studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. ing Center and The Nature Conservancy. More information is available at
Fire Management Today 20 Learning networks draw lessons Finally, learning networks are about a practice—the expertise, from experience, instill sound decisionmaking skills, methods, and techniques processes, and identify barriers and used to solve problems (for exam- solutions to effective practice. ple, identifying ecologically appro- priate, institutionally sanctioned, socially acceptable, and fiscally a community of practice (Wenger ists). Strong communities are responsible fire management prac- 1998). Managers must be able grounded in mutual trust and reci- tices). to continually adapt, learn, and procity that sustain an atmosphere respond to the unique characteris- of openness and the ability to admit CLNs are distinct from other tics of each landscape and commu- mistakes and learn from them, as learning strategies such as formal nity in which they work. They must well as the capacity and willing- curriculum, technology transfer, also be able to collaborate and coor- ness to contribute skills, access, and experiential education. CLNs dinate as a unified group to address and resources toward the group’s promote learning both from and policy and regulatory barriers. shared ends. Participants must by practitioners and professionals, see the network as contributing to fostering the spread of best prac- The Forest Service is working in this community, as well as their tices and emerging concepts within partnership with the Watershed own work priorities, in a mutually and throughout the field (Daniels Research and Training Center reinforcing way as members share and Walker 2001). Learning net- (WRTC) and the FLN to establish a understanding and experiential works draw lessons from experi- nationwide FAC Learning Network knowledge about their successes ence, instill sound decisionmaking pilot project. Project partners and failures. Close, direct, and processes, and identify barriers share information and use the FLN sustained engagement is critical to and solutions to effective practice. model, in coordination with the support the relationships that allow They are more participatory and existing FAC Coalition and others, each participant to contribute his less hierarchical than traditional to accelerate the growth and devel- or her own experience and learn learning strategies such as aca- opment of fire adapted communi- from others (Brown and Duguid demic degree programs and agency ties nationwide. 2001). training workshops. They create
Conservation Learning Networks Learning networks in general, and conservation learning networks (CLNs) in particular, have three core components: a domain, a com- munity, and a practice (Wenger 1998).
A domain is the core issue on which the network focuses (for example, adapting to wildfire). A network is much more likely to be sustainable if organized around a single problem or issue rather than a broad spectrum of interests.
The community is composed of participants who operate in the domain and who share common Figure 1.—Fire Learning Network cross-scalar relationships: landscapes, regions, objectives to enhance a particular and the Nation. practice (for example, fire special-
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 21 more opportunity for reflection assist others and take risks if they better plans and policies, strength- and open and free exchange than know they will be encouraged and ening collaborations, and establish- is possible in a workplace setting supported and that their contribu- ing a shared store of actions that that is typically focused on reactive tions will be reciprocated (Bryan lead to desired results, the FLN has problemsolving. Learning networks 2004). Network ideas can have helped collaboratives shift priorities encourage autonomy, adaptability, influence beyond their members. and practices toward more eco- and self-coordination so that rela- By sharing their learning more logically sound fire management tionships can emerge that reflect broadly, networks can jumpstart (Butler and Goldstein 2010). The mutual work and shared everyday initiatives that might lead to more FLN demonstrates how a multisca- concerns (Goldstein and Butler fundamental change. lar collaborative learning network 2010). may help to overcome rigidity The Fire Learning within natural resource manage- Learning networks can support a Network ment and promote adaptation and variety of services and activities, resilience (figure 1). such as field projects, planning Learning network principles, activities, exchange visits, field coupled with nearly a decade of The FLN has successfully enabled trips, information clearinghouses, experience with the FLN, has pro- participants to collaborate across publicity, and the creation and vided evidence for the application organizational and administrative boundaries to develop and imple- ment ecological restoration plans The Fire Learning Network has successfully for fire-adapted ecosystems. In the enabled participants to collaborate across decade since its founding, the FLN has included some 750 organiza- organizational and administrative boundaries to tions distributed across more than develop and implement ecological restoration 163 collaboratives, on landscapes plans for fire-adapted ecosystems. ranging from 100,000 to 11 mil- lion acres. These landscapes are organized into regional networks, maintenance of a central contact of learning networks in advancing where they exchange information, list. Less tangibly, networks support complex fire management objec- learn new techniques, and give an increased capacity to solve prob- tives. and receive feedback (a map of the lems across organizational and pro- active and historical FLN land- cedural boundaries, to connect and As noted earlier, CLNs improve scapes is shown in figure 2). share insights, and to use common practice by creating and reward- analytic strategies. These abilities ing innovation and reaching across Together, these landscapes encom- allow individuals to stay current in institutional, professional, and pass 162 million acres that have their profession, save time other- disciplinary barriers to focus on been affected by improved collab- wise spent hunting for answers, and the needs of practitioners. The FLN orative planning and management. prioritize information. shows how this works in action. Partners in these landscape collabo- Its success has fostered restora- rations have leveraged more than In addition to helping experienced tion of fire-adapted ecosystems and $27 million in additional funding practitioners pass on professional exposed an ever-widening group of for planning and restoration, and “know-how” to others, networks professionals and practitioners to they have planned and conducted can provide a safe and engaging the best practices of ecological fire more than 490,000 acres of treat- space to question the status quo restoration. ments. and develop new perspectives, operational procedures, and action The enhanced collaborative capacity Prioritizing a Fire strategies (Argyris and Schon built by these networks has enabled Adapted Communities 1996). The network model fosters fire managers and stakeholders innovation by building trusting to operate in partnerships, share Learning Network relationships and shared purpose. resources, avoid redundancy, and Recent prioritization of the learn- Individuals are more inclined to capture synergies. By developing ing network approach to advancing
Fire Management Today 22 assessment findings, stakeholders collaborating in the development of regional cohesive strategies provided further prioritization for the learning network approach. In setting out their FAC strategies, the three regions suggested the development of a hub-and-spoke FAC network as an element of their regional action plans. The prioriti- zation of the FAC Network concept by the Western Regional Cohesive Strategy further supports the deci- sion by Forest Service leaders to initiate the FAC Learning Network pilot project. Figure 2.—Fire Learning Network landscapes encompass 162 million acres that have been affected by improved collaborative planning and management. The Fire Learning Network spans the country with landscapes in 39 States (plus Puerto Rico) from coast to FAC Learning Network coast and 6 countries in the Caribbean. Goals, Structure, and Function fire adapted communities emerged mendations intended to inform the both from the Western Region Western Region Cohesive Strategy Working under the administration Cohesive Strategy’s assessment and other national fire manage- of Forest Service FAC program (
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 23 with FAC programs across com- At the national level, WRTC and through Cooperative Agreement # munities and geographies. TNC will convene network-wide 11-CA-11132543-158, “Promoting • Share learning and innovation workshops, aggregate learning, Ecosystem Resiliency Through across the three goals of the and share across regions and with Collaboration: Landscapes, National Cohesive Wildland Fire Forest Service program leaders, Learning, and Restoration,” Strategy: resilient landscapes, FAC Coalition members, and other which helps to fund both the Fire fire adapted communities, and partners to help adapt programs Learning Network and the Fire response to wildfire, supporting and strategies over time. Together, Adapted Communities Learning their purposeful integration to these collective efforts will pro- Network. build truly fire adapted commu- mote collaboration and adoption of nities. best practices among local, State, References • Provide a meaningful and effi- tribal, and Federal partners, as Argyris, C.; Schon, D. 1996. Organizational cient feedback loop to the FAC well as facilitate multiscalar learn- learning II: Theory, method, and prac- Coalition and Federal program ing to accelerate the growth of fire tice. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 305 p. Brown, J.S.; Duguid, P. 2001. Knowledge leaders to more efficiently and adapted communities in the United and organization: A social-practice per- effectively support fire adapted States. spective. Organization Science. 12 (2): communities. 198–213. FAC Learning Network leaders will Bryan, T. 2004. Tragedy averted: The prom- ise of collaboration. Society and Natural Eight FAC pilot communities have work with the Forest Service and Resources. 17: 881–897. been selected to participate in other stakeholders to evaluate the Butler, W.H.; Goldstein, B.E. 2010. The US 2013–14. Beginning in spring 2013, learning emerging from the pilot fire learning network: Springing a rigidi- ty trap through multi-scalar collaborative local leaders, working in partner- project and its efficacy as a strategy networks. Ecology and Society. 15(3): 21. ship with hub organization leaders to advance the overall goals and Daniels, S.E.; Walker, G.B. 2001. Working in the pilot communities, organized objectives of the FAC program and through environmental conflict: The col- laborative learning approach. Westport, local coordinating groups to inte- allied efforts. CT: Praeger Publishers. 299 p. grate relevant fire management Goldstein, B.E.; Butler, W.H. 2010. efforts including assessment, plan- Look for more detailed information Expanding the scope and impact of col- ning, communications, implemen- about the FAC Learning Network laborative planning: Combining multi- stakeholder collaboration and communi- tation, response, and recovery in pilot project and the participat- ties of practice in a learning network. support of collectively prioritized ing communities at
Forest Service for support provided
Fire Management Today 24 Firewise: Empowering Wildland-Urban Interface Residents To Take Responsibility for Their Wildfire Risk Michele Steinberg
he Firewise Communities gation concepts that ultimately lead Who Does the program of the National Fire them to official recognition as a Program Target? Protection Association (NFPA) Firewise community. T Firewise Communities is a proac- is a key element of the holistic fire adapted communities strategy Throughout 40 States, more than tive voluntary program designed to to involve all stakeholders in the 900 communities are actively protect people and property from use of valuable mitigation tools to participating in the Firewise the risk of wildfire by reducing a reduce risk from wildfire. Communities program, and structure’s potential for ignitability the number of participants was and modifying the vegetation that Firewise Communities teaches expected to reach at least 1,000 will influence the fire’s behavior. residents living in wildland-urban by the end of 2013. Interest in the The approach involves individual interface (WUI) areas about the program continues to grow among homeowners in collaboration with hazards of wildfire and how people WUI neighborhoods; homeowner/ their neighbors and local commu- can implement simple concepts property owner groups; individual nity, tribes, and State and Federal around the home to prepare for WUI residents; and a wide range agencies. Residents are empowered and reduce the risk of damage from wildfires. Fuel reduction within the home ignition zone The program stresses the impor- decreases the ignitability of the structure and tance of neighbors’ working in increases the chances that the home will collaboration to maximize the benefits of mitigation beyond survive an approaching wildfire. individual property boundaries and striving toward becoming a of local, State, and Federal stake- to take ownership and responsibil- recognized Firewise community holders—all seeking a way to cre- ity of their wildfire risk and play a under the Firewise Communities/ ate interest and participation in role in protecting their homes and USARecognition Program. wildfire mitigation activities at the property long before a fire starts. homeowner’s parcel level. When homes are close enough in Firewise Communities offers free proximity (within 100 feet) to ignite materials and resources to enhance NFPA’s Firewise Communities one another, neighbors are encour- outreach and education. It’s often program is co-sponsored by the aged to work together to modify through the guidance and mentor- Forest Service, the U.S. Department overlapping “home ignition zones.” ing of stakeholders and neighbor- of the Interior, and the National hood champions that communities Association of State Foresters. Its Since 2003, communities have learn about and embrace the miti- continued mission is WUI fire edu- invested more than $130 million cation and outreach through the in Firewise-related work through Firewise Web site, community rec- the $2 per capita investment ognition program, and a plethora of requirement (see the Becoming a Michele Steinberg is the National Fire informational resources. Recognized Firewise Community Protection Association Firewise program section). More than 1.4 million manager in Quincy, MA. people live in recognized Firewise communities.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 25 Firewise Principles landscaping and home construction result, the authority to imple- components and materials within ment wildfire mitigation actions The Firewise Communities pro- the home ignition zone. lies with the homeowner, rather gram provides homeowners with than governmental agencies or fire easy-to-understand information The home ignition zone princi- departments. Fuel reduction within that can be implemented at both pally determines a home’s ignition the home ignition zone decreases the structure and landscape levels potential during an intense wild- the ignitability of the structure and that can reduce a home’s risk fire—it includes both the structure and increases the chances that the from wildfire when accompanied and its immediate surroundings. home will survive an approaching by annual maintenance. Based on This area is typically under the wildfire. fire science research from leading control of a private owner. As a experts, program principles include
• Zone 1: The area beyond the home zone should Defined Home be a well-irrigated area that encircles the struc- Ignition Zone ture for at least 30 feet on all sides and includes all attachments to the structure. Plants should The five areas within the defined home ignition be limited to carefully spaced, low-flammability zone include the following: species; nonflammable mulch products are rec- • Home zone: This zone includes the structural ommended. Lawns should be well hydrated and components—roofs, siding, windows, eaves, sof- mowed to a height of less than 4 inches. fits, vents, and all related attachments (fencing, • Zone 2: The next area encircles 30 to 100 feet decks, porches, etc.). Within this zone, all flam- from the home. Low flammability plant choices mables, including plants and mulch, should be should be used in this area; plants should be kept out of the 5-foot area directly adjacent to low-growing and have an irrigation system. the home’s perimeter. Decks, porches, gutters, Shrubs and trees should be limbed up and and roofs should be cleared of pine needles, dead spaced to prevent the crowns of trees from leaves, and other ground litter materials; and touching. loose or missing roof shingles or tiles should • Zone 3: Within this zone, 100 to 200 feet from be replaced or repaired. Areas below patios and the home, low-growing plants and well-spaced decks, along with roof and attic vents, should be trees can be used. screened using metal wire mesh no larger than • Zone 4: This is the farthest zone from the struc- 1/8-inch to prevent ember entry. Tree branches ture (more than 200 feet); here, all plants should that overhang the structure need to be trimmed be selectively pruned and thinned, and highly back, and firewood should be moved to zone flammable vegetation should be removed. 2. All flammable items stored under decks or porches should be removed. Door mats, patio furniture cushions, umbrellas, etc., should be moved indoors when an area is threatened by a wildfire.
Fire Management Today 26 Becoming a Recognized • Conduct a Firewise Day event or Resources activity as a component of the Firewise Community Firewise resources cover a myriad plan’s implementation. of areas. The Firewise Communities By working with neighbors, indi- • Invest a minimum of $2 per capi- Web site,
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 27 Ready, Set, Go! Florida Wildfire Program Ronda Sutphen
ire season is a year-round real- ity in Florida, requiring fire- Wildfires in Florida often start and spread Ffighters and residents to be on quickly, leaving little time to evacuate, much less heightened alert for the threat of wildfire throughout the year. Unlike time to prepare. wildfires in other parts of the country where residents may have Core principles are: decided to take the lead in coor- more time to prepare and evacuate, • Ready—Take personal respon- dinating the wildfire and mitiga- wildfires in Florida often start and sibility and prepare long before tion portions for fire agencies and spread quickly, leaving little time the threat of a wildfire, so that residents because Firewise and to evacuate, much less time to pre- your home is ready in case of a other mitigation measures, such as pare. fire. Create defensible space by mowing (mastication), chopping,
clearing brush away from your and prescribed burning, are major More than 80 percent of all wild- home. Use fire-resistant landscap- responsibilities of the FFS. The FFS fires in Florida occur within 1 mile ing near your home and building also has mitigation specialists locat- of wildland-urban interface (WUI) materials that are less susceptible ed in the 15 field units throughout areas. Fires in WUI areas often to wildfires. Assemble emergency the State; these specialists provide present challenges for fire response, supplies and belongings in a safe public education and outreach pro- suppression, and public safety, in spot. Establish an action plan grams that cover every county in part because wildfire suppression that includes escape routes. Make Florida and are able to assist fire may involve multiple landowners as sure all residents residing within departments and homeowners in well as Federal, State, and local fire, the home are familiar with and coordinating wildfire mitigation law enforcement, and emergency can follow the plan. and prevention efforts. response agencies. • Set—Act immediately. Pack your vehicle with your emergency Working Together Florida Takes It items. Stay abreast of the lat- From the Top Ready, Set, Go! (RSG!) (
Fire Management Today 28 Each partner has taken actions to tific research on vulnerabilities of owners. The FFS designed kits for help promote the RSG! program by buildings to wildfire exposure has fire departments and other emer- writing news releases, publishing helped the firefighting community gency response agencies to use in articles in quarterly publications, better understand the risk of wild- RSG! presentations to homeown- posting information on Web sites, fires and reinforced the notion that ers and in community meetings. and educating internal audiences embers pose more of a threat than The kits include a flash drive with about the program. Every partner direct flame contact and radiant information on the RSG! program serves different audiences, which heat. The ember intrusion video as well as information on Firewise helps in getting the message to developed in the IBHS lab in South and other mitigation programs, people who need it. Education of Carolina gives us a better under- personal wildfire action plans, note internal audiences has played an standing of how homes burn when pad and pen, and a bag to store important role in gaining under- exposed to embers and can help emergency supplies or personal standing and support from supervi- firefighters, as well as homeown- documents. sory personnel, which has contrib- ers, better understand the risk and uted to the success of the program. the actions needed to mitigate that FFS mitigation specialists have set risk. This video is a key component up meetings with fire departments The steering partnership developed of the Florida RSG! program and and emergency response agencies a “personal wildfire action plan” is part of the RSG! kit provided to to go over the materials in the kit specifically for Florida residents to emergency response agencies and and answer any questions. They are be used in presentations for home- homeowners participating in the also available to assist with RSG! owners and at community meet- program. programs. The response so far has ings. Lucian Deaton with the IAFC been very positive, and all agencies provided 10,000 copies of personal A Campaign have pledged to work together to wildfire action plans for these pre- for Community deliver the RSG! message to their sentations. Preparedness own agencies and provide support in educating homeowners about the The Florida steering partnership is The FFS received a redesign grant program. Presenting a united front also fortunate to have the IBHS as from the Forest Service to cre- to homeowners and the public will a partner. IBHS is an association ate a public service campaign help to reinforce the importance of of property insurance companies for the RSG! program, with the the program. that conducts objective, scientific theme “Wildfire Is Coming, Do You research to identify and promote Have a Plan?” The FFS has cre- References ated billboards and placed them effective actions that strengthen Insurance Institute for Business and Home homes, businesses, and communi- along major roadways throughout Safety. 2012. Vulnerabilities of buildings ties against natural disasters and Florida, as well as developed and to wildfire exposures. Chester County, distributed educational materials SC.
Photos: Before and after photos of the Lehigh Acres Fire in Collier County, near Fort Myers, FL. Photos courtesy of the Fort Myers News-Press.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 29 Wildfire, Wildlands, and People: Homeowners in the Wildland-Urban Interface Susan M. Stein, James Menakis, Mary A. Carr, Sara J. Comas, Susan I. Stewart, Helene Cleveland, Lincoln Bramwell, Volker C. Radeloff
Preamble the wildland-urban interface (WUI), The creation of a fire-adapted associated impacts on lives and community is a proactive process This article is excerpted from a property from wildfire, and escalat- that produces a community-wide previously published general tech- ing costs of wildfire management prefire strategy, as well as actions, nical report, Wildfire, Wildlands, have led to an urgent need for com- to reduce risks and thus costs and People: Understanding and munities to become “fire-adapted.” (Leschak 2010). In this way, com- Preparing for Wildfire in the munities do not rely solely on sup- Wildland-Urban Interface—A Some 32 percent of U.S. housing pression activities for protection Forests on the Edge Report (Stein units and one-tenth of all land after a wildfire starts, but rather et al. 2013). This excerpt focuses with housing are situated in the become less at risk for damage to on research about homeowner wildland-urban interface (Radeloff property and lives in the first place. attitudes and characteristics that and others 2005), and WUI growth To be successful, efforts to create affect participation in and commit- ment to actions to reduce the risk of damage from wildfire. The report in its entirety is available from the Forest Service Open Space Web site:
Introduction Fire historically has played a funda- mental ecological role in many of America’s wildland areas. However, the increasing number of homes in
Susan M. Stein is a private forest-land studies coordinator and Sara J. Comas is a natural resource specialist, Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry Staff, Washington, DC. James P. Menakis is a national fire ecologist, Forest Service, Washington Office—Fire and Aviation Management, Missoula, MT. Mary A. Carr is a techni- The presence of networks within communities, as well as between communities and cal publications editor, Forest Service, various government agencies, can help motivate homeowners to adopt wildfire mitigation National Forest System, Publishing practices. Photo by National Fire Protection Association Firewise Communities program. Arts, Olympia, WA. Susan I. Stewart is a research social scientist, Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Evanston, IL. is expected to continue (Hammer and maintain a fire adapted com- Helene Cleveland is the former fire preven- and others 2009). While the degree munity must involve the entire tion program manager, Forest Service, Fire of risk may vary from one place community—including residents, and Aviation Management, Washington, DC. Lincoln Bramwell is the chief histori- to another, given the right condi- government agencies, emergency an, Forest Service, Washington DC; Volker tions, wildfire can affect people and responders, businesses, land man- C. Radeloff is a professor, University of their homes in almost any location agers, and others. Wisconsin, Department of Forest Ecology where wildland vegetation is found. and Management, Madison, WI.
Fire Management Today 30 Homeowners in A wealth of research provides useful insights the Wildland-Urban to their varying levels of participation in and Interface commitment to actions to reduce the risk of In recent years, a wealth of damage from wildfire, which can be due to a research on attitudes and behaviors number of reasons related to motivation, of homeowners in the WUI, based on surveys of individual commu- means, and opportunity. nities, provides useful insights to their varying levels of participation in and commitment to actions to of WUI residents interviewed in others 2011, Winter and others reduce the risk of damage from California, where defensible space 2009). The presence of social wildfire, which can be due to a ordinances are in place, have low- networks within communities, number of reasons related to moti- ered fire risk by removing flam- as well as between communities vation, means, and opportunity mable vegetation from their prop- and various government agencies, (Kent and others 2003, Reams and erty, while less than 50 percent of seems to increase the likelihood others 2005, Kocher 2011). Some residents in Florida and Michigan that a community will adopt wild- findings include: had done this action (Vogt and fire mitigation actions (Jakes and others 2005). others 2007, as cited in McCaffrey • Homeowner involvement varies. • Individual motivations vary. 2011). Awareness of wildfire risk has According to one survey, motivat- • Perceptions of risk vary. Some been an important factor in the ing factors for some individu- homeowners tend to estimate the decision of many homeowners als included friends and family, risk of wildfire damage to their to reduce wildfire risk on their regulation, and the desire to clear own homes and property as being properties (McCaffrey and others property for building; for others, lower than the estimated wildfire 2011), and most homeowners in these factors were less important risk elsewhere in their immediate areas of high wildfire risk have than agency outreach, influence area, in part because they may undertaken some type of defen- of community leaders and home- have taken at least some mitiga- sible space activity (McCaffrey owner associations, and govern- tion actions (McCaffrey 2008). 2009). However, the level and ment programs (McCaffrey and A survey of WUI residents in nature of effort ranges widely, others 2011). Most homeowners Colorado, for example, indicated from small-scale actions to fire- do think that managing vegeta- that although wildfire risk was proof homes to extensive fuels tion on their property to create acknowledged as an important treatment actions (Brenkert and defensible space is their personal issue and some safety measures others 2006). Ninety-one percent responsibility (McCaffrey and had been adopted, most people had not engaged in fuels treat- ment activities. The reason was, in part, because they saw no need to take that level of action until actually faced with a wildfire (Brenkert and others 2006). • Time, resources, and knowledge can be limited. Some of the greatest barriers to action include the lack of time, money, assis- tance, and technical knowledge, as well as homeowner perceptions of costs and labor requirements (Hodgson 1995). Additionally, many homeowners have difficulty Homeowners in the WUI vary in their levels of participation in and commitment to disposing of vegetation cleared to actions to reduce the risk of damage from wildfire. Photo by Kari Greer, contractor for create defensible space (Winter the Forest Service. and others 2009). To address such
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 31 guidelines prohibited the removal of vegetation over a certain size (Winter and others 2009). • Conflicts with homeowner asso- ciation restrictions. In the past, some homeowner associations restricted tree removal, dictated that roofs have wood shingles, or mandated certain kinds of vegeta- tion for aesthetics, despite the potential fire hazard. Much prog- ress has been made in this area, however, and most homeowner associations no longer have such clauses; some now require veg- etation management to reduce fire risk (McCaffrey 2011). In one case, the State of Colorado A key ingredient for effective community action is the sharing of knowledge and resources passed a law to forbid homeowner among neighbors. Photo by Larry Kohrnak, Interface South. associations from interfering limitations, some communities • Aesthetic preferences can help with the rights of homeowners to provide free home inspections or hinder. Although some home- create defensible space or install and free or cost-shared clearing, owners enjoy the look of wildfire- nonflammable roofing (General chipping, and disposal of debris resistant landscaping (such as Assembly of the State of Colorado (Reams and others 2005). minimal trees or selection of 2005). • Feelings towards regulations are certain types of shrubs and other mixed. Most homeowners prefer vegetation) (Winter and others Conclusion not to have mandatory regula- 2009), others reject such actions Although wildfire has been and tions, although some see a role for aesthetic and privacy reasons will continue to be fundamental for government and insurance (Daniel and others 2003, Kent to the ecological health of many companies in requiring vegeta- and others 2003, Nelson and oth- wildland areas, wildfires can harm tion management to reduce the ers 2003, Brenkert and others people and their homes, especially risk of wildfire damage, par- 2006, Winter and others 2009). when weather, vegetation, and ter- ticularly when other policies and Studies have noted that some rain create extreme conditions and approaches have not been suc- homeowners would rather make when communities are unprepared. cessful (Winter and others 2009). structural changes to their homes Numerous opportunities are avail- Homeowners are most likely than make landscape changes able for planners, developers, and to comply with risk-reduction they find unattractive (Brenkert others to help WUI communities guidelines and other rules if they and others 2006). adapt to wildfire through educa- see the guidelines as fair, if they • Conflicts with best manage- tion, planning, and mitigation trust the sources (Vogt and oth- ment practices. In areas where activities that can help limit the ers 2005), and if they see their vegetation removal can lead to number of ignitions, reduce flam- actions as part of a larger efforts increased erosion, creating safer mable vegetation, create Firewise involving fire-safe building codes home ignition zones can be prob- homes, and thereby establish fire- and zoning/planning practices lematic because they sometimes adapted communities. that discourage development conflict with local “best manage- in high-risk areas (Winter and ment practices” (BMPs) for soil others 2009, Monroe and others and water protection. For exam- 2004). ple, residents of one community indicated that their State depart- ment of environmental quality
Fire Management Today 32 Monroe, M.C.; Pennisi, L.; McCaffrey, S. About Forests on the Edge Mileti, D. 2004. Social science to improve fuels management: a synthesis of research relevant to communicating with homeowners about fuels management. - Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-267. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA], Forests on the Edge is a project of the Forest Service, State Forest Service, North Central Research and Private Forestry, Cooperative Forestry Staff, in conjunc - Station. 42 p. Nelson, K.C.; Monroe, M.C.; Fingerman tion with Forest Service, Research and Development and Johnson, J.; Bower, A.W. 2003. Public National Forest System areas and universities and other part perceptions of defensible space and land- ners. The project aims to increase public understanding of the scape values in Minnesota and Florida. - In: Jakes, P.J., comp. Homeowners, com- contributions of and pressures on America’s forests and to munities, and wildfire: science findings create new tools for strategic planning. For further informa from the National Fire Plan. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, tion, visit the Forests on the Edge Web site at
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 33 Forest Service Response to Nonfire Emergencies Gordy Sachs
ildland fire agencies respond agency for ESF #4. During all types • Engineering, contracting, and to more types of emergen- of disasters and major emergen- procurement personnel and Wcies than only wildland fire, cies, ESF #4 is the primary link equipment to assist in emergency and structural fire departments between the Federal wildland and removal of debris; respond to more than structure structural fire communities and the • Resources and supplies for evacu- fires. In addition to day-to-day Federal Emergency Management ation shelters; emergencies of all types within Agency (FEMA). The Forest Service • Staff for establishing logistics their areas of protection, these coordinates and staffs ESF #4 with facilities, such as incident sup- emergency responders also deal the support of the U.S. Department port bases or Federal staging with incidents related to hur- of the Interior (DOI), Office of areas; ricanes, tornadoes, floods, earth- Wildland Fire and the U.S. Fire • Personnel, equipment, and sup- quakes, and terrorist attacks. Any Administration and serves as the plies to support Federal health type of natural or human-caused face of wildland and structural and medical teams; disaster or emergency could firefighting resources to FEMA and • Cache equipment and supplies to result in a request to the Federal other involved agencies. support Federal urban search and Government for wildland or struc- rescue task forces; tural fire resources. In addition to the primary ESF #4 • Technical assistance and logisti- mission of firefighting, the Forest cal support at oil and hazardous Coordination of resources can be Service and DOI are also identified materials spills; and complicated during a Presidential as support agencies for the other 13 • Law enforcement and investiga- declaration of emergency or major ESFs. The Forest Service and DOI tion personnel. disaster; however, a process exists may be subtasked by the primary to guide such multiagency interac- agencies of these ESFs to provide ESF #4 activations do not always tions. In these cases, the response resources for missions identified result in mobilization of response is coordinated under the National in the NRF. For example, under assets such as IMTs or crews. In Response Framework (NRF), which these support missions, the Forest fact, most activations require the identifies the roles and structures Service may be asked to provide: Forest Service to staff the ESF #4 of Federal agencies to provide sup- desk at a FEMA Regional Response port to States or other agencies • Saw-capable personnel for emer- Coordination Center (RRCC) or the through emergency support func- gency road clearing; National Response Coordination tions (ESFs). • Command and control assets— Center (NRCC) at FEMA Headquarters single resource or incident man- with one or two liaisons for a few Emergency Support agement teams (IMTs); days—nothing more. However, Function #4: • Transportation assets, such as for some incidents, dozens of ESF Providing a Link aircraft; #4 staff and hundreds of respond- • Radio communications systems ers have been mobilized; examples The NRF identifies ESF #4 as being and support personnel; include Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, the coordinating mechanism for wildland, rural, urban, and subur- ban firefighting support; the Forest Service serves as the primary Any type of natural or human-caused disaster or emergency could result in a request to the Gordy Sachs is the emergency manage- ment specialist for the Forest Service, Federal Government for wildland or Washington Office Fire and Aviation structural fire resources. Management’s Disaster and Emergency Operations Branch.
Fire Management Today 34 and Wilma in 2005; the California Incident management teams mobilized to fire sieges in 2007 and 2008; Hurricane Irene in 2011; and Hurricane Sandy had diverse missions Hurricane Sandy in 2012. battered the densely populated dent management organizations, Hurricane Sandy: New York and New Jersey region 2 type 1 IMTs, 9 type 2 IMTs, 43 Diverse Missions with heavy rains, strong winds, crews (from 17 States), and various The 2012 hurricane season tied and record storm surges. On the other resources. Missions included with 4 other years (1887, 1995, western side of the storm, blizzard emergency road clearing, man- 2010, and 2011) as the third most conditions paralyzed parts of the aging mobilization centers and active Atlantic season on record. central Appalachians, including staging areas, coordinating emer- Hurricane Sandy was the second much of West Virginia. gency response, supporting local largest Atlantic storm on record, emergency operations centers, and affecting the East Coast from The storm’s effects were extensive, assisting with emergency response Florida to Maine, and States as far resulting in a massive Federal planning. In addition, qualified west as Indiana. Making landfall as response. Through ESF #4, the Forest Service ESF #4 and support a post-tropical cyclone in southern Forest Service coordinated the personnel worked directly with New Jersey on October 29, Sandy mobilization of 4 national inci- FEMA at the NRCC, three RRCCs, two joint field offices, and two State emergency operations centers.
At the height of the response, approximately 1,200 responders had been deployed through ESF #4, including more than 1,000 firefighters assigned to clear downed trees from roadways in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia to provide access for emergency responders and power crews. More than 900 miles of road were cleared of fallen trees by these firefighters in the days fol- lowing the storm.
IMTs mobilized to Hurricane Sandy had diverse missions. For example, one of the assigned national inci- dent management organizations was part of the Debris Recovery Task Force set up by the New York City Office of Emergency Management. The task force’s primary job was to find, bring in, track, and push out hundreds of pieces of heavy equipment to help New York clear debris from road- ways and sidewalks after the storm. By November 10, the task force had Rachel Smith (2nd from right) and Mike Shipley (right) perform ESF #4 duties at the FEMA Region I Regional Response Coordination Center in Maynard, MA, during the mobilized more than 2,700 pieces response to Hurricane Sandy. Others in the photo are from other ESFs, representing of public, private, and military other Federal agencies.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 35 Members of a wildland fire crew mobilized through ESF #4 work to clear a tree blown across a roadway in Connecticut to provide access for local emergency responders and power crews after Hurricane Sandy went through the area in October 2012. Over 1,000 firefighters were mobilized to clear trees from roadways in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and West Virginia. Photo courtesy Forest Service.
equipment onto the streets of New response; supporting local and role as complementary to its over- York City to help in the clean-up. State emergency operations cen- all land management mission.” Grapplers, dump trucks, front-end ters; and assisting in the develop- Wildland fire agencies continue to loaders, roll on–roll off container ment of emergency response plans demonstrate that they are prepared trucks, large dumpsters, skid steers, for areas affected by the storm. and organized to support all hazard backhoes, self-loaders, long-haul responses—wildfire and nonfire— trucks, railroad cars, and barges Summary by providing trained personnel to were all part of the huge push of use their inherent skills, capabili- As stated in the Forest Service heavy equipment thrust onto the ties, and assets to protect human Foundational Doctrine for All- streets of New York City to get all life, property, and at-risk lands and Hazard Response (USDA Forest five boroughs cleaned up. resources. Service 2011), the Forest Service “is a land management agency with Other IMT missions related to a unique combination of people, References Hurricane Sandy included manag- skills, and resources that add U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), ing mobilization centers, staging Forest Service. 2011 (update). significant value to our national areas, and points-of-distribution; Foundational doctrine for all-hazard emergency response capability. coordinating local emergency response. Washington, DC: Fire and The agency accepts this all-hazard Aviation Management. 19 p.
Fire Management Today 36 New and Revised Fire Effects Tools for Fire Management Robert E. Keane, Greg Dillon, Stacy Drury, Robin Innes, Penny Morgan, Duncan Lutes, Susan J. Prichard, Jane Smith, Eva Strand Introduction agement resources, predict future the United States and more than fire effects, and prioritize areas for 90 other countries visited the FEIS Announcing the release of new treatment. In real-time operational Web site in 2012. software packages for application in settings, these tools can be used wildland fire science and manage- to quantify adverse fire effects, In summer 2012, FEIS introduced ment, two fields that are already evaluate the benefits of wildfire, a new, spatially searchable user fully saturated with computer tech- determine smoke emissions, and interface, which is currently being nology, may seem a bit too much determine values at risk. After a fire tested at
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 37 Severe Fire Potential Map (SFPM) Digital maps of burn severity are widely used to describe the spa- tial distribution and magnitude of fire effects on vegetation and soils in recently burned areas. Examples include the Burned Area Reflectance Classification data produced to support Burned Area Figure 1.—The new front page of the Fire Effects Information System (FEIS). Emergency Rehabilitation efforts (Clark and McKinley 2011), the Rapid Assessment of Vegetation Conditions products to assess over- story vegetation loss immediately post-fire (Guay 2011), and the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) (
nonforested settings in each of 17 The SFPM is a comprehensive mapping regions by sampling loca- To map severe fire potential across 30-meter-resolution raster data- tions that have experienced high- the landscape, the statistical mod- set covering the conterminous severity fire, as well as those that els were used to predict how likely Western United States (figure 3). did not. Environmental variables severe fire effects would be for each It depicts the potential for fires considered in the Random Forest 30-meter pixel, conditional on that to result in high-severity effects models included a suite of topo- pixel’s experiencing fire at a partic- if they should occur on a 0 to 100 graphic descriptors including eleva- ular percentile level of 1,000-hour scale. This dataset is intended to be tion and maximum potential solar fuel moisture. It is important to an online resource that managers radiation, 1,000-hour fuel mois- note that the 1,000-hour fuel mois- can download and use to evalu- ture percentile at the time of each ture percentiles were inverted so ate the potential ecological effects fire, and density of pre-fire green that higher percentiles reflect drier associated with new and potential vegetation as expressed by the conditions, consistent with the fire events. It can also be used Normalized Difference Vegetation way fire managers are accustomed to aid strategic fire management Index (NDVI). Classification accura- to referring to other fire weather planning, including prioritization cies for individual models ranged indices such as the Energy Release and placement of fuels treatments from 65 percent to 83 percent for Component. across large landscapes.
Fire Management Today 38 Figure 3.—The Severe Fire Potential Map product.
For our spatial predictions, the SFPM could be easily generated in such as quantifying fuels inputs to 1,000-hour fuel moistures were set the future by using newer MODIS fire behavior and effects simula- as constant across the entire land- NDVI mosaics. Mosaics of the 90th tion models, monitoring changes scape. The SFPM was initially built percentile SFPM by our 17 mapping in fuels and ecological character- using the 90th percentile (i.e., very regions and by forest and woodland istics after treatment or wildfire, dry) fuel moisture conditions, but it versus nonforest settings are avail- and calculating fuels tools in fire could easily be generated for other able online at the FRAMES Web site management. Most current clas- fuel moisture conditions as well. (
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 39 In 2005, Lutes et al. (2006) released Digital maps of burn severity are widely used the first version of the FIRE MONitoring and inventory system to describe the spatial distribution and magnitude (FIREMON), an integrated data- of fire effects on vegetation and soils in base and computation system that recently burned areas. contained standardized methods for collecting a suite of ecologi- cal characteristics, including fuel to help managers meet mandated which is a more compact instal- data, which were linked to a set of monitoring requirements. It is lation of FFI to be used on field ACCESS databases for the entry of used by the Forest Service; the computers and by users who do those data. It also contained a set of U.S. Department of the Interior’s not need the full functionality of a computation queries linked to the National Park Service, Bureau of Structured Query Language (SQL) databases that calculated numer- Land Management, U.S. Fish and server. FFI information and soft- ous other ecological characteristics, Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological ware are available at
FOFEM is a computer program that was developed to meet the needs of resource managers, planners, and analysts in predicting and plan- ning for fire effects (Reinhardt and Keane 1998). Quantitative predic- tions of fire effects are needed for planning prescribed fires that best accomplish resource needs, for Figure 4.—The newest version of the FEAT FIREMON Integration package.
Fire Management Today 40 impact assessment, and for long- • Tree species codes are changed Consume range planning and policy develop- to standardized vegetation cover Consume is a decisionmaking tool ment. type codes, designed to assist in prescribed • New Fuel Characteristics burn and wildfire planning and Most fire effects research has tend- Classification System (FCCS) assessment by using realistic fuels ed to be empirical, and thus limited cover types and related foli- data. Consume predicts fuel con- in applicability to situations similar age and branch fuels have been sumption by combustion phase, to those under which the research added, pollutant emissions, and heat was conducted. Additionally, fire • FFI tree data can now be import- release based on input fuel char- effects research results have not ed directly into FOFEMv6 to acteristics, lighting patterns, fuel previously been assembled in a compute mortality, moistures, and other environmen- common format that is easily • The soil heating model has been tal variables. accessed and used, but rather have refined, and been scattered in a variety of jour- • A new tree mortality model for Because Consume captures the nals and publications. longleaf pine has been included. inherent complexity of wildland fuels through a close interface with In developing FOFEM, a compre- FOFEM will be useful in a variety the FCCS (
FOFEMv6 replaces its two pre- decessors—FOFEMv4, an IBM- PC DOS version developed in the early 1990s (Reinhardt et al. 1997), and FOFEMv5, an IBM-PC Windows version developed circa 2000. FOFEMv6 is functionally equal to FOFEMv5 but has a much improved user interface, graphical output, and a few other internal changes, including the following: Figure 5.—The new version 6.0 of the First Order Fire Effects Model.
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 41 The Interagency Fuels Treatment Decision The latest version of Consume (v. 4.1) was written in Python© Support System provides a single, consistent user and is being incorporated into the interface to access more than 50 fire effects Wildland Fire Emissions Inventory and fire behavior tools. System
Fire Management Today 42 The Forest Vegetation System (FVS) currently performs these functions using the Fire and Fuel Extension (FFE), but it takes quite a bit of training to use FVS-FFE. Further, there are few graphic out- puts for interpreting results, and it is not easy to contrast and compare treatment modifications. Moreover, most fire managers are not trained to run FVS-FFE; it is a tool for sil- viculturalists.
Enter FuelCalc (Fuel Calculation tool) (figure 6). This new soft- ware package allows for the direct import of surface and canopy fuel field data to calculate initial fuel conditions—such as surface fuel Figure 7.—The first version 1.0 of the FuelCalc model. loadings (down dead woody, shrub, and related resource specialists in characteristics requires a quantita- herb, duff, and litter), canopy bulk designing and implementing fuel tive description of the treatment, density, and canopy loading—and treatments in forest stands (figure including the type and intensity of a variety of associated silvicultural 7). The inherent spatial scale of thinning, the height of pruning, characteristics such as timber vol- FuelCalc is the plot or sample point how much existing or activity fuel ume and basal area. These data are (small group of integrated plots). is to be piled, and the nature of a interactively displayed to the user, FuelCalc has two primary applica- broadcast burn. Any combination who can then easily simulate the tions. of these four fuel management effects of harvest, thinning, prun- activities can be specified. In order ing, piling, and broadcast burning First, FuelCalc is a tool to calcu- to also simulate the effects of a on ground, surface, and canopy fuel late current, or initial, canopy fuel fuel treatment on ground and sur- characteristics. characteristics at an inventory plot face fuel characteristics, FuelCalc
using a “treelist” (a listing of the requires a description of initial FuelCalc was originally designed as characteristics of trees measured ground and surface fuel load, by a batch command line program to on a forest inventory plot) as input. size class. compute canopy fuel characteristics The required tree characteristics for mapping in the LANDFIRE pro- for use in FuelCalc include tree In addition to the primary func- totype project (Keane et al. 2006). species, diameter at breast height tions mentioned above, FuelCalc The JFSP program then decided to (dbh), tree height, crown base also has ancillary functions that fund an expansion of FuelCalc to height, crown class (crown posi- may be useful to fuel management cover the computation of surface tion), tree status, and the number planners and silviculturists. From fuel loadings from FFI databases of trees per acre represented by the initial surface fuel loads and and the simulation of a wide variety each tree in the treelist. from the loads after simulation of fuel treatments. The FOFEM, of a fuel treatment, FuelCalc sug- Burnup (Albini et al. 1995), and Second, FuelCalc is a tool for gests a surface fire behavior fuel Nexus (Scott 1999) simulation simulating the effects of a fuel model that may be appropriate for models are embedded in FuelCalc treatment—thinning, pruning, pile the situation. If the fuel treatment to compute fuel consumption and burning, and broadcast burning— simulation includes a broadcast crown fire behavior. on ground, surface, and canopy burn, FuelCalc estimates fuel con-
fuel characteristics. In addition sumption and smoke production. In general, FuelCalc is a software to the treelist inputs mentioned FuelCalc also calculates several system for assisting local and above, simulating the effects of summary characteristics based regional fuel management planners a fuel treatment on canopy fuel
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 43 on the initial or simulated treelist changes in ground, surface, piled, ArcMap that provides an interface that may be useful to fuel treat- and canopy fuel loads by size class between the ArcGIS Desktop soft- ment planners, silviculturists, or as fuel treatments add to, or sub- ware and the FlamMap and FOFEM even wildlife biologists; these char- tract from, the load in each class. algorithms to produce these predic- acteristics include stand height, FuelCalc input files can be created tive maps. Fire behavior outputs stem density, Stand Density Index, in the FFI ecological monitoring include rate of spread, flame length, canopy cover, basal area, quadratic software (
WFAT is the successor to the Fire Behavior Analysis Tool and the FOFEM Mapping Tool and incor- porates the functionality of both tools into one convenient software application. WFAT also provides a landscape file (.lcp) genera- tor and an import tool to convert Figure 8.—The Wildand Fire Assessment Tool Demo—ArcMap. FARSITE and FlamMap ASCII Grids
Fire Management Today 44
IFTDSS provides a single, consis- tent user interface to access more than 50 fire effects and fire behav- ior tools including simulation mod- ules found in FOFEM, Consume, Behave, Randig, and FlamMap. The single portal for accessing data and models in IFTDSS reduces the amount of time a user needs to spend learning new interfaces and transforming data, thereby freeing up time for critical analysis of the work performed.
Fire effects, fire behavior, and risk assessment simulations are con- ducted within the IFTDSS using a set of stepwise workflows designed to address the business needs of land managers for planning fuels treatments and prescribed burns. Figure 9.—The Integrated Fuel Treatment Decision Support System integrated fire management tool. The workflows within the IFTDSS provide access to data, simula- into ESRI Grid format for use in ffe>. WFMRDA-FFE has also tion modules, and analysis tools ArcGIS. developed a short online course in an intuitive, stepwise pattern that introduces the theory behind (figure 9). Within the workflow In summary, WFAT is a planning WFAT and helps the user to quickly concept, IFTDSS users have the tool that can help fire and fuels become proficient in using the ability to upload custom datasets, managers to: tool for planning in fire and fuels acquire and edit LANDFIRE data management. For further informa- to reflect local conditions, conduct • Define and identify the location of tion about WFAT, visit the Web site fire weather statistical analysis, hazardous fuel; or email your questions to
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 45 fire hazard in those areas. High fire Many fire managers have expressed probabilities across landscape, hazard is expressed by high poten- a lack of direction on how risk • Model the expected loss of benefit tial fire behavior (e.g., flame length, should be assessed with respect for a value at risk resulting from rate of spread, and fireline inten- to fuels treatment and managing fire, and sity) or undesirable fire effects (e.g., harmful fire effects. In IFTDSS, risk • Analyze potentials for applying tree mortality, smoke emissions, is assessed based on expected loss fuels treatments to lower the or excessive fuel consumption). or benefit due to burning. Risk is potential for harm to values at Within IFTDSS, hazard analysis quantified using the response func- risk owing to wildfire across land- is viewed as the initial step in the tion concepts proposed by Calkin scapes. fuels treatment and prescribed et al. (2010) to evaluate net value burn planning processes and is per- change across a landscape in the Fuels treatments are designed to formed primarily at the landscape event of burning by wildfire under lower hazardous fire potentials and scale. a set of environmental conditions. restore ecosystem resiliency tem- In the IFTDSS users can: porally and spatially. In the IFTDSS Risk assessment is a new and evolv- fuels treatment planning workflow, ing process for fire management. • Develop values-at-risk maps, users can evaluate potential fuels • Model fire behavior and burn treatment options, including no-
Tool Purpose Type Previous Changes Web site version FEIS-Spatial Provides syntheses of Searchable FEIS Syntheses searchable by http://www.feis-crs.org/beta information on fire effects and database of multiple criteria, including fire regime characteristics synthesis geographic. New syntheses documents on fire regimes. SFPM Depict the potential for severe Landscape-level, New There are no previous http://www.frames.gov/firesev fire to aid in evaluation of raster geospatial versions. ecological effects of future fires data FFI Application for collection, Plot-level, stand- FFI v1.04.02 Added custom tree report, http://www.frames.gov/ffi storage, analysis, reporting, alone program added FuelCalc export, and exporting ecological updated FVS export, updated monitoring data data query tool. FOFEM v6.0 Calculate fuel consumption, Stand-level, stand- FOFEM v5.9 Complete redesign of GUI, http://www.firelab.org/ smoke emissions, soil heating, alone program new tree mortality equations, science-applications/fire- and tree mortality improvements in duff fuel/111-fofem consumption, soil heating. CONSUME 4.1 Predicts fuel consumption, Stand-level, stand- Consume 3.0 Updated natural fuel http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/ emissions, and heat release alone program and consumption and emissions research/smoke/consume batch processor factors; separated GUI from calculations to support batch processing. FUELCALC Design surface and canopy fuel Stand-level, stand- New An old version of FUELCALC http://www.firelab.org/ v1.0 treatments alone program was a batch program that science-applications/fire- calculated canopy fuel ecology/228-fuelcalc characteristics. WFAT Predicts fire behavior and fire Landscape-level FBAT and Combines the functionality http://www.niftt.gov effects spatially extension to FOFEM of FlamMap and FOFEM ArcGIS Mapping Tool with display and analysis capabilities of ArcGIS. Online IFTDSS Online system to predict Online, open IFTDSS V1.2 New Web-based software and http://ifdss.sonomatech.com fire behavior and fire effects source framework data integration framework spatially and aspatially for fuels for plot-level and that organizes existing and treatment planning landscape-level newly developed fire and analysis. fuels software applications.
Table 1.—A recently released suite of fire effects tools that are either new or revised to meet the needs of fire management.
Fire Management Today 46 treatment, mechanical fuel removal The current IFTDSS version 2.0 Bennett, C.M.; Brown, N.; Doney, D.; and tree thinning, and prescribed beta was released in October 2012. Parker-Gates, L.; Miller, S; Palmquist, M.S.; Place, P. 2013 Final report of the burning. Additionally, users can In early 2013, IFTDSS was evalu- Ingeragency fuels treatment decision identify where fuels treatments may ated by Carnegie Mellon’s Software support system IFTDSS evaluation have the greatest influence for miti- Engineering Institute (SEI). SEI is study. Special Report CMU/SEI-2013- SR-017. Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie gating wildland fire potential at the using a combination of nationwide Mellon University. Software Engineering stand and landscape scales. In the instructor led workshops, virtual Institute. 142 p.
new or revised to meet the needs of CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, In IFTDSS, users can simulate Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research fire management. stand level fire effects and fire Station: 367–396. behavior potentials to develop burn Lutes, D C.; Benson, N.C.; Keifer, M.; Acknowledgements Caratti, J.F.; Streetman, S.A. 2009. FFI: A prescriptions. Additional function- software tool for ecological monitoring. ally is provided to conduct land- Many of these efforts to develop and International Journal of Wildland Fire. scape level analysis for contingency test fire effects tools were funded 18: 310–314. Lutes, D.C.; Keane, R.E.; Caratti, J.F.; Key, planning and to provide maps for by the Joint Fire Sciences Program C.H.; Benson, N.C.; Sutherland, S.; inclusion in the burn plan. The (grant number JFSP-09-1-07-4), Gangi, L.J. 2006. FIREMON: Fire Effects IFTDSS also contains an online Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Monitoring and Inventory System. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-164-CD. template based on the Interagency Management, National Fire Plan; Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Prescribed Burn Planning Guide the University of Idaho; and the Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky (
Volume 73 • No. 3 • 2014 47 To fax your orders: 202-512-2104 To phone your orders: 202-512-1800 or 1-866-512-1800 For subscription cost and to Order on Line: http://bookstore.gpo.gov
Mail To: U.S. Government Printing Office - New Orders P.O. Box 979050 St. Louis, MO 63197-9000
Fire Management Today 48