Socio-ecological transitions trigger fire regime shifts and modulate fire-climate interactions in the Sierra Nevada, CA, 1600-2015 CE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trouet, V.; Taylor, A. H.; Skinner, C. N.; Stephens, S.

2016-12-01

In California, large wildfires cause significant socio-ecological impacts and they incur high federal funding costs for fire suppression. Future fire activity is projected to increase with climate change, but anthropogenic effects can modulate or even override climatic effects causing large uncertainty in fire projections. We developed a 415-year fire history record (1600-2015 CE) based on tree-ring fire-scar data from 29 sites throughout the Sierra Nevada, California. Changes in socio-ecological systems from the Native American to the current period drove large historical fire regime shifts in our record and socio-ecological conditions amplified and buffered fire response to climate. Fire activity was highest and fire-climate relationships were strongest after Native American depopulation - following mission establishment ca. 1775 CE - reduced the self-limiting effect of Native American burns on fire spread. With the Gold Rush and Euro-American immigration (ca. 1865 CE), area burned declined and the strong multidecadal relationship between temperature and fire decayed and then disappeared after implementation of fire suppression (ca. 1900 CE). The past anthropogenic modulation of fire-climate relationships underscores the need for nuanced representations of human-fire interactions to improve the skill of future fire-climate projections. In California, large wildfires cause significant socio-ecological impacts and they incur high federal funding costs for fire suppression. Future fire activity is projected to increase with climate change, but anthropogenic effects can modulate or even override climatic effects causing large uncertainty in fire projections. We developed a 415-year fire history record (1600-2015 CE) based on tree-ring fire-scar data from 29 sites throughout the Sierra Nevada, California. Changes in socio-ecological systems from the Native American to the current period drove large historical fire regime shifts in our record and socio-ecological conditions amplified and buffered fire response to climate. Fire activity was highest and fire-climate relationships were strongest after Native American depopulation - following mission establishment ca. 1775 CE - reduced the self-limiting effect of Native American burns on fire spread. With the Gold Rush and Euro-American immigration (ca. 1865 CE), area burned declined and the strong multidecadal relationship between temperature and fire decayed and then disappeared after implementation of fire suppression (ca. 1900 CE). The past anthropogenic modulation of fire-climate relationships underscores the need for nuanced representations of human-fire interactions to improve the skill of future fire-climate projections.

Potential climate change impacts on fire intensity and key wildfire suppression thresholds in Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wotton, B. M.; Flannigan, M. D.; Marshall, G. A.

2017-09-01

Much research has been carried out on the potential impacts of climate change on forest fire activity in the boreal forest. Indeed, there is a general consensus that, while change will vary regionally across the vast extent of the boreal, in general the fire environment will become more conducive to fire. Land management agencies must consider ways to adapt to these new conditions. This paper examines the impact of that changed fire environment on overall wildfire suppression capability. We use multiple General Circulation Models and carbon emission pathways to generate future fire environment scenarios for Canada’s forested region. We then use these scenarios with the Canadian Forest Fire Behaviour Prediction System and spatial coverages of the current forest fuel composition across the landscape to examine potential variation in key fire behaviour outputs that influence whether fire management resources can effectively suppress fire. Specifically, we evaluate how the potential for crown fire occurrence and active growth of fires changes with the changing climate. We also examine future fire behaviour through the lens of operational fire intensity thresholds used to guide decisions about resources effectiveness. Results indicate that the proportion of days in fire seasons with the potential for unmanageable fire will increase across Canada’s forest, more than doubling in some regions in northern and eastern boreal forest.

Socioecological transitions trigger fire regime shifts and modulate fire-climate interactions in the Sierra Nevada, USA, 1600-2015 CE.

PubMed

Taylor, Alan H; Trouet, Valerie; Skinner, Carl N; Stephens, Scott

2016-11-29

Large wildfires in California cause significant socioecological impacts, and half of the federal funds for fire suppression are spent each year in California. Future fire activity is projected to increase with climate change, but predictions are uncertain because humans can modulate or even override climatic effects on fire activity. Here we test the hypothesis that changes in socioecological systems from the Native American to the current period drove shifts in fire activity and modulated fire-climate relationships in the Sierra Nevada. We developed a 415-y record (1600-2015 CE) of fire activity by merging a tree-ring-based record of Sierra Nevada fire history with a 20th-century record based on annual area burned. Large shifts in the fire record corresponded with socioecological change, and not climate change, and socioecological conditions amplified and buffered fire response to climate. Fire activity was highest and fire-climate relationships were strongest after Native American depopulation-following mission establishment (ca. 1775 CE)-reduced the self-limiting effect of Native American burns on fire spread. With the Gold Rush and Euro-American settlement (ca. 1865 CE), fire activity declined, and the strong multidecadal relationship between temperature and fire decayed and then disappeared after implementation of fire suppression (ca. 1904 CE). The amplification and buffering of fire-climate relationships by humans underscores the need for parameterizing thresholds of human- vs. climate-driven fire activity to improve the skill and value of fire-climate models for addressing the increasing fire risk in California.

Supporting FIRE-suppression strategies combining fire spread MODelling and SATellite data in an operational context in Portugal: the FIRE-MODSAT project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sá, Ana C. L.; Benali, Akli; Pinto, Renata M. S.; Pereira, José M. C.; Trigo, Ricardo M.; DaCamara, Carlos C.

2014-05-01

Large wildfires are infrequent but account for the most severe environmental, ecological and socio-economic impacts. In recent years Portugal has suffered the impact of major heat waves that fuelled records of burnt area exceeding 400.000ha and 300.000ha in 2003 and 2005, respectively. According to the latest IPCC reports, the frequency and amplitude of summer heat waves over Iberia will very likely increase in the future. Therefore, most climate change studies point to an increase in the number and extent of wildfires. Thus, an increase in both wildfire impacts and fire suppression difficulties is expected. The spread of large wildfires results from a complex interaction between topography, meteorology and fuel properties. Wildfire spread models (e.g. FARSITE) are commonly used to simulate fire growth and behaviour and are an essential tool to understand their main drivers. Additionally, satellite active-fire data have been used to monitor the occurrence, extent, and spread of wildfires. Both satellite data and fire spread models provide different types of information about the spatial and temporal distribution of large wildfires and can potentially be used to support strategic decisions regarding fire suppression resource allocation. However, they have not been combined in a manner that fully exploits their potential and minimizes their limitations. A knowledge gap still exists in understanding how to minimize the impacts of large wildfires, leading to the following research question: What can we learn from past large wildfires in order to mitigate future fire impacts? FIRE-MODSAT is a one-year funded project by the Portuguese Foundation for the Science and Technology (FCT) that is founded on this research question, with the main goal of improving our understanding on the interactions between fire spread and its environmental drivers, to support fire management decisions in an operational context and generate valuable information to improve the efficiency of the fire suppression system. This project proposes to explore an innovative combination of remote sensing and fire spread models in order to 1) better understand the interactions of fire spread drivers that lead to large wildfires; 2) identify the spatio-temporal frames in which large wildfires can be suppressed more efficiently, and 3) explore the essential steps towards an operational use of both tools to assist fire suppression decisions. Preliminary results combine MODIS active-fire data and burn scar perimeters, to derive the main fire spread paths for the 10 largest wildfires that occurred in Portugal between 2001 and 2012. Fire growth and behavior simulations of some of those wildfires are assessed using the active fires data. Results are also compared with the major fire paths to understand the main drivers of fire propagation, through their interactions with topography, vegetation and meteorology. These combined results are also used for spatial and temporal identification of opportunity windows for a more efficient suppression intervention for each fire event. The approach shows promising results, providing a valuable reconstruction of the fire events and retrieval of important parameters related to the complex spread patterns of individual fire events.

Studying interregional wildland fire engine assignments for large fire suppression

Treesearch

Erin J. Belval; Yu Wei; David E. Calkin; Crystal S. Stonesifer; Matthew P. Thompson; John R. Tipton

2017-01-01

One crucial component of large fire response in the United States (US) is the sharing of wildland firefighting resources between regions: resources from regions experiencing low fire activity supplement resources in regions experiencing high fire activity. An important step towards improving the efficiency of resource sharing and related policies is to develop a better...

Bat activity following restoration prescribed burning in the central Appalachian Upland and riparian habitats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Austin, Lauren V.; Silvis, Alexander; Ford, W. Mark; Muthersbaugh, Michael; Powers, Karen E.

2018-01-01

After decades of fire suppression in eastern North America, land managers now are prioritizing prescribed fire as a management tool to restore or maintain fire-adapted vegetation communities. However, in long—fire-suppressed landscapes, such as the central and southern Appalachians, it is unknown how bats will respond to prescribed fire in both riparian and upland forest habitats. To address these concerns, we conducted zero-crossing acoustic surveys of bat activity in burned, unburned, riparian, and non-riparian areas in the central Appalachians, Virginia, USA. Burn and riparian variables had model support (ΔAICc < 4) to explain activity of all bat species. Nonetheless, parameter estimates for these conditions were small and confidence intervals overlapped zero for all species, indicating effect sizes were marginal. Our results suggest that bats respond to fire differently between upland and riparian forest habitats, but overall, large landscape-level prescribed fire has a slightly positive to neutral impact on all bats species identified at our study site post—fire application.

Estradiol-Dependent Stimulation and Suppression of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuron Firing Activity by Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone in Female Mice.

PubMed

Phumsatitpong, Chayarndorn; Moenter, Suzanne M

2018-01-01

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are the final central regulators of reproduction, integrating various inputs that modulate fertility. Stress typically inhibits reproduction but can be stimulatory; stress effects can also be modulated by steroid milieu. Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) released during the stress response may suppress reproduction independent of downstream glucocorticoids. We hypothesized CRH suppresses fertility by decreasing GnRH neuron firing activity. To test this, mice were ovariectomized (OVX) and either implanted with an estradiol capsule (OVX+E) or not treated further to examine the influence of estradiol on GnRH neuron response to CRH. Targeted extracellular recordings were used to record firing activity from green fluorescent protein-identified GnRH neurons in brain slices before and during CRH treatment; recordings were done in the afternoon when estradiol has a positive feedback effect to increase GnRH neuron firing. In OVX mice, CRH did not affect the firing rate of GnRH neurons. In contrast, CRH exhibited dose-dependent stimulatory (30 nM) or inhibitory (100 nM) effects on GnRH neuron firing activity in OVX+E mice; both effects were reversible. The dose-dependent effects of CRH appear to result from activation of different receptor populations; a CRH receptor type-1 agonist increased firing activity in GnRH neurons, whereas a CRH receptor type-2 agonist decreased firing activity. CRH and specific agonists also differentially regulated short-term burst frequency and burst properties, including burst duration, spikes/burst, and/or intraburst interval. These results indicate that CRH alters GnRH neuron activity and that estradiol is required for CRH to exert both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on GnRH neurons. Copyright © 2018 Endocrine Society.

Socioecological transitions trigger fire regime shifts and modulate fire–climate interactions in the Sierra Nevada, USA, 1600–2015 CE

PubMed Central

Taylor, Alan H.; Trouet, Valerie; Skinner, Carl N.; Stephens, Scott

2016-01-01

Large wildfires in California cause significant socioecological impacts, and half of the federal funds for fire suppression are spent each year in California. Future fire activity is projected to increase with climate change, but predictions are uncertain because humans can modulate or even override climatic effects on fire activity. Here we test the hypothesis that changes in socioecological systems from the Native American to the current period drove shifts in fire activity and modulated fire–climate relationships in the Sierra Nevada. We developed a 415-y record (1600–2015 CE) of fire activity by merging a tree-ring–based record of Sierra Nevada fire history with a 20th-century record based on annual area burned. Large shifts in the fire record corresponded with socioecological change, and not climate change, and socioecological conditions amplified and buffered fire response to climate. Fire activity was highest and fire–climate relationships were strongest after Native American depopulation—following mission establishment (ca. 1775 CE)—reduced the self-limiting effect of Native American burns on fire spread. With the Gold Rush and Euro-American settlement (ca. 1865 CE), fire activity declined, and the strong multidecadal relationship between temperature and fire decayed and then disappeared after implementation of fire suppression (ca. 1904 CE). The amplification and buffering of fire–climate relationships by humans underscores the need for parameterizing thresholds of human- vs. climate-driven fire activity to improve the skill and value of fire–climate models for addressing the increasing fire risk in California. PMID:27849589

Exploratory breath analyses for assessing toxic dermal exposure of firefighters during suppression of structural burns

EPA Science Inventory

Firefighters wear fireproof clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) during rescue and fire suppression activities to protect against acute effects from heat and toxic chemicals. Fire services are also concerned about long-term health outcomes from chemical exposure...

Comparing resource values at risk from wildfires with Forest Service fire suppression expenditures: Examples from 2003 western Montana wildfire season

Treesearch

David Calkin; Kevin Hyde; Krista Gebert; Greg Jones

2005-01-01

Determining the economic effectiveness of wildfire suppression activities is complicated by difficulties in identifying the area that would have burned and the associated resource value changes had suppression resources not been employed. We developed a case study using break-even analysis for two large wildfires from the 2003 fire season in western Montana -- the...

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Wildland Fire Management Environmental Assessment - April 2003

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Irving, J.S.

DOE prepared an environmental assessment (EA)for wildland fire management activities on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) (DOE/EA-1372). The EA was developed to evaluate wildland fire management options for pre-fire, fire suppression, and post fire activities. Those activities have an important role in minimizing the conversion of the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem found on the INEEL to non-native weeds. Four alternative management approaches were analyzed: Alternative 1 - maximum fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 3 - protect infrastructure and personnel; and Alternative 4 - no action/traditional fire protection.

Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Wildland Fire Management Environmental Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Irving, John S

DOE prepared an environmental assessment (EA)for wildland fire management activities on the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) (DOE/EA-1372). The EA was developed to evaluate wildland fire management options for pre-fire, fire suppression, and post fire activities. Those activities have an important role in minimizing the conversion of the native sagebrush steppe ecosystem found on the INEEL to non-native weeds. Four alternative management approaches were analyzed: Alternative 1 - maximum fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 2 - balanced fire protection; Alternative 3 - protect infrastructure and personnel; and Alternative 4 - no action/traditional fire protection.

Definition of experiments to investigate fire suppressants in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reuther, James J.

1990-01-01

Defined and justified here are the conceptual design and operation of a critical set of experiments expected to yield information on suppressants and on suppressant delivery systems under realistic spacecraft-fire conditions (smoldering). Specific experiment parameters are provided on the solid fuel (carbon), oxidants (habitable spacecraft atmospheres), fuel/oxidant supply, mixing mode, and rate (quiescent and finite; ventilated and replenishable), ignition mode, event, and reignition tendency, fire-zone size, fire conditions, lifetime, and consequences (toxicity), suppressants (CO2, H2O, N2) and suppressant delivery systems, and diagnostics. Candidate suppressants were identified after an analysis of how reduced gravity alters combustion, and how these alterations may influence the modes, mechanisms, and capacities of terrestrial agents to suppress unwanted combustion, or fire. Preferred spacecraft suppression concepts included the local, near-quiescent application of a gas, vapor, or mist that has thermophysical fire-suppression activity and is chemically inert under terrestrial (normal gravity) combustion conditions. The scale, number, and duration (about 1 hour) of the proposed low-gravity experiments were estimated using data not only on the limitations imposed by spacecraft-carrier (Shuttle or Space Station Freedom) accommodations, but also data on the details and experience of standardized smolder-suppression experiments at normal gravity. Deliberately incorporated into the conceptual design was sufficient interchangeability for the prototype experimental package to fly either on Shuttle now or Freedom later. This flexibility is provided by the design concept of up to 25 modular fuel canisters within a containment vessel, which permits both integration into existing low-gravity in-space combustion experiments and simultaneous testing of separate experiments to conserve utilities and time.

Verification study of an emerging fire suppression system

DOE PAGES

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Waked, R. Ryan; Granzow, Howard N.; ...

2016-01-01

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Moreover, plutonium gloveboxes present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials; these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. Several studies have been conducted to determine the robustness of selfcontained fire extinguishers in plutonium gloveboxes in a nuclear facility, verification tests must be performed. These tests include activation and mass loss calorimeter tests. In addition, compatibility issues with chemical components of the self-contained fire extinguishers need to be addressed. Our study presents activation andmore » mass loss calorimeter test results. After extensive studies, no critical areas of concern have been identified for the plutonium glovebox application of Fire Foe™, except for glovebox operations that use large quantities of bulk plutonium or uranium metal such as metal casting and pyro-chemistry operations.« less

Verification study of an emerging fire suppression system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cournoyer, Michael E.; Waked, R. Ryan; Granzow, Howard N.

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Moreover, plutonium gloveboxes present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials; these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. Several studies have been conducted to determine the robustness of selfcontained fire extinguishers in plutonium gloveboxes in a nuclear facility, verification tests must be performed. These tests include activation and mass loss calorimeter tests. In addition, compatibility issues with chemical components of the self-contained fire extinguishers need to be addressed. Our study presents activation andmore » mass loss calorimeter test results. After extensive studies, no critical areas of concern have been identified for the plutonium glovebox application of Fire Foe™, except for glovebox operations that use large quantities of bulk plutonium or uranium metal such as metal casting and pyro-chemistry operations.« less

Fire Suppression and Response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Gary A.

2004-01-01

This report is concerned with the following topics regarding fire suppression:What is the relative effectiveness of candidate suppressants to extinguish a representative fire in reduced gravity, including high-O2 mole fraction, low -pressure environments? What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of physically acting and chemically-acting agents in spacecraft fire suppression? What are the O2 mole fraction and absolute pressure below which a fire cannot exist? What effect does gas-phase radiation play in the overall fire and post-fire environments? Are the candidate suppressants effective to extinguish fires on practical solid fuels? What is required to suppress non-flaming fires (smoldering and deep seated fires) in reduced gravity? How can idealized space experiment results be applied to a practical fire scenario? What is the optimal agent deployment strategy for space fire suppression?

Using topography to meet wildlife and fuels treatment objectives in fire-suppressed landscapes

Treesearch

Emma C. Underwood; Joshua H. Viers; James F. Quinn; Malcolm North

2010-01-01

Past forest management practices, fire suppression, and climate change are increasing the need to actively manage California Sierra Nevada forests for multiple environmental amenities. Here we present a relatively low-cost, repeatable method for spatially parsing the landscape to help the U.S. Forest Service manage for different forest and fuel conditions to meet...

Analysis of USDA Forest Service fire-related expenditures 1970-1995

Treesearch

Ervin G. Schuster; David A. Cleaves; Enoch F. Bell

1997-01-01

Forest Service expenditures for fire presuppression and suppression activities increased from $61 million in FY 1970 to $951 million in FY 1994. Yet, real (net of inflation) expenditures have not increased significantly since FY 1970, if FY 1994 expenditures are excluded. During any given year, 56 percent of suppression expenditures are spent on supplies and services,...

Federal fire managers' perceptions of the importance, scarcity and substitutability of suppression resources

Treesearch

Crystal S. Stonesifer; David E. Calkin; Michael S. Hand

2017-01-01

Wildland firefighting in the United States is a complex and costly enterprise. While there are strong seasonal signatures for fire occurrence in specific regions of the United States, spatiotemporal occurrence of wildfire activity can have high inter-annual variability. Suppression resources come from a variety of jurisdictions and provide a wide range of skills,...

Fire regimes of remnant pitch pine communities in the Ridge and Valley Region of central Pennsylvania, USA. Forests

Treesearch

Joseph Marschall; Michael Stambaugh; Benjamin Jones; Richard Guyette; Patrick Brose; Daniel C. Dey

2016-01-01

Many fire-adapted ecosystems in the northeastern U.S. are converting to fire-intolerant vegetation communities due to fire suppression in the 20th century. Prescribed fire and other vegetation management activities that increase resilience and resistance to global changes are increasingly being implemented, particularly on public lands. For many fire-dependent...

Contrasting spatial patterns in active-fire and fire-suppressed Mediterranean climate old-growth mixed conifer forests

Treesearch

Danny L. Fry; Scott L. Stephens; Brandon M. Collins; Malcolm North; Ernesto Franco-Vizcaino; Samantha J. Gill

2014-01-01

In Mediterranean environments in western North America, historic fire regimes in frequent-fire conifer forests are highly variable both temporally and spatially. This complexity influenced forest structure and spatial patterns, but some of this diversity has been lost due to anthropogenic disruption of ecosystem processes, including fire. Information from reference...

Large, high-intensity fire events in southern California shrublands: debunking the fine-grain age patch model.

PubMed

Keeley, Jon E; Zedler, Paul H

2009-01-01

We evaluate the fine-grain age patch model of fire regimes in southern California shrublands. Proponents contend that the historical condition was characterized by frequent small to moderate size, slow-moving smoldering fires, and that this regime has been disrupted by fire suppression activities that have caused unnatural fuel accumulation and anomalously large and catastrophic wildfires. A review of more than 100 19th-century newspaper reports reveals that large, high-intensity wildfires predate modern fire suppression policy, and extensive newspaper coverage plus first-hand accounts support the conclusion that the 1889 Santiago Canyon Fire was the largest fire in California history. Proponents of the fine-grain age patch model contend that even the very earliest 20th-century fires were the result of fire suppression disrupting natural fuel structure. We tested that hypothesis and found that, within the fire perimeters of two of the largest early fire events in 1919 and 1932, prior fire suppression activities were insufficient to have altered the natural fuel structure. Over the last 130 years there has been no significant change in the incidence of large fires greater than 10,000 ha, consistent with the conclusion that fire suppression activities are not the cause of these fire events. Eight megafires (> or = 50,000 ha) are recorded for the region, and half have occurred in the last five years. These burned through a mosaic of age classes, which raises doubts that accumulation of old age classes explains these events. Extreme drought is a plausible explanation for this recent rash of such events, and it is hypothesized that these are due to droughts that led to increased dead fine fuels that promoted the incidence of firebrands and spot fires. A major shortcoming of the fine-grain age patch model is that it requires age-dependent flammability of shrubland fuels, but seral stage chaparral is dominated by short-lived species that create a dense surface layer of fine fuels. Results from the Behave Plus fire model with a custom fuel module for young chaparral shows that there is sufficient dead fuel to spread fire even under relatively little winds. Empirical studies of fuel ages burned in recent fires illustrate that young fuels often comprise a major portion of burned vegetation, and there is no difference between evergreen chaparral and semi-deciduous sage scrub. It has also been argued that the present-day fire size distribution in northern Baja California is a model of the historical patterns that were present on southern California landscapes. Applying this model with historical fire frequencies shows that the Baja model is inadequate to maintain these fire-prone ecosystems and further demonstrates that fire managers in southern California are not likely to learn much from studying modern Baja California fire regimes. Further supporting this conclusion are theoretical cellular automata models of fire spread, which show that, even in systems with age dependent flammability, landscapes evolve toward a complex age mosaic with a plausible age structure only when there is a severe stopping rule that constrains fire size, and only if ignitions are saturating.

Large, high-intensity fire events in Southern California shrublands: Debunking the fine-grain age patch model

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, J.E.; Zedler, P.H.

2009-01-01

We evaluate the fine-grain age patch model of fire regimes in southern California shrublands. Proponents contend that the historical condition was characterized by frequent small to moderate size, slow-moving smoldering fires, and that this regime has been disrupted by fire suppression activities that have caused unnatural fuel accumulation and anomalously large and catastrophic wildfires. A review of more than 100 19th-century newspaper reports reveals that large, high-intensity wildfires predate modern fire suppression policy, and extensive newspaper coverage plus first-hand accounts support the conclusion that the 1889 Santiago Canyon Fire was the largest fire in California history. Proponents of the fine-grain age patch model contend that even the very earliest 20th-century fires were the result of fire suppression disrupting natural fuel structure. We tested that hypothesis and found that, within the fire perimeters of two of the largest early fire events in 1919 and 1932, prior fire suppression activities were insufficient to have altered the natural fuel structure. Over the last 130 years there has been no significant change in the incidence of large fires greater than 10000 ha, consistent with the conclusion that fire suppression activities are not the cause of these fire events. Eight megafires (???50 000 ha) are recorded for the region, and half have occurred in the last five years. These burned through a mosaic of age classes, which raises doubts that accumulation of old age classes explains these events. Extreme drought is a plausible explanation for this recent rash of such events, and it is hypothesized that these are due to droughts that led to increased dead fine fuels that promoted the incidence of firebrands and spot fires. A major shortcoming of the fine-grain age patch model is that it requires age-dependent flammability of shrubland fuels, but seral stage chaparral is dominated by short-lived species that create a dense surface layer of fine fuels. Results from the Behave Plus fire model with a custom fuel module for young chaparral shows that there is sufficient dead fuel to spread fire even under relatively little winds. Empirical studies of fuel ages burned in recent fires illustrate that young fuels often comprise a major portion of burned vegetation, and there is no difference between evergreen chaparral and semi-deciduous sage scrub. It has also been argued that the present-day fire size distribution in northern Baja California is a model of the historical patterns that were present on southern California landscapes. Applying this model with historical fire frequencies shows that the Baja model is inadequate to maintain these fire-prone ecosystems and further demonstrates that fire managers in southern California are not likely to learn much from studying modern Baja California fire regimes. Further supporting this conclusion are theoretical cellular automata models of fire spread, which show that, even in systems with age dependent flammability, landscapes evolve toward a complex age mosaic with a plausible age structure only when there is a severe stopping rule that constrains fire size, and only if ignitions are saturating. ?? 2009 by the Ecological Society of America.

Natural and anthropogenic fire regimes, vegetation effects, and potential impacts on the avifauna of California oak woodlands

Treesearch

Kathryn L. Purcell; Scott L. Stephens

2005-01-01

Fire was once an important component of the disturbance regime in oak woodlands of the Sierra Nevada foothills. In addition to lightning-ignited fires, anthropogenic sources of ignition have historically been important until fire suppression activities in the mid- 20th century lengthened fire return intervals. Few fire history studies have addressed oak woodlands, and...

Initial tree regeneration responses to fire and thinning treatments in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest, USA

Treesearch

Harold S.J. Zald; Andrew N. Gray; Malcolm North; Ruth A. Kern

2008-01-01

Fire is a driver of ecosystem patterns and processes in forests globally, but natural fire regimes have often been altered by decades of active fire management. Following almost a century of fire suppression, many Western U.S. forests have greater fuel levels, higher tree densities, and are now dominated by fire-sensitive, shade-tolerant species. These fuel-loaded...

Using unplanned fires to help suppressing future large fires in Mediterranean forests.

PubMed

Regos, Adrián; Aquilué, Núria; Retana, Javier; De Cáceres, Miquel; Brotons, Lluís

2014-01-01

Despite the huge resources invested in fire suppression, the impact of wildfires has considerably increased across the Mediterranean region since the second half of the 20th century. Modulating fire suppression efforts in mild weather conditions is an appealing but hotly-debated strategy to use unplanned fires and associated fuel reduction to create opportunities for suppression of large fires in future adverse weather conditions. Using a spatially-explicit fire-succession model developed for Catalonia (Spain), we assessed this opportunistic policy by using two fire suppression strategies that reproduce how firefighters in extreme weather conditions exploit previous fire scars as firefighting opportunities. We designed scenarios by combining different levels of fire suppression efficiency and climatic severity for a 50-year period (2000-2050). An opportunistic fire suppression policy induced large-scale changes in fire regimes and decreased the area burnt under extreme climate conditions, but only accounted for up to 18-22% of the area to be burnt in reference scenarios. The area suppressed in adverse years tended to increase in scenarios with increasing amounts of area burnt during years dominated by mild weather. Climate change had counterintuitive effects on opportunistic fire suppression strategies. Climate warming increased the incidence of large fires under uncontrolled conditions but also indirectly increased opportunities for enhanced fire suppression. Therefore, to shift fire suppression opportunities from adverse to mild years, we would require a disproportionately large amount of area burnt in mild years. We conclude that the strategic planning of fire suppression resources has the potential to become an important cost-effective fuel-reduction strategy at large spatial scale. We do however suggest that this strategy should probably be accompanied by other fuel-reduction treatments applied at broad scales if large-scale changes in fire regimes are to be achieved, especially in the wider context of climate change.

30 CFR 75.1107 - Fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Provisions] On and after March 30, 1971, fire-suppression devices meeting specifications prescribed by the... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Fire suppression devices. 75.1107 Section 75... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire Suppression Devices and...

30 CFR 75.1107 - Fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Provisions] On and after March 30, 1971, fire-suppression devices meeting specifications prescribed by the... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fire suppression devices. 75.1107 Section 75... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire Suppression Devices and...

30 CFR 75.1107 - Fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Provisions] On and after March 30, 1971, fire-suppression devices meeting specifications prescribed by the... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Fire suppression devices. 75.1107 Section 75... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire Suppression Devices and...

30 CFR 75.1107 - Fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Provisions] On and after March 30, 1971, fire-suppression devices meeting specifications prescribed by the... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fire suppression devices. 75.1107 Section 75... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire Suppression Devices and...

30 CFR 75.1107 - Fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Provisions] On and after March 30, 1971, fire-suppression devices meeting specifications prescribed by the... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fire suppression devices. 75.1107 Section 75... HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire Suppression Devices and...

Predicting wildfire ignitions, escapes, and large fire activity using Predictive Service’s 7-Day Fire Potential Outlook in the western USA

Treesearch

Karin L. Riley; Crystal Stonesifer; Haiganoush Preisler; Dave Calkin

2014-01-01

Can fire potential forecasts assist with pre-positioning of fire suppression resources, which could result in a cost savings to the United States government? Here, we present a preliminary assessment of the 7-Day Fire Potential Outlook forecasts made by the Predictive Services program. We utilized historical fire occurrence data and archived forecasts to assess how...

Using Unplanned Fires to Help Suppressing Future Large Fires in Mediterranean Forests

PubMed Central

Regos, Adrián; Aquilué, Núria; Retana, Javier; De Cáceres, Miquel; Brotons, Lluís

2014-01-01

Despite the huge resources invested in fire suppression, the impact of wildfires has considerably increased across the Mediterranean region since the second half of the 20th century. Modulating fire suppression efforts in mild weather conditions is an appealing but hotly-debated strategy to use unplanned fires and associated fuel reduction to create opportunities for suppression of large fires in future adverse weather conditions. Using a spatially-explicit fire–succession model developed for Catalonia (Spain), we assessed this opportunistic policy by using two fire suppression strategies that reproduce how firefighters in extreme weather conditions exploit previous fire scars as firefighting opportunities. We designed scenarios by combining different levels of fire suppression efficiency and climatic severity for a 50-year period (2000–2050). An opportunistic fire suppression policy induced large-scale changes in fire regimes and decreased the area burnt under extreme climate conditions, but only accounted for up to 18–22% of the area to be burnt in reference scenarios. The area suppressed in adverse years tended to increase in scenarios with increasing amounts of area burnt during years dominated by mild weather. Climate change had counterintuitive effects on opportunistic fire suppression strategies. Climate warming increased the incidence of large fires under uncontrolled conditions but also indirectly increased opportunities for enhanced fire suppression. Therefore, to shift fire suppression opportunities from adverse to mild years, we would require a disproportionately large amount of area burnt in mild years. We conclude that the strategic planning of fire suppression resources has the potential to become an important cost-effective fuel-reduction strategy at large spatial scale. We do however suggest that this strategy should probably be accompanied by other fuel-reduction treatments applied at broad scales if large-scale changes in fire regimes are to be achieved, especially in the wider context of climate change. PMID:24727853

The spatially varying influence of humans on fire probability in North America

Treesearch

Marc-Andre Parisien; Carol Miller; Sean A. Parks; Evan R. DeLancey; Francois-Nicolas Robinne; Mike D. Flannigan

2016-01-01

Humans affect fire regimes by providing ignition sources in some cases, suppressing wildfires in others, and altering natural vegetation in ways that may either promote or limit fire. InNorthAmerica, several studies have evaluated the effects of society on fire activity; however, most studies have been regional or subcontinental in scope and used different...

Fire history, related to climate and land use in three southern Appalachian landscapes in the eastern United States.

PubMed

Flatley, William T; Lafon, Charles W; Grissino-Mayer, Henri D; LaForest, Lisa B

2013-09-01

Fire-maintained ecosystems and associated species are becoming increasingly rare in the southern Appalachian Mountains because of fire suppression policies implemented in the early 20th century. Restoration of these communities through prescribed fire has been hindered by a lack of information on historical fire regimes. To characterize past fire regimes, we collected and absolutely dated the tree rings on cross sections from 242 fire-scarred trees at three different sites in the southern Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. Our objectives were to (1) characterize the historical frequency of fire in southern Appalachian mixed pine-oak forests, (2) assess the impact of interannual climatic variability on the historical occurrence of fire, and (3) determine whether changes in human culture and land use altered the frequency of fire. Results demonstrate that fires burned frequently at all three sites for at least two centuries prior to the implementation of fire suppression and prevention in the early to mid 20th century. Composite mean fire return intervals were 2-4 yr, and point mean fire return intervals were 9-13 yr. Area-wide fires that burned across multiple stands occurred at 6-13-yr intervals. The majority of fires were recorded during the dormant season. Fire occurrence exhibited little relationship with reconstructed annual drought conditions. Also, fire activity did not change markedly during the transition from Native American to Euro-American settlement or during the period of industrial logging at the start of the 20th century. Fire activity declined significantly, however, during the fire suppression period, with a nearly complete absence of fire during recent decades. The characterization of past fire regimes should provide managers with specific targets for restoration of fire-associated communities in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The fire chronologies reported here are among the longest tree-ring reconstructions of fire history compiled for the eastern United States and support the hypothesis that frequent burning has played a long and important role in the development of forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains.

Occupational Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon of Wildland Firefighters at Prescribed and Wildland Fires.

PubMed

Navarro, Kathleen M; Cisneros, Ricardo; Noth, Elizabeth M; Balmes, John R; Hammond, S Katharine

2017-06-06

Wildland firefighters suppressing wildland fires or conducting prescribed fires work long shifts during which they are exposed to high levels of wood smoke with no respiratory protection. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are hazardous air pollutants formed during incomplete combustion. Exposure to PAHs was measured for 21 wildland firefighters suppressing two wildland fires and 4 wildland firefighters conducting prescribed burns in California. Personal air samples were actively collected using XAD4-coated quartz fiber filters and XAD2 sorbent tubes. Samples were analyzed for 17 individual PAHs through extraction with dichloromethane and gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer analysis. Naphthalene, retene, and phenanthrene were consistently the highest measured PAHs. PAH concentrations were higher at wildland fires compared to prescribed fires and were highest for firefighters during job tasks that involve the most direct contact with smoke near an actively burning wildland fire. Although concentrations did not exceed current occupational exposure limits, wildland firefighters are exposed to PAHs not only on the fire line at wildland fires, but also while working prescribed burns and while off-duty. Characterization of occupational exposures from wildland firefighting is important to understand better any potential long-term health effects.

Estimating suppression expenditures for individual large wildland fires

Treesearch

Krista M. Gebert; David E. Calkin; Jonathan Yoder

2007-01-01

The extreme cost of fighting wildland fires has brought fire suppression expenditures to the forefront of budgetary and policy debate in the United States. Inasmuch as large fires are responsible for the bulk of fire suppression expenditures, understanding fire characteristics that influence expenditures is important for both strategic fire planning and onsite fire...

Aerial wildland firefighting resources in fire suppression activities: an example USDA Forest Service

Treesearch

A. González-Cabán

2011-01-01

Wildfires are a significant social problem affecting millions of people worldwide and causing major economic impacts at all levels. In the US, the severe fires of 1910 in Idaho and Montana galvanized a fire policy excluding fire from the ecosystem by the U.S.Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDAFS). Fire management policy changed in 1935, 1978,1995, and 2001....

Reducing social losses from forest fires

Treesearch

Gregory S. Amacher; Arun S. Malik; Robert G. Haight

2006-01-01

We evaluate two financial incentives to encourage nonindustrial forest landowners to undertake activities that mitigate fire losses: sharing of fire suppression costs by the landowner and sharing of fuel reduction costs by the government. First and second best outcomes are identified and compared to assess the effectiveness of these incentives in reducing social...

Decreases in Soil Moisture and Organic Matter Quality Suppress Microbial Decomposition Following a Boreal Forest Fire

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Holden, Sandra R.; Berhe, Asmeret A.; Treseder, Kathleen K.

Climate warming is projected to increase the frequency and severity of wildfires in boreal forests, and increased wildfire activity may alter the large soil carbon (C) stocks in boreal forests. Changes in boreal soil C stocks that result from increased wildfire activity will be regulated in part by the response of microbial decomposition to fire, but post-fire changes in microbial decomposition are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the response of microbial decomposition to a boreal forest fire in interior Alaska and test the mechanisms that control post-fire changes in microbial decomposition. We used a reciprocal transplant between a recently burnedmore » boreal forest stand and a late successional boreal forest stand to test how post-fire changes in abiotic conditions, soil organic matter (SOM) composition, and soil microbial communities influence microbial decomposition. We found that SOM decomposing at the burned site lost 30.9% less mass over two years than SOM decomposing at the unburned site, indicating that post-fire changes in abiotic conditions suppress microbial decomposition. Our results suggest that moisture availability is one abiotic factor that constrains microbial decomposition in recently burned forests. In addition, we observed that burned SOM decomposed more slowly than unburned SOM, but the exact nature of SOM changes in the recently burned stand are unclear. Finally, we found no evidence that post-fire changes in soil microbial community composition significantly affect decomposition. Taken together, our study has demonstrated that boreal forest fires can suppress microbial decomposition due to post-fire changes in abiotic factors and the composition of SOM. Models that predict the consequences of increased wildfires for C storage in boreal forests may increase their predictive power by incorporating the observed negative response of microbial decomposition to boreal wildfires.« less

Negative consequences of positive feedbacks in US wildfire management

Treesearch

David E. Calkin; Matthew P. Thompson; Mark A. Finney

2015-01-01

Over the last two decades wildfire activity, damage, and management cost within the US have increased substantially. These increases have been associated with a number of factors including climate change and fuel accumulation due to a century of active fire suppression. The increased fire activity has occurred during a time of significant ex-urban development of the...

ATR prohibits replication catastrophe by preventing global exhaustion of RPA.

PubMed

Toledo, Luis Ignacio; Altmeyer, Matthias; Rask, Maj-Britt; Lukas, Claudia; Larsen, Dorthe Helena; Povlsen, Lou Klitgaard; Bekker-Jensen, Simon; Mailand, Niels; Bartek, Jiri; Lukas, Jiri

2013-11-21

ATR, activated by replication stress, protects replication forks locally and suppresses origin firing globally. Here, we show that these functions of ATR are mechanistically coupled. Although initially stable, stalled forks in ATR-deficient cells undergo nucleus-wide breakage after unscheduled origin firing generates an excess of single-stranded DNA that exhausts the nuclear pool of RPA. Partial reduction of RPA accelerated fork breakage, and forced elevation of RPA was sufficient to delay such "replication catastrophe" even in the absence of ATR activity. Conversely, unscheduled origin firing induced breakage of stalled forks even in cells with active ATR. Thus, ATR-mediated suppression of dormant origins shields active forks against irreversible breakage via preventing exhaustion of nuclear RPA. This study elucidates how replicating genomes avoid destabilizing DNA damage. Because cancer cells commonly feature intrinsically high replication stress, this study also provides a molecular rationale for their hypersensitivity to ATR inhibitors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Allowing a wildfire to burn: estimating the effect on future fire suppression costs

Treesearch

Rachel M. Houtman; Claire A. Montgomery; Aaron R. Gagnon; David E. Calkin; Thomas G. Dietterich; Sean McGregor; Mark Crowley

2013-01-01

Where a legacy of aggressive wildland fire suppression has left forests in need of fuel reduction, allowing wildland fire to burn may provide fuel treatment benefits, thereby reducing suppression costs from subsequent fires. The least-cost-plus-net-value-change model of wildland fire economics includes benefits of wildfire in a framework for evaluating suppression...

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems. (a) Fire suppression systems using water or... equivalent protective devices and a rising stem or other visual indicator-type shutoff valve. (b) Water supplies for fire suppression devices installed on underground equipment may be maintained in mounted water...

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems. (a) Fire suppression systems using water or... equivalent protective devices and a rising stem or other visual indicator-type shutoff valve. (b) Water supplies for fire suppression devices installed on underground equipment may be maintained in mounted water...

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems. (a) Fire suppression systems using water or... equivalent protective devices and a rising stem or other visual indicator-type shutoff valve. (b) Water supplies for fire suppression devices installed on underground equipment may be maintained in mounted water...

Technology Development for Fire Safety in Exploration Spacecraft and Habitats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Gary A.; Urban, David L.

2007-01-01

Fire during an exploration mission far from Earth is a particularly critical risk for exploration vehicles and habitats. The Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression (FPDS) project is part of the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) and has the goal to enhance crew health and safety on exploration missions by reducing the likelihood of a fire, or, if one does occur, minimizing the risk to the mission, crew, or system. Within the past year, the FPDS project has been formalized within the ETDP structure and has seen significant progress on its tasks in fire prevention, detection, and suppression. As requirements for Constellation vehicles and, specifically, the CEV have developed, the need for the FPDS technologies has become more apparent and we continue to make strides to infuse them into the Constellation architecture. This paper describes the current structure of the project within the ETDP and summarizes the significant programmatic activities. Major technical accomplishments are identified as are activities planned for FY07.

Technology Development for Fire Safety in Exploration Spacecraft and Habitats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Gary A.; Urban, David L.

2006-01-01

Fire during an exploration mission far from Earth is a particularly critical risk for exploration vehicles and habitats. The Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression (FPDS) project is part of the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) and has the goal to enhance crew health and safety on exploration missions by reducing the likelihood of a fire, or, if one does occur, minimizing the risk to the mission, crew, or system. Within the past year, the FPDS project has been formalized within the ETDP structure and has seen significant progress on its tasks in fire prevention, detection, and suppression. As requirements for Constellation vehicles and, specifically, the CEV have developed, the need for the FPDS technologies has become more apparent and we continue to make strides to infuse them into the Constellation architecture. This paper describes the current structure of the project within the ETDP and summarizes the significant programmatic activities. Major technical accomplishments are identified as are activities planned for FY07.

Delayed rectifier K channels contribute to contrast adaptation in mammalian retinal ganglion cells

PubMed Central

Weick, Michael; Demb, Jonathan B.

2011-01-01

SUMMARY Retinal ganglion cells adapt by reducing their sensitivity during periods of high contrast. Contrast adaptation in the firing response depends on both presynaptic and intrinsic mechanisms. Here, we investigated intrinsic mechanisms for contrast adaptation in OFF Alpha ganglion cells in the in vitro guinea pig retina. Using either visual stimulation or current injection, we show that brief depolarization evoked spiking and suppressed firing during subsequent depolarization. The suppression could be explained by Na channel inactivation, as shown in salamander cells. However, brief hyperpolarization in the physiological range (5–10 mV) also suppressed firing during subsequent depolarization. This suppression was sensitive selectively to blockers of delayed-rectifier K channels (KDR). Somatic membrane patches showed TEA-sensitive KDR currents with activation near −25 mV and removal of inactivation at voltages negative to Vrest. Brief periods of hyperpolarization apparently remove KDR inactivation and thereby increase the channel pool available to suppress excitability during subsequent depolarization. PMID:21745646

Delayed-rectifier K channels contribute to contrast adaptation in mammalian retinal ganglion cells.

PubMed

Weick, Michael; Demb, Jonathan B

2011-07-14

Retinal ganglion cells adapt by reducing their sensitivity during periods of high contrast. Contrast adaptation in the firing response depends on both presynaptic and intrinsic mechanisms. Here, we investigated intrinsic mechanisms for contrast adaptation in OFF Alpha ganglion cells in the in vitro guinea pig retina. Using either visual stimulation or current injection, we show that brief depolarization evoked spiking and suppressed firing during subsequent depolarization. The suppression could be explained by Na channel inactivation, as shown in salamander cells. However, brief hyperpolarization in the physiological range (5-10 mV) also suppressed firing during subsequent depolarization. This suppression was selectively sensitive to blockers of delayed-rectifier K channels (K(DR)). In somatic membrane patches, we observed tetraethylammonium-sensitive K(DR) currents that activated near -25 mV. Recovery from inactivation occurred at potentials hyperpolarized to V(rest). Brief periods of hyperpolarization apparently remove K(DR) inactivation and thereby increase the channel pool available to suppress excitability during subsequent depolarization. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tom Elicson; Bentley Harwood; Jim Bouchard

Over a 12 month period, a fire PRA was developed for a DOE facility using the NUREG/CR-6850 EPRI/NRC fire PRA methodology. The fire PRA modeling included calculation of fire severity factors (SFs) and fire non-suppression probabilities (PNS) for each safe shutdown (SSD) component considered in the fire PRA model. The SFs were developed by performing detailed fire modeling through a combination of CFAST fire zone model calculations and Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS). Component damage times and automatic fire suppression system actuation times calculated in the CFAST LHS analyses were then input to a time-dependent model of fire non-suppression probability. Themore » fire non-suppression probability model is based on the modeling approach outlined in NUREG/CR-6850 and is supplemented with plant specific data. This paper presents the methodology used in the DOE facility fire PRA for modeling fire-induced SSD component failures and includes discussions of modeling techniques for: • Development of time-dependent fire heat release rate profiles (required as input to CFAST), • Calculation of fire severity factors based on CFAST detailed fire modeling, and • Calculation of fire non-suppression probabilities.« less

14 CFR 460.13 - Smoke detection and fire suppression.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Smoke detection and fire suppression. 460... Crew § 460.13 Smoke detection and fire suppression. An operator or crew must have the ability to detect smoke and suppress a cabin fire to prevent incapacitation of the flight crew. ...

14 CFR 460.13 - Smoke detection and fire suppression.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Smoke detection and fire suppression. 460... Crew § 460.13 Smoke detection and fire suppression. An operator or crew must have the ability to detect smoke and suppress a cabin fire to prevent incapacitation of the flight crew. ...

14 CFR 460.13 - Smoke detection and fire suppression.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Smoke detection and fire suppression. 460... Crew § 460.13 Smoke detection and fire suppression. An operator or crew must have the ability to detect smoke and suppress a cabin fire to prevent incapacitation of the flight crew. ...

14 CFR 460.13 - Smoke detection and fire suppression.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Smoke detection and fire suppression. 460... Crew § 460.13 Smoke detection and fire suppression. An operator or crew must have the ability to detect smoke and suppress a cabin fire to prevent incapacitation of the flight crew. ...

14 CFR 460.13 - Smoke detection and fire suppression.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Smoke detection and fire suppression. 460... Crew § 460.13 Smoke detection and fire suppression. An operator or crew must have the ability to detect smoke and suppress a cabin fire to prevent incapacitation of the flight crew. ...

75 FR 8431 - Carbon Dioxide Fire Suppression Systems on Commercial Vessels

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-24

... Fire Suppression Systems on Commercial Vessels; Proposed Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 75 , No. 36... 1625-AB44 Carbon Dioxide Fire Suppression Systems on Commercial Vessels AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS... for fire suppression systems on several classes of commercial vessels. The amendments would clarify...

Characterizing crown fuel distribution for conifers in the interior western United States

Treesearch

Seth Ex; Frederick W. Smith; Tara Keyser

2015-01-01

Canopy fire hazard evaluation is essential for prioritizing fuel treatments and for assessing potential risk to firefighters during suppression activities. Fire hazard is usually expressed as predicted potential fire behavior, which is sensitive to the methodology used to quantitatively describe fuel profiles: methodologies that assume that fuel is distributed...

Failure to suppress low-frequency neuronal oscillatory activity underlies the reduced effectiveness of random patterns of deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

McConnell, George C; So, Rosa Q; Grill, Warren M

2016-06-01

Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established treatment for the motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanisms of action of DBS are unknown. Random temporal patterns of DBS are less effective than regular DBS, but the neuronal basis for this dependence on temporal pattern of stimulation is unclear. Using a rat model of PD, we quantified the changes in behavior and single-unit activity in globus pallidus externa and substantia nigra pars reticulata during high-frequency STN DBS with different degrees of irregularity. Although all stimulus trains had the same average rate, 130-Hz regular DBS more effectively reversed motor symptoms, including circling and akinesia, than 130-Hz irregular DBS. A mixture of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal responses was present during all stimulation patterns, and mean firing rate did not change during DBS. Low-frequency (7-10 Hz) oscillations of single-unit firing times present in hemiparkinsonian rats were suppressed by regular DBS, and neuronal firing patterns were entrained to 130 Hz. Irregular patterns of DBS less effectively suppressed 7- to 10-Hz oscillations and did not regularize firing patterns. Random DBS resulted in a larger proportion of neuron pairs with increased coherence at 7-10 Hz compared with regular 130-Hz DBS, which suggested that long pauses (interpulse interval >50 ms) during random DBS facilitated abnormal low-frequency oscillations in the basal ganglia. These results suggest that the efficacy of high-frequency DBS stems from its ability to regularize patterns of neuronal firing and thereby suppress abnormal oscillatory neural activity within the basal ganglia. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Fire protection for launch facilities using machine vision fire detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwartz, Douglas B.

1993-02-01

Fire protection of critical space assets, including launch and fueling facilities and manned flight hardware, demands automatic sensors for continuous monitoring, and in certain high-threat areas, fast-reacting automatic suppression systems. Perhaps the most essential characteristic for these fire detection and suppression systems is high reliability; in other words, fire detectors should alarm only on actual fires and not be falsely activated by extraneous sources. Existing types of fire detectors have been greatly improved in the past decade; however, fundamental limitations of their method of operation leaves open a significant possibility of false alarms and restricts their usefulness. At the Civil Engineering Laboratory at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, a new type of fire detector is under development which 'sees' a fire visually, like a human being, and makes a reliable decision based on known visual characteristics of flames. Hardware prototypes of the Machine Vision (MV) Fire Detection System have undergone live fire tests and demonstrated extremely high accuracy in discriminating actual fires from false alarm sources. In fact, this technology promises to virtually eliminate false activations. This detector could be used to monitor fueling facilities, launch towers, clean rooms, and other high-value and high-risk areas. Applications can extend to space station and in-flight shuttle operations as well; fiber optics and remote camera heads enable the system to see around obstructed areas and crew compartments. The capability of the technology to distinguish fires means that fire detection can be provided even during maintenance operations, such as welding.

Fire protection for launch facilities using machine vision fire detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, Douglas B.

1993-01-01

Fire protection of critical space assets, including launch and fueling facilities and manned flight hardware, demands automatic sensors for continuous monitoring, and in certain high-threat areas, fast-reacting automatic suppression systems. Perhaps the most essential characteristic for these fire detection and suppression systems is high reliability; in other words, fire detectors should alarm only on actual fires and not be falsely activated by extraneous sources. Existing types of fire detectors have been greatly improved in the past decade; however, fundamental limitations of their method of operation leaves open a significant possibility of false alarms and restricts their usefulness. At the Civil Engineering Laboratory at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, a new type of fire detector is under development which 'sees' a fire visually, like a human being, and makes a reliable decision based on known visual characteristics of flames. Hardware prototypes of the Machine Vision (MV) Fire Detection System have undergone live fire tests and demonstrated extremely high accuracy in discriminating actual fires from false alarm sources. In fact, this technology promises to virtually eliminate false activations. This detector could be used to monitor fueling facilities, launch towers, clean rooms, and other high-value and high-risk areas. Applications can extend to space station and in-flight shuttle operations as well; fiber optics and remote camera heads enable the system to see around obstructed areas and crew compartments. The capability of the technology to distinguish fires means that fire detection can be provided even during maintenance operations, such as welding.

Fire suppression effectiveness for simultaneous fires: an examination of fire histories

Treesearch

Larry F. Bednar; Romain Mees; David Strauss

1990-01-01

We examined fire and weather records for areas of the western United States for the period 1970-1984 to determine the effects of simultaneous wildfire occurrence on fire suppression efforts. Burning conditions were accounted for by use of short strings of fires which involved simultaneous suppression efforts. These strings were matched with closely preceding isolated...

Resource allocation for wildland fire suppression planning using a stochastic program

Treesearch

Alex Taylor Masarie

2011-01-01

Resource allocation for wildland fire suppression problems, referred to here as Fire-S problems, have been studied for over a century. Not only have the many variants of the base Fire-S problem made it such a durable one to study, but advances in suppression technology and our ever-expanding knowledge of and experience with wildland fire behavior have required almost...

30 CFR 75.1107-13 - Approval of other fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-13 Approval of... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Approval of other fire suppression devices. 75...

Assessing the accuracy of wildland fire situation analysis (WFSA) fire size and suppression cost estimates.

Treesearch

Geoffrey H. Donovan; Peter. Noordijk

2005-01-01

To determine the optimal suppression strategy for escaped wildfires, federal land managers are requiredto conduct a wildland fire situation analysis (WFSA). As part of the WFSA process, fire managers estimate final fire size and suppression costs. Estimates from 58 WFSAs conducted during the 2002 fire season are compared to actual outcomes. Results indicate that...

Preliminary Guidelines For Using Suppression Fires to Control Wildfires in the Southeast

Treesearch

Robert W. Cooper

1969-01-01

Suppression firing is defied as the application of fire to speed or strengthen control action on free-burning wildfires. The key to successful suppression firing is availability of personnel knowledgeable in specific application plus an adequate supply of manpower and equipment to contain the set fire. Preliminary guidelines for the use of this fire-control tool are...

Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) response to seasonality and frequency of fire

Treesearch

Felicia D. Archuleta

2014-01-01

Fragmentation of the landscape, habitat loss, and fire suppression, all a result of European settlement and activities, have precipitated both the decline of Black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) populations and the occurrence of fire throughout the Great Plains, including the Shortgrass steppe of northeastern New Mexico. The presence of Black-tailed prairie...

The impact of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire across western US forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, P.; Abatzoglou, J. T.

2016-12-01

Increased forest fire activity across the western United States (US) in recent decades has contributed to widespread forest mortality, carbon emissions, periods of degraded air quality, and substantial fire suppression expenditures. The increase in forest fire activity has likely been enabled by a number of factors including the legacy of fire suppression and human settlement, changes in suppression policies, natural climate variability, and human-caused climate change. We use modeled climate projections to estimate the contribution of anthropogenic climate change to observed increases in eight fuel aridity metrics and forest fire area across the western US. Anthropogenic increases in temperature and vapor pressure deficit have significantly enhanced fuel aridity across western US forests over the past several decades. Comparing observational climate records to records recalculated after removal of modeled anthropogenic trends, we find that anthropogenic climate change accounted for approximately 55% of observed increases in the eight-metric mean fuel aridity during 1979-2015 across western US forests. This implicates anthropogenic climate change as an important driver of observed increases in fuel aridity, and also highlights the importance of natural multi-decadal climate variability in influencing trends in forest fire potential on the timescales of human lives. Based on a very strong (R2 = 0.76) and mechanistically reasonable relationship between interannual variability in the eight-metric mean fuel aridity and forest-fire area in the western US, we estimate that anthropogenic increases in fuel aridity contributed to an additional 4.2 million ha (95% confidence range: 2.7-6.5 million ha) of forest fire area during 1984-2015, nearly doubling the total forest fire area expected in the absence of anthropogenic climate change. The relationship between annual forest fire area and fuel aridity is exponential and the proportion of total forest area burned in a given year has grown rapidly over the past 32 years. Natural climate variability will continue to alternate between modulating and compounding anthropogenic increases in fuel aridity, but anthropogenic climate change has emerged as a chronic driver of increased forest fire activity and should continue to do so where fuels are not limiting.

Large forest fires in Canada, 1959-1997

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocks, B. J.; Mason, J. A.; Todd, J. B.; Bosch, E. M.; Wotton, B. M.; Amiro, B. D.; Flannigan, M. D.; Hirsch, K. G.; Logan, K. A.; Martell, D. L.; Skinner, W. R.

2002-01-01

A Large Fire Database (LFDB), which includes information on fire location, start date, final size, cause, and suppression action, has been developed for all fires larger than 200 ha in area for Canada for the 1959-1997 period. The LFDB represents only 3.1% of the total number of Canadian fires during this period, the remaining 96.9% of fires being suppressed while <200 ha in size, yet accounts for ˜97% of the total area burned, allowing a spatial and temporal analysis of recent Canadian landscape-scale fire impacts. On average ˜2 million ha burned annually in these large fires, although more than 7 million ha burned in some years. Ecozones in the boreal and taiga regions experienced the greatest areas burned, with an average of 0.7% of the forested land burning annually. Lightning fires predominate in northern Canada, accounting for 80% of the total LFDB area burned. Large fires, although small in number, contribute substantially to area burned, most particularly in the boreal and taiga regions. The Canadian fire season runs from late April through August, with most of the area burned occurring in June and July due primarily to lightning fire activity in northern Canada. Close to 50% of the area burned in Canada is the result of fires that are not actioned due to their remote location, low values-at-risk, and efforts to accommodate the natural role of fire in these ecosystems. The LFDB is updated annually and is being expanded back in time to permit a more thorough analysis of long-term trends in Canadian fire activity.

Large forest fires in Canada, 1959-1997

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stocks, B. J.; Mason, J. A.; Todd, J. B.; Bosch, E. M.; Wotton, B. M.; Amiro, B. D.; Flannigan, M. D.; Hirsch, K. G.; Logan, K. A.; Martell, D. L.; Skinner, W. R.

2003-01-01

A Large Fire Database (LFDB), which includes information on fire location, start date, final size, cause, and suppression action, has been developed for all fires larger than 200 ha in area for Canada for the 1959-1997 period. The LFDB represents only 3.1% of the total number of Canadian fires during this period, the remaining 96.9% of fires being suppressed while <200 ha in size, yet accounts for ~97% of the total area burned, allowing a spatial and temporal analysis of recent Canadian landscape-scale fire impacts. On average ~2 million ha burned annually in these large fires, although more than 7 million ha burned in some years. Ecozones in the boreal and taiga regions experienced the greatest areas burned, with an average of 0.7% of the forested land burning annually. Lightning fires predominate in northern Canada, accounting for 80% of the total LFDB area burned. Large fires, although small in number, contribute substantially to area burned, most particularly in the boreal and taiga regions. The Canadian fire season runs from late April through August, with most of the area burned occurring in June and July due primarily to lightning fire activity in northern Canada. Close to 50% of the area burned in Canada is the result of fires that are not actioned due to their remote location, low values-at-risk, and efforts to accommodate the natural role of fire in these ecosystems. The LFDB is updated annually and is being expanded back in time to permit a more thorough analysis of long-term trends in Canadian fire activity.

Progress in Fire Detection and Suppression Technology for Future Space Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert; Urban, David L.

2000-01-01

Fire intervention technology (detection and suppression) is a critical part of the strategy of spacecraft fire safety. This paper reviews the status, trends, and issues in fire intervention, particularly the technology applied to the protection of the International Space Station and future missions beyond Earth orbit. An important contribution to improvements in spacecraft fire safety is the understanding of the behavior of fires in the non-convective (microgravity) environment of Earth-orbiting and planetary-transit spacecraft. A key finding is the strong influence of ventilation flow on flame characteristics, flammability limits and flame suppression in microgravity. Knowledge of these flow effects will aid the development of effective processes for fire response and technology for fire suppression.

Contribution of suppression difficulty and lessons learned in forecasting fire suppression operations productivity: A methodological approach

Treesearch

Francisco Rodríguez y Silva; Armando González-Cabán

2016-01-01

We propose an economic analysis using utility and productivity, and efficiency theories to provide fire managers a decision support tool to determine the most efficient fire management programs levels. By incorporating managers’ accumulated fire suppression experiences (capitalized experience) in the analysis we help fire managers...

Econometric analysis of fire suppression production functions for large wildland fires

Treesearch

Thomas P. Holmes; David E. Calkin

2013-01-01

In this paper, we use operational data collected for large wildland fires to estimate the parameters of economic production functions that relate the rate of fireline construction with the level of fire suppression inputs (handcrews, dozers, engines and helicopters). These parameter estimates are then used to evaluate whether the productivity of fire suppression inputs...

Quantifying the consequences of fire suppression in two California national parks

Treesearch

Carol Miller; Brett Davis

2009-01-01

Excluding fire can have untold ecological effects. Decades of fire suppression in national parks and other protected areas have altered natural fire regimes, vegetation, and wildlife habitat (Chang 1996; Keane et al. 2002). Management actions to suppress lightning-ignited wildfires removes one of the most important natural processes from fire-dependent ecosystems, and...

44 CFR 152.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... devices, and other basic medical and rescue equipment and their primary function will be rescue activities. ... non-Federal governing body) to provide fire suppression services within a fixed geographical area. A... precluded from submitting an additional application. Non-Federal airport and/or port authority fire...

Improving fire season definition by optimized temporal modelling of daily human-caused ignitions.

PubMed

Costafreda-Aumedes, S; Vega-Garcia, C; Comas, C

2018-07-01

Wildfire suppression management is usually based on fast control of all ignitions, especially in highly populated countries with pervasive values-at-risk. To minimize values-at-risk loss by improving response time of suppression resources it is necessary to anticipate ignitions, which are mainly caused by people. Previous studies have found that human-ignition patterns change spatially and temporally depending on socio-economic activities, hence, the deployment of suppression resources along the year should consider these patterns. However, full suppression capacity is operational only within legally established fire seasons, driven by past events and budgets, which limits response capacity and increases damages out of them. The aim of this study was to assess the temporal definition of fire seasons from the perspective of human-ignition patterns for the case study of Spain, where people cause over 95% of fires. Humans engage in activities that use fire as a tool in certain periods within a year, and in locations linked to specific spatial factors. Geographic variables (population, infrastructures, physiography and land uses) were used as explanatory variables for human-ignition patterns. The changing influence of these geographic variables on occurrence along the year was analysed with day-by-day logistic regression models. Daily models were built for all the municipal units in the two climatic regions in Spain (Atlantic and Mediterranean Spain) from 2002 to 2014, and similar models were grouped within continuous periods, designated as ignition-based seasons. We found three ignition-based seasons in the Mediterranean region and five in the Atlantic zones, not coincidental with calendar seasons, but with a high degree of agreement with current legally designated operational fire seasons. Our results suggest that an additional late-winter-early-spring fire season in the Mediterranean area and the extension of this same season in the Atlantic zone should be re-considered for operational purposes in the future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrologic responses to restored wildfire regimes revealed by soil moisture-vegetation relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boisramé, Gabrielle; Thompson, Sally; Stephens, Scott

2018-02-01

Many forested mountain watersheds worldwide evolved with frequent fire, which Twentieth Century fire suppression activities eliminated, resulting in unnaturally dense forests with high water demand. Restoration of pre-suppression forest composition and structure through a variety of management activities could improve forest resilience and water yields. This study explores the potential for "managed wildfire", whereby naturally ignited fires are allowed to burn, to alter the water balance. Interest in this type of managed wildfire is increasing, yet its long-term effects on water balance are uncertain. We use soil moisture as a spatially-distributed hydrologic indicator to assess the influence of vegetation, fire history and landscape position on water availability in the Illilouette Creek Basin in Yosemite National Park. Over 6000 manual surface soil moisture measurements were made over a period of three years, and supplemented with continuous soil moisture measurements over the top 1m of soil in three sites. Random forest and linear mixed effects models showed a dominant effect of vegetation type and history of vegetation change on measured soil moisture. Contemporary and historical vegetation maps were used to upscale the soil moisture observations to the basin and infer soil moisture under fire-suppressed conditions. Little change in basin-averaged soil moisture was inferred due to managed wildfire, but the results indicated that large localized increases in soil moisture had occurred, which could have important impacts on local ecology or downstream flows.

77 FR 74381 - Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Listing of Substitutes for Ozone Depleting Substances-Fire...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-14

... Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Listing of Substitutes for Ozone Depleting Substances--Fire Suppression... a companion proposed rule issuing listings for three fire suppressants under EPA's Significant New... companion proposed rule issuing listings for three fire suppressants under EPA's Significant New...

48 CFR 452.236-78 - Fire Suppression and Liability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Fire Suppression and Liability. As prescribed in § 436.578, the following clause may be inserted in contracts awarded for Integrated Resource Service Contracts (IRSC) awarded for the Forest Service. Fire... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Fire Suppression and...

Economics of wildland fire management

Treesearch

David Calkin; Krista Gebert

2009-01-01

Increased wildland fire activity and associated suppression costs over the last decade have significantly challenged federal agencies' ability to manage the nation's lands and meet public expectations. Three common factors have typically been identified to explain this increasing cost trend: 1) increased development within the wildland urban interface...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Propane Related Links

Science.gov Websites

Amerex Corporation's Vehicle Fire Suppression Systems are designed to warn the vehicle operator and suppress the fire, protecting both equipment and employees. Automatic systems suppress the fire in its

A synopsis of large or disastrous wildland fires

Treesearch

Robert E. Martin; David B. Sapsis

1995-01-01

Wildland fires have occurred for centuries in North America and other selected countries and can be segregated into three periods: prehistoric (presuppression) fires, suppression period fires, and fire management period fires. Prehistoric fires varied in size and damage but were probably viewed fatalistically. Suppression period fires were based on policy that excluded...

A simulation and optimisation procedure to model daily suppression resource transfers during a fire season in Colorado

Treesearch

Yu Wei; Erin J. Belval; Matthew P. Thompson; Dave E. Calkin; Crystal S. Stonesifer

2016-01-01

Sharing fire engines and crews between fire suppression dispatch zones may help improve the utilisation of fire suppression resources. Using the Resource Ordering and Status System, the Predictive Services’ Fire Potential Outlooks and the Rocky Mountain Region Preparedness Levels from 2010 to 2013, we tested a simulation and optimisation procedure to transfer crews and...

Examining the relative effects of fire weather, suppression and fuel treatment on fire behaviour--a simulation study.

PubMed

Penman, T D; Collins, L; Price, O F; Bradstock, R A; Metcalf, S; Chong, D M O

2013-12-15

Large budgets are spent on both suppression and fuel treatments in order to reduce the risk of wildfires. There is little evidence regarding the relative contribution of fire weather, suppression and fuel treatments in determining the risk posed from wildfires. Here we undertake a simulation study in the Sydney Basin, Australia, to examine this question using a fire behaviour model (Phoenix Rapidfire). Results of the study indicate that fire behaviour is most strongly influenced by fire weather. Suppression has a greater influence on whether a fire reaches 5 ha in size compared to fuel treatments. In contrast, fuel treatments have a stronger effect on the fire size and maximum distance the fire travels. The study suggests that fire management agencies will receive additional benefits from fuel treatment if they are located in areas which suppression resources can respond rapidly and attempt to contain the fires. No combination of treatments contained all fires, and the proportion of uncontained fires increased under more severe fire weather when the greatest number of properties are lost. Our study highlights the importance of alternative management strategies to reduce the risk of property loss. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retrospective fire modeling: Quantifying the impacts of fire suppression

Treesearch

Brett H. Davis; Carol Miller; Sean A. Parks

2010-01-01

Land management agencies need to understand and monitor the consequences of their fire suppression decisions. We developed a framework for retrospective fire behavior modeling and impact assessment to determine where ignitions would have spread had they not been suppressed and to assess the cumulative effects that would have resulted. This document is a general...

The Science of Prescribed Fire: to Enable a Different Kind of Control

Treesearch

Timothy E. Paysen; Marcia G. Narog; Jack D. Cohen

1998-01-01

A paradigm shift from fire suppression to fire suppression and prescription requires a shift in emphasis from simply controlling wildfire occurrence and spread to one that includes controlling characteristics of prescribed fire. Suppression focuses on preventing unwanted effects that might result from wildfire occurrence. Prescription promotes desired effects by...

Production and efficiency of large wildland fire suppression effort: A stochastic frontier analysis

Treesearch

Hari Katuwal; Dave Calkin; Michael S. Hand

2016-01-01

This study examines the production and efficiency of wildland fire suppression effort. We estimate the effectiveness of suppression resource inputs to produce controlled fire lines that contain large wildland fires using stochastic frontier analysis. Determinants of inefficiency are identified and the effects of these determinants on the daily production of...

The hidden consequences of fire suppression

Treesearch

Carol Miller

2012-01-01

Wilderness managers need a way to quantify and monitor the effects of suppressing lightning-caused wildfires, which can alter natural fire regimes, vegetation, and habitat. Using computerized models of fire spread, weather, and fuels, it is now possible to quantify many of the hidden consequences of fire suppression. Case study watersheds in Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings...

Spacecraft Fire Suppression: Testing and Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbud-Madrid, Angel; McKinnon, J. Thomas; Delplanque, Jean-Pierre; Kailasanath, Kazhikathra; Gokoglu, Suleyman; Wu, Ming-Shin

2004-01-01

The objective of this project is the testing and evaluation of the effectiveness of a variety of fire suppressants and fire-response techniques that will be used in the next generation of spacecraft (Crew Exploration Vehicle, CEV) and planetary habitats. From the many lessons learned in the last 40 years of space travel, there is common agreement in the spacecraft fire safety community that a new fire suppression system will be needed for the various types of fire threats anticipated in new space vehicles and habitats. To date, there is no single fire extinguishing system that can address all possible fire situations in a spacecraft in an effective, reliable, clean, and safe way. The testing conducted under this investigation will not only validate the various numerical models that are currently being developed, but it will provide new design standards on fire suppression that can then be applied to the next generation of spacecraft extinguishment systems. The test program will provide validation of scaling methods by conducting small, medium, and large scale fires. A variety of suppression methods will be tested, such as water mist, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen with single and multiple injection points and direct or distributed agent deployment. These injection methods cover the current ISS fire suppression method of a portable hand-held fire extinguisher spraying through a port in a rack and also next generation spacecraft units that may have a multi-point suppression delivery system built into the design. Consideration will be given to the need of a crew to clean-up the agent and recharge the extinguishers in flight in a long-duration mission. The fire suppression methods mentioned above will be used to extinguish several fire scenarios that have been identified as the most relevant to spaceflight, such as overheated wires, cable bundles, and circuit boards, as well as burning cloth and paper. Further testing will be conducted in which obstructions and ventilation will be added to represent actual spacecraft conditions (e.g., a series of cards in a card rack).

A mixed integer program to model spatial wildfire behavior and suppression placement decisions

Treesearch

Erin J. Belval; Yu Wei; Michael Bevers

2015-01-01

Wildfire suppression combines multiple objectives and dynamic fire behavior to form a complex problem for decision makers. This paper presents a mixed integer program designed to explore integrating spatial fire behavior and suppression placement decisions into a mathematical programming framework. Fire behavior and suppression placement decisions are modeled using...

Future Wildfire and Managed Fire Interactions in the Lake Tahoe Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheller, R.; Kretchun, A.

2017-12-01

Managing large forested landscape in the context of a changing climate and altered disturbance regimes presents new challenges and require integrated assessments of forest disturbance, management, succession, and the carbon cycle. Successful management under these circumstances will require information about trade-offs among multiple objectives and opportunities for spatially optimized landscape-scale management. Improved information about the effects of climate on forest communities, disturbance feedbacks, and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies enables actionable options for landscape managers. We evaluated the effects of fire suppression, wildfires, and forest fuel (thinning) treatments on the long-term carbon storage potential for Lake Tahoe Basin (LTB) forests under various climate futures. We simulated management scenarios that encompass fuel treatments across the larger landscape, beyond the Wildland Urban Interface. We improved upon current fire modeling under climate change via an integrated fire modeling module that, a) explicitly captures the influence of climate, fuels, topography, active fire management (e.g., fire suppression), and fuel treatments, and b) can be parameterized from available data, e.g., remote sensing, field reporting, fire databases, expert opinion. These improvements increase geographic flexibility and decrease reliance on broad historical fire regime statistics - imperfect targets for a no analog future and require minimal parameterization and calibration. We assessed the interactions among fuel treatments, prescribe fire, fire suppression, and stochastically recurring wildfires. Predicted changes in climate and ignition patterns in response to future climatic conditions, vegetation dynamics, and fuel treatments indicate larger potential long-term effects on C emissions, forest structure, and forest composition than prior studies.

Materials Science Research Rack-1 Fire Suppressant Distribution Test Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wieland, P. O.

2002-01-01

Fire suppressant distribution testing was performed on the Materials Science Research Rack-1 (MSRR-1), a furnace facility payload that will be installed in the U.S. Lab module of the International Space Station. Unlike racks that were tested previously, the MSRR-1 uses the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) to reduce vibration on experiments, so the effects of ARIS on fire suppressant distribution were unknown. Two tests were performed to map the distribution of CO2 fire suppressant throughout a mockup of the MSRR-1 designed to have the same component volumes and flowpath restrictions as the flight rack. For the first test, the average maximum CO2 concentration for the rack was 60 percent, achieved within 45 s of discharge initiation, meeting the requirement to reach 50 percent throughout the rack within 1 min. For the second test, one of the experiment mockups was removed to provide a worst-case configuration, and the average maximum CO2 concentration for the rack was 58 percent. Comparing the results of this testing with results from previous testing leads to several general conclusions that can be used to evaluate future racks. The MSRR-1 will meet the requirements for fire suppressant distribution. Primary factors that affect the ability to meet the CO2 distribution requirements are the free air volume in the rack and the total area and distribution of openings in the rack shell. The length of the suppressant flowpath and degree of tortuousness has little correlation with CO2 concentration. The total area of holes in the rack shell could be significantly increased. The free air volume could be significantly increased. To ensure the highest maximum CO2 concentration, the PFE nozzle should be inserted to the stop on the nozzle.

Fire and smoke retardants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drews, M. J.

Despite a reduction in Federal regulatory activity, research concerned with flame retardancy and smoke suppression in the private sector appears to be increasing. This trend seem related to the increased utilization of plastics for end uses which traditionally have employed metal or wood products. As a result, new markets have appeared for thermally stable and fire resistance thermoplastic materials, and this in turn has spurred research and development activity. In addition, public awareness of the dangers associated with fire has increased as a result of several highly publicized hotel and restaurant fires within the past two years. The consumers recognition of flammability characteristics as important materials property considerations has increased. The current status of fire and smoke retardant chemistry and research are summarized.

Foam as a Fire Suppressant: An Evaluation

Treesearch

Paul Schlobohm; Ron Rochna

1987-01-01

The ability of fire suppressant foams to improve ground-applied fire control efforts was evaluated. Foaming agents and foam-generating systems were examined. Performance evaluations were made for direct attack, indirect attack, and mop-up. Foam was determined to suppress and repel fire in situations where water did not. Cost comparisons of mop-up work showed straight...

75 FR 62191 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Critical Habitat for Navarretia fossalis

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-07

... soil amendments or dryland farming activities (Roberts 2009, p. 2). Subsurface Water Flow That Creates... protection to reduce the following threats: habitat destruction and fragmentation from urban and agricultural...; fire suppression practices (including discing and plowing to remove weeds and create fire breaks...

The historical ecology of fire, climate, and the decline of shortleaf pine in the Missouri Ozarks

Treesearch

Richard P. Guyette; Rose-Marie Muzika; Stephen L. Voelker

2007-01-01

We review studies that have shown reductions in the abundance of shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) during the last century in the Ozark Highlands. These studies indicate that pine abundance is currently 15 to 53 percent of the pine abundance levels before major logging activity and fire suppression, activities dating from the mid- to late 19th...

Fire Regime and Land Abandonment in European Russia: Case Study of Smolensk Oblast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krylov, A.; McCarty, J. L.; Potapov, P.; Turubanova, S.; Prishchepov, A. V.; Manisha, A.; Romanenkov, V.; Rukhovitch, D.; Koroleva, P.; Hansen, M.

2014-12-01

Fires in anthropogenically-dominated landscapes are generally attributed to ecosystem management, agriculture, and policy drivers. In European Russia, fire mainly occurring on agricultural lands, wetlands, and abandoned lands. In the agricultural practice in Russia prescribed fires are believed to increase pasture and hay productivity, suppress trees and shrub expansion, and reduce fire hazards, with fire frequency fire dependent on land use and agricultural practices. The large-scale socio-economic transition since the fall of the Soviet Union has led to changes in land use and land management, including land abandonment and changing agricultural practices. In June 2014, an extensive field campaign was completed in the Smolensk Oblast, located approximately two hundred kilometers west of Moscow on the border with Belarus. Our field sampling was based on circa 1985 Landsat-based forest cover map (Potapov et al., 2014). Points were randomly selected from the non-forested class of the 1985 classification, prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Of total field collects, 55% points were sampled on land in either early or late stage of abandonment, 15% from actively cropped fields, and 30% from hay or pasture. Fire frequency was calculated for the 108 field points using 1 km Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) active fire data for years 2000-2014. Also we calculated percent of points burned in spring 2014 using 30 m Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) data to derive burn scars. Actively cropped fields had lowest burn frequency while abandoned lands - early and late stage abandonment - had highest frequency. Fire frequency was significantly higher on wet soils than dry soils, with no relationship between fire frequency and tree canopy cover. We hypothesize, higher fire frequency on abandoned lands was likely due to greater fuel loads and because of traditional belief in rural Russia that fire is efficient way to suppress tree and shrub expansion.

Operating room fire prevention: creating an electrosurgical unit fire safety device.

PubMed

Culp, William C; Kimbrough, Bradly A; Luna, Sarah; Maguddayao, Aris J

2014-08-01

To reduce the incidence of surgical fires. Operating room fires represent a potentially life-threatening hazard and are triggered by the electrosurgical unit (ESU) pencil. Carbon dioxide is a fire suppressant and is a routinely used medical gas. We hypothesize that a shroud of protective carbon dioxide covering the tip of the ESU pencil displaces oxygen, thereby preventing fire ignition. Using 3-dimensional modeling techniques, a polymer sleeve was created and attached to an ESU pencil. This sleeve was connected to a carbon dioxide source and directed the gas through multiple precisely angled ports, generating a cone of fire-suppressive carbon dioxide surrounding the active pencil tip. This device was evaluated in a flammability test chamber containing 21%, 50%, and 100% oxygen with sustained ESU activation. The sleeve was tested with and without carbon dioxide (control) until a fuel was ignited or 30 seconds elapsed. Time to ignition was measured by high-speed videography. Fires were ignited with each control trial (15/15 trials). The control group median ± SD ignition time in 21% oxygen was 3.0 ± 2.4 seconds, in 50% oxygen was 0.1 ± 1.8 seconds, and in 100% oxygen was 0.03 ± 0.1 seconds. No fire was observed when the fire safety device was used in all concentrations of oxygen (0/15 trials; P < 0.0001). The exact 95% confidence interval for absolute risk reduction of fire ignition was 76% to 100%. A sleeve creating a cone of protective carbon dioxide gas enshrouding the sparks from an ESU pencil effectively prevents fire in a high-flammability model. Clinical application of this device may reduce the incidence of operating room fires.

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

30 CFR 75.1103-6 - Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire... Protection § 75.1103-6 Automatic fire sensors; actuation of fire suppression systems. Point-type heat sensors or automatic fire sensor and warning device systems may be used to actuate deluge-type water systems...

Urban-wildland fires: how California and other regions of the US can learn from Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Scott L; Adams, Mark A; Handmer, John; Kearns, Faith R; Leicester, Bob; Leonard, Justin; Moritz, Max A

2009-01-01

Most urban-wildland interface (UWI) fires in California and the other regions of the US are managed in a similar fashion: fire agencies anticipate the spread of fire, mandatory evacuations are ordered, and professional fire services move in and attempt to suppress the fires. This approach has not reduced building losses in California. Conversely, losses and the associated suite of environmental impacts, including reduced air quality, have dramatically increased over the last three decades. In contrast to California, Australia has developed a more effective 'Prepare, stay and defend, or leave early' policy. Using this approach, trained residents decide whether they will stay and actively defend their well-prepared property or leave early before a fire threatens them. Australian strategies have the distinct advantage of engaging and preparing those most affected by such fires: homeowners. Investing more in fire suppression alone, the common response after large UWI fires in California, will not reduce losses. US society has attempted to accommodate many of the natural hazards inherent to the landscapes that we inhabit; by examining the Australian model, we may approach a more sustainable coexistence with fire as well. However, it should be noted that some California communities are so vulnerable that a 'Prepare and leave early' strategy may be the only option.

36 CFR Appendix B to Part 1234 - Alternative Certified Fire-Safety Detection and Suppression System(s)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the system at the base of the main sprinkler riser. l. Fire hydrants must be located within 250 feet... Suppression System(s) 1. General. This Appendix B contains information on the Fire-safety Detection and Suppression System(s) tested by NARA through independent live fire testing that are certified to meet the...

36 CFR Appendix B to Part 1234 - Alternative Certified Fire-Safety Detection and Suppression System(s)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the system at the base of the main sprinkler riser. l. Fire hydrants must be located within 250 feet... Suppression System(s) 1. General. This Appendix B contains information on the Fire-safety Detection and Suppression System(s) tested by NARA through independent live fire testing that are certified to meet the...

36 CFR Appendix B to Part 1234 - Alternative Certified Fire-Safety Detection and Suppression System(s)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the system at the base of the main sprinkler riser. l. Fire hydrants must be located within 250 feet... Suppression System(s) 1. General. This Appendix B contains information on the Fire-safety Detection and Suppression System(s) tested by NARA through independent live fire testing that are certified to meet the...

Space Experiment Concepts: Cup-Burner Flame Extinguishment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki

2004-01-01

Space Fire Suppression Processes & Technology. Space experiment concepts of cup-burner flame extinguishment have been conceived to address to the key issues (i.e., organizing questions) in space fire suppression. Cup-burner flame extinguishment experiment can reveal physical and chemical suppression processes and provide agent effectiveness data useful for technology development of space fire suppression systems in various reduced-gravity platforms.

Holocene fire, vegetation, and climate dynamics inferred from charcoal and pollen record in the eastern Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wenwei; Zhao, Yan; Qin, Feng

2017-10-01

Understanding fire history and its driving mechanisms can provide valuable insights into present fire regime (intensity, severity and frequency), the interplay between vegetation and fire, and trigger of fire activities. Here we reconstruct the Holocene fire history in the Zoige Basin on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, on the basis of sedimentary micro-charcoal record over the last 10.0 ka (1 ka = 1000 cal yr BP) and discuss the influences of vegetation and climate on fire dynamics. Our results show that regional fire was active at 10.0-3.3 ka and a significant decrease in fire activity characterized the period after 3.3 ka. The high regional fire frequency at 10.0-3.3 ka is consistent with the forested landscape suggested by high affinity scores of cool mixed forest biome (mainly consisted of spruce), implying that fire dynamics during this period was generally controlled by the variations of arboreal biomass and summer temperature. During 6.3-4.6 ka the prevailing Asian summer monsoon provided increased moisture to this region and thus suppressed fire activities to an extent, despite the availability of abundant biomass. Declined tree biomass after 3.3 ka probably accounted for the decreased fire activities. In addition, two successive fire events at ca. 3.5-3.3 ka were likely responsible for the subsequent abrupt decline of forest components in the landscape.

Ponderosa pine, mixed conifer, and spruce-fir forests [Chapter 2

Treesearch

Michael A. Battaglia; Wayne D. Shepperd

2007-01-01

Before European settlement of the interior west of the United States, coniferous forests of this region were influenced by many disturbance regimes, primarily fires, insects, diseases, and herbivory, which maintained a diversity of successional stages and vegetative types across landscapes. Activities after settlement, such as fire suppression, grazing, and logging...

Prediction errors in wildland fire situation analyses.

Treesearch

Geoffrey H. Donovan; Peter Noordijk

2005-01-01

Wildfires consume budgets and put the heat on fire managers to justify and control suppression costs. To determine the appropriate suppression strategy, land managers must conduct a wildland fire situation analysis (WFSA) when:A wildland fire is expected to or does escape initial attack,A wildland fire managed for resource benefits...

Alternative approach for fire suppression of class A, B and C fires in gloveboxes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rosenberger, Mark S; Tsiagkouris, James A

2011-02-10

Department of Energy (DOE) Orders and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards require fire suppression in gloveboxes. Several potential solutions have been and are currently being considered at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The objective is to provide reliable, minimally invasive, and seismically robust fire suppression capable of extinguishing Class A, B, and C fires; achieve compliance with DOE and NFPA requirements; and provide value-added improvements to fire safety in gloveboxes. This report provides a brief summary of current approaches and also documents the successful fire tests conducted to prove that one approach, specifically Fire Foe{trademark} tubes, ismore » capable of achieving the requirement to provide reliable fire protection in gloveboxes in a cost-effective manner.« less

33 CFR 149.416 - What are the requirements for a dry chemical fire suppression system?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the requirements for a dry chemical fire suppression system? Each natural gas deepwater port must be... dry chemical fire suppression system? 149.416 Section 149.416 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) DEEPWATER PORTS DEEPWATER PORTS: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION...

Overview of ISS U.S. Fire Detection and Suppression System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Alana

2003-01-01

This paper presents a general overview of the International Space Station's Fire Detection and Suppression System. The topics include: 1) Introduction to Fire Detection and Suppression (FDS); 2) Description of (FDS) Subsystems; 3) FDS System Component Location and Status; 4) FDS System Capabilities; 5) FDS Automatic and Manual Response; 6) Post Fire Atmosphere Restoration and Air Quality Assessment; and 7) FDS Research Needs. This paper is in viewgraph form.

Space station internal environmental and safety concerns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, Matthew B.

1987-01-01

Space station environmental and safety concerns, especially those involving fires, are discussed. Several types of space station modules and the particular hazards associated with each are briefly surveyed. A brief history of fire detection and suppression aboard spacecraft is given. Microgravity fire behavior, spacecraft fire detector systems, space station fire suppression equipment and procedures, and fire safety in hyperbaric chambers are discussed.

Effect of suppression strategies on federal wildland fire expenditures

Treesearch

Krista M. Gebert; Anne E. Black

2012-01-01

Policymakers and decisionmakers alike have suggested that the use of less aggressive suppression strategies for wildland fires might help stem the tide of rising emergency wildland fire expenditures. However, the interplay of wildland fire management decisions and expenditures is not well understood. In this study, we assess the effect of different fire management...

Short-term responses of birds to prescribed fire in fire-suppressed forests of California

Treesearch

Bagne Karen; Kathryn Purcell

2011-01-01

Prescribed fire is one tool for restoring fire-suppressed forests, but application of fire during spring coincides with breeding and arrival of migrant birds. We examined effects of low-severity prescribed fires on counts of birds in a managed forest in the Sierra Nevada of California immediately, 1 year, and 3–6 years after fire was applied in spring. Of 26 species...

Bird assemblage response to restoration of fire-suppressed longleaf pine sandhills.

PubMed

Steen, David A; Conner, L M; Smith, Lora L; Provencher, Louis; Hiers, J Kevin; Pokswinski, Scott; Helms, Brian S; Guyer, Craig

2013-01-01

The ecological restoration of fire-suppressed habitats may require a multifaceted approach. Removal of hardwood trees together with reintroduction of fire has been suggested as a method of restoring fire-suppressed longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forests; however, this strategy, although widespread, has not been evaluated on large spatial and temporal scales. We used a landscape-scale experimental design to examine how bird assemblages in fire-suppressed longleaf pine sandhills responded to fire alone or fire following mechanical removal or herbicide application to reduce hardwood levels. Individual treatments were compared to fire-suppressed controls and reference sites. After initial treatment, all sites were managed with prescribed fire, on an approximately two- to three-year interval, for over a decade. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordinations suggested that avian assemblages on sites that experienced any form of hardwood removal differed from assemblages on both fire-suppressed sites and reference sites 3-4 years after treatment (i.e., early posttreatment). After >10 years of prescribed burning on all sites (i.e., late posttreatment), only assemblages at sites treated with herbicide were indistinguishable from assemblages at reference sites. By the end of the study, individual species that were once indicators of reference sites no longer contributed to making reference sites unique. Occupancy modeling of these indicator species also demonstrated increasing similarity across treatments over time. Overall, although we documented long-term and variable assemblage-level change, our results indicate occupancy for birds considered longleaf pine specialists was similar at treatment and reference sites after over a decade of prescribed burning, regardless of initial method of hardwood removal. In other words, based on the response of species highly associated with the habitat, we found no justification for the added cost and effort of fire surrogates; fire alone was sufficient to restore these species.

A feasibility study: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection utilization of infrared technologies for wildland fire suppression and management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nichols, J. D.; Britten, R. A.; Parks, G. S.; Voss, J. M.

1990-01-01

NASA's JPL has completed a feasibility study using infrared technologies for wildland fire suppression and management. The study surveyed user needs, examined available technologies, matched the user needs with technologies, and defined an integrated infrared wildland fire mapping concept system configuration. System component trade-offs were presented for evaluation in the concept system configuration. The economic benefits of using infrared technologies in fire suppression and management were examined. Follow-on concept system configuration development and implementation were proposed.

Thalamocortical neurons display suppressed burst-firing due to an enhanced Ih current in a genetic model of absence epilepsy.

PubMed

Cain, Stuart M; Tyson, John R; Jones, Karen L; Snutch, Terrance P

2015-06-01

Burst-firing in distinct subsets of thalamic relay (TR) neurons is thought to be a key requirement for the propagation of absence seizures. However, in the well-regarded Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) model as yet there has been no link described between burst-firing in TR neurons and spike-and-wave discharges (SWDs). GAERS ventrobasal (VB) neurons are a specific subset of TR neurons that do not normally display burst-firing during absence seizures in the GAERS model, and here, we assessed the underlying relationship of VB burst-firing with Ih and T-type calcium currents between GAERS and non-epileptic control (NEC) animals. In response to 200-ms hyperpolarizing current injections, adult epileptic but not pre-epileptic GAERS VB neurons displayed suppressed burst-firing compared to NEC. In response to longer duration 1,000-ms hyperpolarizing current injections, both pre-epileptic and epileptic GAERS VB neurons required significantly more hyperpolarizing current injection to burst-fire than those of NEC animals. The current density of the Hyperpolarization and Cyclic Nucleotide-activated (HCN) current (Ih) was found to be increased in GAERS VB neurons, and the blockade of Ih relieved the suppressed burst-firing in both pre-epileptic P15-P20 and adult animals. In support, levels of HCN-1 and HCN-3 isoform channel proteins were increased in GAERS VB thalamic tissue. T-type calcium channel whole-cell currents were found to be decreased in P7-P9 GAERS VB neurons, and also noted was a decrease in CaV3.1 mRNA and protein levels in adults. Z944, a potent T-type calcium channel blocker with anti-epileptic properties, completely abolished hyperpolarization-induced VB burst-firing in both NEC and GAERS VB neurons.

Production and efficiency of large wildland fire suppression effort: A stochastic frontier analysis.

PubMed

Katuwal, Hari; Calkin, David E; Hand, Michael S

2016-01-15

This study examines the production and efficiency of wildland fire suppression effort. We estimate the effectiveness of suppression resource inputs to produce controlled fire lines that contain large wildland fires using stochastic frontier analysis. Determinants of inefficiency are identified and the effects of these determinants on the daily production of controlled fire line are examined. Results indicate that the use of bulldozers and fire engines increase the production of controlled fire line, while firefighter crews do not tend to contribute to controlled fire line production. Production of controlled fire line is more efficient if it occurs along natural or built breaks, such as rivers and roads, and within areas previously burned by wildfires. However, results also indicate that productivity and efficiency of the controlled fire line are sensitive to weather, landscape and fire characteristics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

GABAergic Neural Activity Involved in Salicylate-Induced Auditory Cortex Gain Enhancement

PubMed Central

Lu, Jianzhong; Lobarinas, Edward; Deng, Anchun; Goodey, Ronald; Stolzberg, Daniel; Salvi, Richard J.; Sun, Wei

2011-01-01

Although high doses of sodium salicylate impair cochlear function, it paradoxically enhances sound-evoked activity in the auditory cortex (AC) and augments acoustic startle reflex responses, neural and behavioral metrics associated with hyperexcitability and hyperacusis. To explore the neural mechanisms underlying salicylate-induced hyperexcitability and “increased central gain”, we examined the effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor agonists and antagonists on salicylate-induced hyperexcitability in the AC and startle reflex responses. Consistent with our previous findings, local or systemic application of salicylate significantly increased the amplitude of sound-evoked AC neural activity, but generally reduced spontaneous activity in the AC. Systemic injection of salicylate also significantly increased the acoustic startle reflex. S-baclofen or R-baclofen, GABA-B agonists, which suppressed sound-evoked AC neural firing rate and local field potentials, also suppressed the salicylate-induced enhancement of the AC field potential and the acoustic startle reflex. Local application of vigabatrin, which enhances GABA concentration in the brain, suppressed the salicylate-induced enhancement of AC firing rate. Systemic injection of vigabatrin also reduced the salicylate-induced enhancement of acoustic startle reflex. Collectively, these results suggest that the sound-evoked behavioral and neural hyperactivity induced by salicylate may arise from a salicylate-induced suppression GABAergic inhibition in the AC. PMID:21664433

Examining heterogeneity and wildfire management expenditures using spatially and temporally descriptive data

Treesearch

Michael S. Hand; Matthew P. Thompson; Dave Calkin

2016-01-01

Increasing costs of wildfire management have highlighted the need to better understand suppression expenditures and potential tradeoffs of land management activities that may affect fire risks. Spatially and temporally descriptive data is used to develop a model of wildfire suppression expenditures, providing new insights into the role of spatial and temporal...

Large airtanker use and outcomes in suppressing wildland fires in the United States

Treesearch

David E. Calkin; Crystal S. Stonesifer; Matthew P. Thompson; Charles W. McHugh

2014-01-01

Wildfire activity in the United States incurs substantial costs and losses, and presents challenges to federal, state, tribal and local agencies that have responsibility for wildfire management. Beyond the potential socioeconomic and ecological losses, and the monetary costs to taxpayers due to suppression, wildfire management is a dangerous occupation. Aviation...

Economics of wildfire management: The development and application of suppression expenditure models

Treesearch

Michael S. Hand; Krista M. Gebert; Jingjing Liang; David E. Calkin; Matthew P. Thompson; Mo Zhou

2014-01-01

In the United States, increased wildland fire activity over the last 15 years has resulted in increased pressure to balance the cost, benefits, and risks of wildfire management. Amid increased public scrutiny and a highly variable wildland fire environment, a substantial body of research has developed to study factors affecting the cost-effectiveness of wildfire...

Fire and fire-suppression impacts on forest-soil carbon [Chapter 13

Treesearch

Deborah Page-Dumroese; Martin F. Jurgensen; Alan E. Harvey

2003-01-01

The potential of forest soils to sequester carbon (C) depends on many biotic and abiotic variables, such as: forest type, stand age and structure, root activity and turnover, temperature and moisture conditions, and soil physical, chemical, and biological properties (Birdsey and Lewis, Chapter 2; Johnson and Kern, Chapter 4; Pregitzer, Chapter 6; Morris and Paul,...

Combustion and Reacting Systems for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Urban, David L.

2004-01-01

Contents include the foloving: 1. Spacecraft Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression. 2. Advanced Life Support. Air/water revitalization, waste management. 3. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Fuel/consumables from regolith/atmosphere. 4. Extra vehicular Activity. Air revitalization, power systems (MEMS scale combustors). 5. In-situ Fabrication and Repair.Of these we have the lead responsibility in Fire Safety.

Fire retardant foams developed to suppress fuel fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fish, R.; Gilwee, W. J.; Parker, J. A.; Riccitiello, S. R.

1968-01-01

Heat insulating polyurethane foam retards and suppresses fuel fires. Uniformly dispersed in the foam is a halogenated polymer capable of splitting off hydrogen halide upon heating and charring of the polyurethane.

Fire Effects Planning Framework: A user's guide

Treesearch

A. Black; T. Opperman

2005-01-01

Each decision to suppress fire reinforces a feedback cycle in which fuels continue to accumulate, risk escalates, and the tendency to suppress fires grows (Miller and others, 2003). Existing decision-support tools focus primarily on the negative consequences of fire. This guide outlines a framework managers can use to (1) identify key areas of fire risk and (2)...

Deploying wildland fire suppression resources with a scenario-based standard response model.

Treesearch

Robert G. Haight; Jeremy S. Fried

2007-01-01

Wildland fire managers deploy suppression resources to bases and dispatch them to fires to maximize the percentage of fires that are successfully contained before unacceptable costs and losses occur. Deployment is made with budget constraints and uncertainty about the daily number, location, and intensity of fires, all of which affect initial-attack success. To address...

Deploying wildland fire suppression resources with a scenario-based standard response model

Treesearch

Robert G. Haight; Jeremy S. Fried

2007-01-01

Wildland fire managers deploy suppression resources to bases and dispatch them to fires to maximize the percentage of fires that are successfully contained before unacceptable costs and losses occur. Deployment is made with budget constraints and uncertainty about the daily number, location, and intensity of fires, all of which affect initial-attack success. To address...

Environmental Assessment for Wildland Fire Prevention Activities at Joint-Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-01

adjacent to water sources used for human water consumption should be avoided to protect fish habitat and water quality. If feasible in these areas, the...fire. The Lead PIO1 conferred with ADFG (Regional Supervisor, Sport Fish Division) and had someone calculate the effects of suppression related...threaten the northern containment line. 4. Protect anadromous fish habitat in the Richardson Clearwater and Delta River drainages from the effects of fire

Assessing Potential Future Carbon Dynamics with Climate Change and Fire Management in a Mountainous Landscape on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, R. S.

2010-12-01

Forests of the mountainous landscapes of the maritime Pacific Northwestern USA may have high carbon sequestration potential via their high productivity and moderate to infrequent fire regimes. With climate change, there may be shifts in incidence and severity of fire, especially in the drier areas of the region, via changes to forest productivity and hydrology, and consequent effects to C sequestration and forest structure. To explore this issue, I assessed potential effects of fire management (little fire suppression/wildland fire management/highly effective fire suppression) under two climate change scenarios on future C sequestration dynamics (amounts and spatial pattern) in Olympic National Park, WA, over a 500-year simulation period. I used the simulation platform FireBGCv2, which contains a mechanistic, individual tree succession model, a spatially explicit climate-based biophysical model that uses daily weather data, and a spatially explicit fire model incorporating ignition, spread, and effects on ecosystem components. C sequestration patterns varied over time and spatial and temporal patterns differed somewhat depending on the climate change scenario applied and the fire management methods employed. Under the more extreme climate change scenario with little fire suppression, fires were most frequent and severe and C sequestration decreased. General trends were similar under the more moderate climate change scenario, as compared to current climate, but spatial patterns differed. Both climate change scenarios under highly effective fire suppression showed about 50% of starting total C after the initial transition phase, whereas with 10% fire suppression both scenarios exhibited about 10% of starting amounts. Areas of the landscape that served as refugia for older forest under increasing frequency of high severity fire were also hotspots for C sequestration in a landscape experiencing increasing frequency of disturbance with climate change.

Clotting and fibrinolytic changes after firefighting activities.

PubMed

Smith, Denise L; Horn, Gavin P; Petruzzello, Steven J; Fahey, George; Woods, Jeffrey; Fernhall, Bo

2014-03-01

Approximately 45%-50% of all duty-related deaths among firefighters are due to sudden cardiovascular events, and a disproportionate number of these fatalities occur after strenuous fire suppression activities. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of strenuous firefighting activities on platelets, coagulation, and fibrinolytic activity and to document the extent to which these variables recovered 2 h after completion of the firefighting activity. Firefighters performed 18 min of simulated firefighting activities in a training structure that contained live fires. After firefighting activities, firefighters were provided with fluid and allowed to cool down and then recovered for 2 h in an adjacent room. Blood samples were obtained prefirefighting, postfirefighting, and 2 h postfirefighting. Platelet number, platelet activity, and coagulatory potential increased immediately postfirefighting and many variables (platelet function, partial thromboplastin time, and factor VIII) reflected a procoagulatory state even after 2 h of recovery. Fibrinolysis, as reflected by tissue plasminogen activator, also was enhanced immediately postfirefighting but returned to baseline values by 2 h postfirefighting. In contrast, inhibition of fibrinolysis, as evidenced by a reduction in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, was depressed at 2 h postfirefighting. Firefighting resulted in elevated coagulatory and fibrinolytic activity. However, 2 h postfirefighting, tissue plasminogen activator returned to baseline and coagulatory potential remained elevated. The procoagulatory state that exists after firefighting may provide a mechanistic link to the reports of sudden cardiac events after strenuous fire suppression activities.

Functional connectivity in raphé-pontomedullary circuits supports active suppression of breathing during hypocapnic apnea

PubMed Central

Nuding, Sarah C.; Segers, Lauren S.; Iceman, Kimberly E.; O'Connor, Russell; Dean, Jay B.; Bolser, Donald C.; Baekey, David M.; Dick, Thomas E.; Shannon, Roger; Morris, Kendall F.

2015-01-01

Hyperventilation is a common feature of disordered breathing. Apnea ensues if CO2 drive is sufficiently reduced. We tested the hypothesis that medullary raphé, ventral respiratory column (VRC), and pontine neurons have functional connectivity and persistent or evoked activities appropriate for roles in the suppression of drive and rhythm during hyperventilation and apnea. Phrenic nerve activity, arterial blood pressure, end-tidal CO2, and other parameters were monitored in 10 decerebrate, vagotomized, neuromuscularly-blocked, and artificially ventilated cats. Multielectrode arrays recorded spiking activity of 649 neurons. Loss and return of rhythmic activity during passive hyperventilation to apnea were identified with the S-transform. Diverse fluctuating activity patterns were recorded in the raphé-pontomedullary respiratory network during the transition to hypocapnic apnea. The firing rates of 160 neurons increased during apnea; the rates of 241 others decreased or stopped. VRC inspiratory neurons were usually the last to cease firing or lose rhythmic activity during the transition to apnea. Mayer wave-related oscillations (0.04–0.1 Hz) in firing rate were also disrupted during apnea. Four-hundred neurons (62%) were elements of pairs with at least one hyperventilation-responsive neuron and a correlational signature of interaction identified by cross-correlation or gravitational clustering. Our results support a model with distinct groups of chemoresponsive raphé neurons contributing to hypocapnic apnea through parallel processes that incorporate disfacilitation and active inhibition of inspiratory motor drive by expiratory neurons. During apnea, carotid chemoreceptors can evoke rhythm reemergence and an inspiratory shift in the balance of reciprocal inhibition via suppression of ongoing tonic expiratory neuron activity. PMID:26203111

Risk of large-scale fires in boreal forests of Finland under changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehtonen, I.; Venäläinen, A.; Kämäräinen, M.; Peltola, H.; Gregow, H.

2016-01-01

The target of this work was to assess the impact of projected climate change on forest-fire activity in Finland with special emphasis on large-scale fires. In addition, we were particularly interested to examine the inter-model variability of the projected change of fire danger. For this purpose, we utilized fire statistics covering the period 1996-2014 and consisting of almost 20 000 forest fires, as well as daily meteorological data from five global climate models under representative concentration pathway RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The model data were statistically downscaled onto a high-resolution grid using the quantile-mapping method before performing the analysis. In examining the relationship between weather and fire danger, we applied the Canadian fire weather index (FWI) system. Our results suggest that the number of large forest fires may double or even triple during the present century. This would increase the risk that some of the fires could develop into real conflagrations which have become almost extinct in Finland due to active and efficient fire suppression. However, the results reveal substantial inter-model variability in the rate of the projected increase of forest-fire danger, emphasizing the large uncertainty related to the climate change signal in fire activity. We moreover showed that the majority of large fires in Finland occur within a relatively short period in May and June due to human activities and that FWI correlates poorer with the fire activity during this time of year than later in summer when lightning is a more important cause of fires.

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-8... liquid chemical to protect attended equipment shall: (1) Be maintained at a pressure consistent with the...

30 CFR 75.1107-8 - Fire suppression devices; extinguishant supply systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-8... liquid chemical to protect attended equipment shall: (1) Be maintained at a pressure consistent with the...

Survival analysis and classification methods for forest fire size

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Factors affecting wildland-fire size distribution include weather, fuels, and fire suppression activities. We present a novel application of survival analysis to quantify the effects of these factors on a sample of sizes of lightning-caused fires from Alberta, Canada. Two events were observed for each fire: the size at initial assessment (by the first fire fighters to arrive at the scene) and the size at “being held” (a state when no further increase in size is expected). We developed a statistical classifier to try to predict cases where there will be a growth in fire size (i.e., the size at “being held” exceeds the size at initial assessment). Logistic regression was preferred over two alternative classifiers, with covariates consistent with similar past analyses. We conducted survival analysis on the group of fires exhibiting a size increase. A screening process selected three covariates: an index of fire weather at the day the fire started, the fuel type burning at initial assessment, and a factor for the type and capabilities of the method of initial attack. The Cox proportional hazards model performed better than three accelerated failure time alternatives. Both fire weather and fuel type were highly significant, with effects consistent with known fire behaviour. The effects of initial attack method were not statistically significant, but did suggest a reverse causality that could arise if fire management agencies were to dispatch resources based on a-priori assessment of fire growth potentials. We discuss how a more sophisticated analysis of larger data sets could produce unbiased estimates of fire suppression effect under such circumstances. PMID:29320497

Survival analysis and classification methods for forest fire size.

PubMed

Tremblay, Pier-Olivier; Duchesne, Thierry; Cumming, Steven G

2018-01-01

Factors affecting wildland-fire size distribution include weather, fuels, and fire suppression activities. We present a novel application of survival analysis to quantify the effects of these factors on a sample of sizes of lightning-caused fires from Alberta, Canada. Two events were observed for each fire: the size at initial assessment (by the first fire fighters to arrive at the scene) and the size at "being held" (a state when no further increase in size is expected). We developed a statistical classifier to try to predict cases where there will be a growth in fire size (i.e., the size at "being held" exceeds the size at initial assessment). Logistic regression was preferred over two alternative classifiers, with covariates consistent with similar past analyses. We conducted survival analysis on the group of fires exhibiting a size increase. A screening process selected three covariates: an index of fire weather at the day the fire started, the fuel type burning at initial assessment, and a factor for the type and capabilities of the method of initial attack. The Cox proportional hazards model performed better than three accelerated failure time alternatives. Both fire weather and fuel type were highly significant, with effects consistent with known fire behaviour. The effects of initial attack method were not statistically significant, but did suggest a reverse causality that could arise if fire management agencies were to dispatch resources based on a-priori assessment of fire growth potentials. We discuss how a more sophisticated analysis of larger data sets could produce unbiased estimates of fire suppression effect under such circumstances.

Management impacts on fire occurrence: A comparison of fire regimes of African and South American tropical savannas in different protected areas.

PubMed

Alvarado, Swanni T; Silva, Thiago Sanna Freire; Archibald, Sally

2018-07-15

Humans can alter fire dynamics in grassland systems by changing fire frequency, fire seasonality and fuel conditions. These changes have effects on vegetation structure and recovery, species composition, and ecosystem function. Understanding how human management can affect fire regimes is vital to detect potential changes in the resilience of plant communities, and to predict vegetation responses to human interventions. We evaluated the fire regimes of two recently protected areas in Madagascar (Ibity and Itremo NPA) and one in Brazil (Serra do Cipó NP) before and after livestock exclusion and fire suppression policies. We compare the pre- and post-management fire history in these areas and analyze differences in terms of total annual burned area, density of ignitions, burn scar size distribution, fire return period and seasonal fire distribution. More than 90% of total park areas were burned at least once during the studied period, for all parks. We observed a significant reduction in the number of ignitions for Ibity NPA and Serra do Cipó NP after livestock exclusion and active fire suppression, but no significant change in total burned area for each protected area. We also observed a seasonal shift in burning, with fires happening later in the fire season (October-November) after management intervention. However, the protected areas in Madagascar had shorter fire return intervals (3.23 and 1.82 years) than those in Brazil (7.91 years). Our results demonstrate that fire exclusion is unattainable, and probably unwarranted in tropical grassland conservation areas, but show how human intervention in fire and vegetation patterns can alter various aspects of the fire regimes. This information can help with formulating realistic and effective fire management policies in these valuable conservation areas. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of acute and long-term administration of escitalopram and citalopram on serotonin neurotransmission: an in vivo electrophysiological study in rat brain.

PubMed

El Mansari, Mostafa; Sánchez, Connie; Chouvet, Guy; Renaud, Bernard; Haddjeri, Nasser

2005-07-01

The present study was undertaken to compare the acute and long-term effects of escitalopram and citalopram on rat brain 5-HT neurotransmission, using electrophysiological techniques. In hippocampus, after 2 weeks of treatment with escitalopram (10 mg/kg/day, s.c.) or citalopram (20 mg/kg/day, s.c.), the administration of the selective 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonist WAY-100,635 (20-100 microg/kg, i.v.) dose-dependently induced a similar increase in the firing activity of dorsal hippocampus CA(3) pyramidal neurons, thus revealing direct functional evidence of an enhanced tonic activation of postsynaptic 5-HT(1A) receptors. In dorsal raphe nucleus, escitalopram was four times more potent than citalopram in suppressing the firing activity of presumed 5-HT neurons (ED(50)=58 and 254 mug/kg, i.v., respectively). Interestingly, the suppressant effect of escitalopram (100 microg/kg, i.v.) was significantly prevented, but not reversed by R-citalopram (250 microg/kg, i.v.). Sustained administration of escitalopram and citalopram significantly decreased the spontaneous firing activity of presumed 5-HT neurons. This firing activity returned to control rate after 2 weeks in rats treated with escitalopram, but only after 3 weeks using citalopram, and was associated with a desensitization of somatodendritic 5-HT(1A) autoreceptors. These results suggest that the time course of the gradual return of presumed 5-HT neuronal firing activity, which was reported to account for the delayed effect of SSRI on 5-HT transmission, is congruent with the earlier onset of action of escitalopram vs citalopram in validated animal models of depression and anxiety.

Economic cost of initial attack and large-fire suppression

Treesearch

Armando González-Cabán

1983-01-01

A procedure has been developed for estimating the economic cost of initial attack and large-fire suppression. The procedure uses a per-unit approach to estimate total attack and suppression costs on an input-by-input basis. Fire management inputs (FMIs) are the production units used. All direct and indirect costs are charged to the FMIs. With the unit approach, all...

Forest service large fire area burned and suppression expenditure trends, 1970-2002.

Treesearch

David E. Calkin; Krista M. Gebert; J. Greg Jones; Ronald P. Neilson

2005-01-01

Extreme fire seasons in recent years and associated high suppression expenditures have brought about a chorus of calls for reform of federal firefighting structure and policy. Given the political nature of the topic, a critical review of past trends in area burned, size of fires, and suppression expenditures is warranted. We examined data relating to emergency wildland...

Experimental And Numerical Evaluation Of Gaseous Agents For Suppressing Cup-Burner Flames In Low Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, Fumiaki; Linteris, Gregory T.; Katta, Viswanath R.

2003-01-01

Longer duration missions to the moon, to Mars, and on the International Space Station (ISS) increase the likelihood of accidental fires. NASA's fire safety program for human-crewed space flight is based largely on removing ignition sources and controlling the flammability of the material on-board. There is ongoing research to improve the flammability characterization of materials in low gravity; however, very little research has been conducted on fire suppression in the low-gravity environment. Although the existing suppression systems aboard the Space Shuttle (halon 1301, CF3Br) and the ISS (CO2 or water-based form) may continue to be used, alternative effective agents or techniques are desirable for long-duration missions. The goal of the present investigation is to: (1) understand the physical and chemical processes of fire suppression in various gravity and O2 levels simulating spacecraft, Mars, and moon missions; (2) provide rigorous testing of analytical models, which include detailed combustion-suppression chemistry and radiation sub-models, so that the model can be used to interpret (and predict) the suppression behavior in low gravity; and (3) provide basic research results useful for advances in space fire safety technology, including new fire-extinguishing agents and approaches.

Risk for large-scale fires in boreal forests of Finland under changing climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehtonen, I.; Venäläinen, A.; Kämäräinen, M.; Peltola, H.; Gregow, H.

2015-08-01

The target of this work was to assess the impact of projected climate change on the number of large forest fires (over 10 ha fires) and burned area in Finland. For this purpose, we utilized a strong relationship between fire occurrence and the Canadian fire weather index (FWI) during 1996-2014. We used daily data from five global climate models under representative concentration pathway RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The model data were statistically downscaled onto a high-resolution grid using the quantile-mapping method before performing the analysis. Our results suggest that the number of large forest fires may double or even triple during the present century. This would increase the risk that some of the fires could develop into real conflagrations which have become almost extinct in Finland due to active and efficient fire suppression. Our results also reveal substantial inter-model variability in the rate of the projected increase in forest-fire danger. We moreover showed that the majority of large fires occur within a relatively short period in May and June due to human activities and that FWI correlates poorer with the fire activity during this time of year than later in summer when lightning is more important cause of fires.

Factors affecting fuel break effectiveness in the control of large fires on the Los Padres National Forest, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Syphard, Alexandra D.; Keeley, Jon E.; Brennan, Teresa J.

2011-01-01

As wildfires have increased in frequency and extent, so have the number of homes developed in the wildland-urban interface. In California, the predominant approach to mitigating fire risk is construction of fuel breaks, but there has been little empirical study of their role in controlling large fires.We constructed a spatial database of fuel breaks on the Los Padres National Forest in southern California to better understand characteristics of fuel breaks that affect the behaviour of large fires and to map where fires and fuel breaks most commonly intersect. We evaluated whether fires stopped or crossed over fuel breaks over a 28-year period and compared the outcomes with physical characteristics of the sites, weather and firefighting activities during the fire event. Many fuel breaks never intersected fires, but others intersected several, primarily in historically fire-prone areas. Fires stopped at fuel breaks 46% of the time, almost invariably owing to fire suppression activities. Firefighter access to treatments, smaller fires and longer fuel breaks were significant direct influences, and younger vegetation and fuel break maintenance indirectly improved the outcome by facilitating firefighter access. This study illustrates the importance of strategic location of fuel breaks because they have been most effective where they provided access for firefighting activities.

30 CFR 75.1107-3 - Fire suppression devices; approved components; installation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-3... agency approved by the Secretary. (b) Where used, pressure vessels shall conform with the requirements of...

30 CFR 75.1107-3 - Fire suppression devices; approved components; installation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-3... agency approved by the Secretary. (b) Where used, pressure vessels shall conform with the requirements of...

30 CFR 75.1107-3 - Fire suppression devices; approved components; installation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-3... agency approved by the Secretary. (b) Where used, pressure vessels shall conform with the requirements of...

30 CFR 75.1107-3 - Fire suppression devices; approved components; installation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-3... agency approved by the Secretary. (b) Where used, pressure vessels shall conform with the requirements of...

30 CFR 75.1107-3 - Fire suppression devices; approved components; installation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Protection Fire Suppression Devices and Fire-Resistant Hydraulic Fluids on Underground Equipment § 75.1107-3... agency approved by the Secretary. (b) Where used, pressure vessels shall conform with the requirements of...

Simulating avian species and foraging group responses to fuel reduction treatments in coniferous forests

Treesearch

Angela M. White; Elise F. Zipkin; Patricia N. Manley; Matthew D. Schlesinger

2013-01-01

Over a century of fire suppression activities have altered the structure and composition of mixed conifer forests throughout the western United States. In the absence of fire, fuels have accumulated in these forests causing concerns over the potential for catastrophic wildfires. Fuel reduction treatments are being used on federal and state lands to reduce the threat of...

ACUTE CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF FIREFIGHTING AND ACTIVE COOLING DURING REHABILITATION

PubMed Central

Burgess, Jefferey L.; Duncan, Michael D.; Hu, Chengcheng; Littau, Sally R.; Caseman, Delayne; Kurzius-Spencer, Margaret; Davis-Gorman, Grace; McDonagh, Paul F.

2012-01-01

Objectives To determine the cardiovascular and hemostatic effects of fire suppression and post-exposure active cooling. Methods Forty-four firefighters were evaluated prior to and after a 12 minute live-fire drill. Next, 50 firefighters undergoing the same drill were randomized to post-fire forearm immersion in 10°C water or standard rehabilitation. Results In the first study, heart rate and core body temperature increased and serum C-reactive protein decreased but there were no significant changes in fibrinogen, sE-selectin or sL-selectin. The second study demonstrated an increase in blood coagulability, leukocyte count, factors VIII and X, cortisol and glucose, and a decrease in plasminogen and sP-selectin. Active cooling reduced mean core temperature, heart rate and leukocyte count. Conclusions Live-fire exposure increased core temperature, heart rate, coagulability and leukocyte count; all except coagulability were reduced by active cooling. PMID:23090161

Factors influencing large wildland fire suppression expenditures

Treesearch

Jingjing Liang; Dave E. Calkin; Krista M. Gebert; Tyron J. Venn; Robin P. Silverstein

2008-01-01

There is an urgent and immediate need to address the excessive cost of large fires. Here, we studied large wildland fire suppression expenditures by the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Among 16 potential nonmanagerial factors, which represented fire size and shape, private properties, public land attributes, forest and fuel conditions, and geographic...

Associations of breeding birds with fire-influenced and riparian-upland gradients in a longleaf pine ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, J.C.; Krieger, S.M.; Walters, J.R.; Collazo, J.A.

2006-01-01

We determined the effects of fire history and a riparian-upland gradient on the breeding bird community at Fort Bragg Military Installation in North Carolina, one of the largest remnant areas of the endangered longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem. Study sites were classified into two treatments: fire-intense (areas experiencing growing-season burns) and fire-suppressed (areas lacking fires). Within each treatment, bird and vegetation data were recorded at point-count stations positioned at three distances from streamhead pocosins to characterize the riparian-upland habitat gradient: 0, 75, and ≥150 m. Total bird abundance and species richness varied significantly along the riparian-upland gradient, with pocosins contributing greatly to avian biodiversity. Our data revealed strong effects of fire history and riparian-upland gradient on bird species, which we described in terms of breeding-bird assemblages. Members of the open longleaf assemblage (e.g., Red- cockaded Woodpecker [Picoides borealis], Bachman's Sparrow [Aimophila aestivalis]) were most common in fire-intense areas and at upland locations. Members of the fire-suppressed assemblage (e.g., Wood Thrush [Hylocichla mustelina], Ovenbird [Seiurus aurocapilla]) were confined to pocosins in fire-intense areas, but became more abundant in fire-suppressed areas. Members of the pocosin assemblage (e.g., Eastern Towhee [Pipilo erythropthalamus], Common Yellowthroat [Geothlypis trichas]) were largely confined to pocosins and, in some cases, were most abundant in fire-intense pocosins. Fire suppression increased structural diversity of vegetation and promoted one breeding-bird assemblage (fire-suppressed), but at the expense of two others (open longleaf, pocosin). Continued management of Fort Bragg to promote longleaf pine restoration is essential for supporting conservation of the open-longleaf bird assemblage; in addition, it will benefit the pocosin assemblage.

Forest fire management to avoid unintended consequences: a case study of Portugal using system dynamics.

PubMed

Collins, Ross D; de Neufville, Richard; Claro, João; Oliveira, Tiago; Pacheco, Abílio P

2013-11-30

Forest fires are a serious management challenge in many regions, complicating the appropriate allocation to suppression and prevention efforts. Using a System Dynamics (SD) model, this paper explores how interactions between physical and political systems in forest fire management impact the effectiveness of different allocations. A core issue is that apparently sound management can have unintended consequences. An instinctive management response to periods of worsening fire severity is to increase fire suppression capacity, an approach with immediate appeal as it directly treats the symptom of devastating fires and appeases the public. However, the SD analysis indicates that a policy emphasizing suppression can degrade the long-run effectiveness of forest fire management. By crowding out efforts to preventative fuel removal, it exacerbates fuel loads and leads to greater fires, which further balloon suppression budgets. The business management literature refers to this problem as the firefighting trap, wherein focus on fixing problems diverts attention from preventing them, and thus leads to inferior outcomes. The paper illustrates these phenomena through a case study of Portugal, showing that a balanced approach to suppression and prevention efforts can mitigate the self-reinforcing consequences of this trap, and better manage long-term fire damages. These insights can help policymakers and fire managers better appreciate the interconnected systems in which their authorities reside and the dynamics that may undermine seemingly rational management decisions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

External human factors in incident management team decisionmaking and their effect on large fire suppression expenditures

Treesearch

Janie Canton-Tompson; Krista M. Gebert; Brooke Thompson; Greg Jones; David Calkin; Geoff Donovan

2008-01-01

Large wildland fires are complex, costly events influenced by a vast array of physical, climatic, and social factors. Changing climate, fuel buildup due to past suppression, and increasing populations in the wildland-urban interface have all been blamed for the extreme fire seasons and rising suppression expenditures of recent years. With each high-cost year comes a...

Directory of workers in the fire field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuvshinoff, B. W.; Mcleod, S. B.; Katz, R. G.

1973-01-01

A directory was compiled to provide a list of workers engaged in fire research, their addresses and affiliations, and their principal fields of activity. The initial criteria for the selection of names for the directory are recent contributions to fire literature, teaching of subjects relevant to fire science, or participation in or support of fire research programs. With some exceptions, fire service personnel and fire protection engineers were excluded because directories already exist for these professionals. Also excluded are investigators engaged principally in studies of propulsion, combustion, and explosion phenomena, because these areas of study are somewhat aside from the main focus of fire research. For purposes of the directory, fire science is taken to be the body of knowledge, art, and skill related to the investigation, analysis, and interpretation of the phenomena of unwanted fires and the evaluation of materials methods, systems, and equipment related to fire safety, prevention, detection, and suppression.

Research Plan for Fire Signatures and Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Viewgraphs on the prevention, suppression, and detection of fires aboard a spacecraft is presented. The topics include: 1) Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression Sub-Element Products; 2) FPDS Organizing Questions; 3) FPDS Organizing Questions; 4) Signatures, Sensors, and Simulations; 5) Quantification of Fire and Pre-Fire Signatures; 6) Smoke; 7) DAFT Hardware; 8) Additional Benefits of DAFT; 9) Development and Characterization of Sensors 10) Simulation of the Transport of Smoke and Fire Precursors; and 11) FPDS Organizing Questions.

Evaluation and Testing of Rail Transit Undercar Fire Detection and Suppression Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1989-08-01

This document presents the results of a comprehensive review and evaluation of transit undercar fire detection and suppression methods. The evaluation of fire detection method resulted in a recommendation that continuous wire type linear thermal dete...

Wildfire and drought dynamics destabilize carbon stores of fire-suppressed forests

Treesearch

J. Mason Earles; Malcolm P. North; Matthew D. Hurteau

2014-01-01

Widespread fire suppression and thinning have altered the structure and composition of many forests in the western United States, making them more susceptible to the synergy of large-scale drought and fire events. We examine how these changes affect carbon storage and stability compared to historic fire-adapted conditions. We modeled carbon dynamics under possible...

A probabilistic view of chaparral and forest fire regimes in southern California and northern Baja California

Treesearch

Richard A. Minnich; Ernesto Franco-Vizcaíno

2009-01-01

Fire suppression in industrialized countries encourages massive smoke emissions from high-intensity fires as a result of two inextricably related processes under current suppression policies: the nonrandom occurrence of vegetation fires in extreme weather states and the anomalous accumulation of spatially homogenous fuels. We propose as an organizing idea that the...

A balanced approach: Dr. Biswell's solution to fire issues in urban interface and wildland ecosystems

Treesearch

Carol Rice

1995-01-01

Dr. Biswell's approach to fire management balanced fire prevention, suppression, and fuel management. Dr. Biswell maintained that with increased support for fire prevention and fuel management, several profound changes would be anticipated, including a decrease in the number of wildfires, as well as a decrease in requirements for suppression. Interested persons...

Evaluating potential trade-offs among fuel treatment strategies in mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Jens T. Stevens; Brandon M. Collins; Jonathan W. Long; Malcolm P. North; Susan J. Prichard; Leland W. Tarnay; Angela M. White

2016-01-01

Fuel treatments in fire-suppressed mixed-conifer forests are designed to moderate potential wildfire behavior and effects. However, the objectives for modifying potential fire effects can vary widely, from improving fire suppression efforts and protecting infrastructure, to reintroducing low-severity fire, to restoring and maintaining variable forest structure and...

Prevention and suppression of metal packing fires.

PubMed

Roberts, Mark; Rogers, William J; Sam Mannan, M; Ostrowski, Scott W

2003-11-14

Structured packing has been widely used because of large surface area that makes possible columns with high capacity and efficiency. The large surface area also contributes to fire hazards because of hydrocarbon deposits that can easily combust and promote combustion of the thin metal packing materials. Materials of high surface area that can fuel fires include reactive metals, such as titanium, and materials that are not considered combustible, such as stainless steel. Column design and material selection for packing construction is discussed together with employee training and practices for safe column maintenance and operations. Presented also are methods and agents for suppression of metal fires. Guidance for prevention and suppression of metal fires is related to incidents involving packing fires in columns.

Fighting fire in the heat of the day: An analysis of operational and environmental conditions of use for large airtankers in United States fire suppression

Treesearch

Crystal S. Stonesifer; Dave Calkin; Matthew P. Thompson; Keith D. Stockmann

2016-01-01

Large airtanker use is widespread in wildfire suppression in the United States. The current approach to nationally dispatching the fleet of federal contract airtankers relies on filling requests for airtankers to achieve suppression objectives identified by fire managers at the incident level. In general, demand is met if resources are available, and the...

Effects of Three Fire-Suppressant Foams on the Germination and Physiological Responses of Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Uhram; Mun, Saeromi; Waldman, Bruce; Lee, Eun Ju

2014-10-01

Suppressant foams used to fight forest fires may leave residual effects on surviving biota that managers need to consider prior to using them. We examined how three fire-suppressant foams (FSFs) (Forexpan S, Phos-Chek-WD881, and Silv-ex) affected seed germination and physiological responses of three plant species. Exposure to FSFs, whether in diluted concentrations or those typical in the field, reduced final germination percentages of seeds grown in petri dishes and within growth chambers. However, the FSFs did not cause total germination failure in any treatment. Inhibition of germination increased with longer exposure times, but only to diluted FSF solutions. Unlike in the laboratory experiments, none of the three FSFs affected seedling emergence when tested in field conditions. Further, we found no evidence of long-term phytotoxic effects on antioxidant enzyme activity nor chlorophyll content of the plant saplings. Therefore, although the three FSFs showed evidence of phytotoxicity to plants in laboratory tests, their actual impact on terrestrial ecosystems may be minimal. We suggest that the benefits of using these FSFs to protect plants in threatened forest ecosystems outweigh their minor risks.

Effects of three fire-suppressant foams on the germination and physiological responses of plants.

PubMed

Song, Uhram; Mun, Saeromi; Waldman, Bruce; Lee, Eun Ju

2014-10-01

Suppressant foams used to fight forest fires may leave residual effects on surviving biota that managers need to consider prior to using them. We examined how three fire-suppressant foams (FSFs) (Forexpan S, Phos-Chek-WD881, and Silv-ex) affected seed germination and physiological responses of three plant species. Exposure to FSFs, whether in diluted concentrations or those typical in the field, reduced final germination percentages of seeds grown in petri dishes and within growth chambers. However, the FSFs did not cause total germination failure in any treatment. Inhibition of germination increased with longer exposure times, but only to diluted FSF solutions. Unlike in the laboratory experiments, none of the three FSFs affected seedling emergence when tested in field conditions. Further, we found no evidence of long-term phytotoxic effects on antioxidant enzyme activity nor chlorophyll content of the plant saplings. Therefore, although the three FSFs showed evidence of phytotoxicity to plants in laboratory tests, their actual impact on terrestrial ecosystems may be minimal. We suggest that the benefits of using these FSFs to protect plants in threatened forest ecosystems outweigh their minor risks.

Effect of fire prevention programs on accidental and incendiary wildfires on tribal lands in the United States

Treesearch

Karen L. Abt; David T. Butry; Jeff Prestemon; Samuel Scranton

2015-01-01

Humans cause more than 55% of wildfires on lands managed by the USDA Forest Service and US Department of the Interior, contributing to both suppression expenditures and damages. One means to reduce the expenditures and damages associated with these wildfires is through fire prevention activities, which can include burn permits, public service programs or announcements...

36 CFR 261.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (b) Nothing in this part shall preclude activities as authorized by the...) None of these prohibitions apply to any person engaged in fire suppression actions. [42 FR 35958, July...

36 CFR 261.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (b) Nothing in this part shall preclude activities as authorized by the...) None of these prohibitions apply to any person engaged in fire suppression actions. [42 FR 35958, July...

36 CFR 261.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (b) Nothing in this part shall preclude activities as authorized by the...) None of these prohibitions apply to any person engaged in fire suppression actions. [42 FR 35958, July...

36 CFR 261.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (b) Nothing in this part shall preclude activities as authorized by the...) None of these prohibitions apply to any person engaged in fire suppression actions. [42 FR 35958, July...

36 CFR 261.1 - Scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Wild and Scenic Rivers System. (b) Nothing in this part shall preclude activities as authorized by the...) None of these prohibitions apply to any person engaged in fire suppression actions. [42 FR 35958, July...

Conflicting short and long-term management goals: Fire effects in endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) habitat

Treesearch

Christina M. Andruk; Norma L. Fowler

2015-01-01

Decades of fire suppression have significantly altered the vegetation structure and composition of savannas, woodlands, and forests. The presence of endangered species and other species of conservation concern in these fire-suppressed systems makes re-introducing fire more challenging. In oak-juniper woodlands of central Texas, we are presented with the challenge of re...

The fire and oak hypothesis: incorporating the influence of deer browsing and canopy gaps

Treesearch

Rachel J. Collins; Walter P. Carson

2003-01-01

A century of fire suppression has altered tree species composition and is a commonly cited cause for the region-wide decline in oak abundance (the fire and oak hypothesis). Other explanations include alterations in canopy gap regimes and deer browsing that operate in conjunction with fire suppression. We examined the interactions among these processes by manipulating...

A comparison of cooling techniques in firefighters after a live burn evolution

PubMed Central

Colburn, Deanna; Suyama, Joe; Reis, Steven E; Morley, Julia L; Goss, Fredric L; Chen, Yi-Fan; Moore, Charity G; Hostler, David

2010-01-01

Objective We compared two active cooling devices to passive cooling in a moderate (≈22°C) temperature environment on heart rate (HR) and core temperature (Tc) recovery when applied to firefighters following 20 min. of fire suppression. Methods Firefighters (23 male, 2 female) performed 20 minutes of fire suppression at a live fire evolution. Immediately following the evolution, the subjects removed their thermal protective clothing and were randomized to receive forearm immersion (FI), ice water perfused cooling vest (CV) or passive (P) cooling in an air-conditioned medical trailer for 30 minutes. Heart rate and deep gastric temperature were monitored every five minutes during recovery. Results A single 20-minute bout of fire suppression resulted in near maximal HR (175±13 - P, 172±20 - FI, 177±12 beats•min−1 - CV) when compared to baseline (p < 0.001), a rapid and substantial rise in Tc (38.2±0.7 - P, 38.3±0.4 - FI, 38.3±0.3° - CV) compared to baseline (p < 0.001), and mass lost from sweating of nearly one kilogram. Cooling rates (°C/min) differed (p = 0.036) by device with FI (0.05±0.04) providing higher rates than P (0.03±0.02) or CV (0.03±0.04) although differences over 30 minutes were small and recovery of body temperature was incomplete in all groups. Conclusions During 30 min. of recovery following a 20-minute bout of fire suppression in a training academy setting, there is a slightly higher cooling rate for FI and no apparent benefit to CV when compared to P cooling in a moderate temperature environment. PMID:21294631

CLB5-dependent activation of late replication origins in S. cerevisiae.

PubMed

Donaldson, A D; Raghuraman, M K; Friedman, K L; Cross, F R; Brewer, B J; Fangman, W L

1998-08-01

Replication origins in chromosomes are activated at specific times during the S phase. We show that the B-type cyclins are required for proper execution of this temporal program. clb5 cells activate early origins but not late origins, explaining the previously described long clb5 S phase. Origin firing appears normal in cIb6 mutants. In clb5 clb6 double mutant cells, the late origin firing defect is suppressed, accounting for the normal duration of the phase despite its delayed onset. Therefore, Clb5p promotes the timely activation of early and late origins, but Clb6p can activate only early origins. In clb5 clb6 mutants, the other B-type cyclins (Clb1-4p) promote an S phase during which both early and late replication origins fire.

Fire history of the San Francisco East Bay region and implications for landscape patterns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, J.E.

2005-01-01

The San Francisco East Bay landscape is a rich mosaic of grasslands, shrublands and woodlands that is experiencing losses of grassland due to colonization by shrubs and succession towards woodland associations. The instability of these grasslands is apparently due to their disturbance-dependent nature coupled with 20th century changes in fire and grazing activity. This study uses fire history records to determine the potential for fire in this region and for evidence of changes in the second half of the 20th century that would account for shrubland expansion. This region has a largely anthropogenic fire regime with no lightning-ignited fires in most years. Fire suppression policy has not excluded fire from this region; however, it has been effective at maintaining roughly similar burning levels in the face of increasing anthropogenic fires, and effective at decreasing the size of fires. Fire frequency parallels increasing population growth until the latter part of the 20th century, when it reached a plateau. Fire does not appear to have been a major factor in the shrub colonization of grasslands, and cessation of grazing is a more likely immediate cause. Because grasslands are not under strong edaphic control, rather their distribution appears to be disturbance-dependent, and natural lightning ignitions are rare in the region, I hypothesize that, before the entrance of people into the region, grasslands were of limited extent. Native Americans played a major role in creation of grasslands through repeated burning and these disturbance-dependent grasslands were maintained by early European settlers through overstocking of these range lands with cattle and sheep. Twentieth century reduction in grazing, coupled with a lack of natural fires and effective suppression of anthropogenic fires, have acted in concert to favor shrubland expansion.

Physical and Chemical Aspects of Fire Suppression in Extraterrestrial Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takahashi, F.; Linteris, G. T.; Katta, V. R.

2001-01-01

A fire, whether in a spacecraft or in occupied spaces on extraterrestrial bases, can lead to mission termination or loss of life. While the fire-safety record of US space missions has been excellent, the advent of longer duration missions to Mars, the moon, or aboard the International Space Station (ISS) increases the likelihood of fire events, with more limited mission termination options. The fire safety program of NASA's manned space flight program is based largely upon the principles of controlling the flammability of on-board materials and greatly eliminating sources of ignition. As a result, very little research has been conducted on fire suppression in the microgravity or reduced-gravity environment. The objectives of this study are: to obtain fundamental knowledge of physical and chemical processes of fire suppression, using gravity and oxygen concentration as independent variables to simulate various extraterrestrial environments, including spacecraft and surface bases in Mars and moon missions; to provide rigorous testing of analytical models, which include comprehensive descriptions of combustion and suppression chemistry; and to provide basic research results useful for technological advances in fire safety, including the development of new fire-extinguishing agents and approaches, in the microgravity environment associated with ISS and in the partial-gravity Martian and lunar environments.

Evaluating Fire Risk in the Northeastern United States in the Past, Present, and Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, D.; Bradley, R. S.

2017-12-01

One poorly understood consequence of climate change is its effects on extreme events such as wildfires. Robust associations between wildfire frequency and climatic variability have been shown to exist, indicating that future climate change may continue to have a significant effect on wildfire activity. The Northeastern United States (NEUS) has seen some of the most infamous and largest historic fires in North America, such as the Miramichi Fire of 1825 and the fires of 1947. Although return intervals for large fires in the NEUS are long (hundreds of years), wildfires have played a critical role in ecosystem development and forest structure in the region. Understanding and predicting fire occurrence and vulnerability in the NEUS, especially in a changing climate, is economically and culturally important yet remains difficult due to human impacts (i.e. fire suppression activities and human disturbance). Thus, an alternative method for investigating fire risk in the NEUS is needed. Here, we present a compilation of meteorological data collected from Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) from the NEUS throughout the 20th century through present day. We use these data to compute fifteen common "fire danger indices" employed in the USA and Canada to investigate changes in the region's fire risk over time, as well as the skill of each of these indices at predicting wildfire activity relative to the historical record of fires in the NEUS. We use dynamically-downscaled regional climate model output for the 21st century to project future wildfire activity based on the fire danger indices capable of capturing historical fire activity in the NEUS. These projections will aid in predicting how fire risk in the NEUS will evolve with anticipated climate change.

High altitude aircraft remote sensing during the 1988 Yellowstone National Park wildfires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambrosia, Vincent G.

1990-01-01

An overview is presented of the effects of the wildfires that occurred in the Yellowstone National Park during 1988 and the techniques employed to combat these fires with the use of remote sensing. The fire management team utilized King-Air and Merlin aircraft flying night missions with a thermal IR line-scanning system. NASA-Ames Research Center assisted with an ER-2 high altitude aircraft with the ability to down-link active data from the aircraft via a teledetection system. The ER-2 was equipped with a multispectral Thematic Mapper Simulator scanner and the resultant map data and video imagery was provided to the fire command personnel for field evaluation and fire suppression activities. This type of information proved very valuable to the fire control management personnel and to the continuing ecological research goals of NASA-Ames scientists analyzing the effects of burn type and severity on ecosystem recovery and development.

Smokey comes of age: Unmanned aerial systems for fire management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twidwell, Dirac; Allen, Craig R.; Detweiler, Carrick; Higgins, James; Laney, Christian; Elbaum, Sebastian

2016-01-01

During the past century, fire management has focused on techniques both to protect human communities from catastrophic wildfire and to maintain fire-dependent ecological systems. However, despite a large and increasing allocation of resources and personnel to achieve these goals, fire management objectives at regional to global scales are not being met. Current fire management techniques are clearly inadequate for the challenges faced by fire managers, and technological innovations are needed. Advances in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) technology provide opportunities for innovation in fire management and science. In many countries, fire management organizations are beginning to explore the potential of UAS for monitoring fires. We have taken the next step and developed a prototype that can precisely ignite fires as part of wildfire suppression tactics or prescribed fires (fire intentionally ignited within predetermined conditions to reduce hazardous fuels, improve habitat, or mitigate for large wildfires). We discuss the potential for these technologies to benefit fire management activities, while acknowledging the sizeable sociopolitical barriers that prevent their immediate broad application.

Fire suppression in human-crew spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert; Dietrich, Daniel L.

1991-01-01

Fire extinguishment agents range from water and foam in early-design spacecraft (Halon 1301 in the present Shuttle) to carbon dioxide proposed for the Space Station Freedom. The major challenge to spacecraft fire extinguishment design and operations is from the micro-gravity environment, which minimizes natural convection and profoundly influences combustion and extinguishing agent effectiveness, dispersal, and post-fire cleanup. Discussed here are extinguishment in microgravity, fire-suppression problems anticipated in future spacecraft, and research needs and opportunities.

FIRESCOPE: a new concept in multiagency fire suppression coordination

Treesearch

Richard A. Chase

1980-01-01

FIRESCOPE is a system developed to improve the capability of firefighting agencies in southern California in allocating and managing fire suppression resources. The system provides an effective and efficient solution to operational coordination requirements and problems of the major fire protection agencies serving the southern California urban-wildland complex. Major...

Fire, humans and landscape. Is there a connection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valese, Eva; Ascoli, Davide; Conedera, Marco; Held, Alex

2013-04-01

Fire evolved on the earth under the direct influence of climate and the accumulation of burnable biomass at various times and spatial scales. As a result, fire regimes depend not only on climatic and biological factors, but also greatly reflect the cultural background of how people do manage ecosystems and fire. A new awareness among scientists and managers has been rising about the ecological role of fire and the necessity to understand its past natural and cultural dynamics in different ecosystems, in order to preserve present ecosystem functionality and minimize management costs and negative impacts. As a consequence we assisted in the last decades to a general shift from the fire control to the fire management approach, where fire prevention, fire danger rating, fire ecology, fire pre-suppression and suppression strategies are fully integrated in the landscape management. Nowadays, a large number of authors recognize that a total suppression strategy, as the one adopted during last decades, leads to a fire paradox: the more we fight for putting out all fires, the more extreme events occur and cause long term damages. The aim of this review is to provide a state of art about the connection between fire, humans and landscape, along time and space. Negative and positive impacts on ecosystem services and values are put in evidence, as well as their incidence on human aptitude to fire use as to fire suppression. In order to capture a consistent fragment of fire history, palaeofires and related palynological studies are considered. They enable a valuable, even if partial, look at the millenary fire regime. Actual strategies and future directions are described in order to show what are the alternatives for living with fire, since removing completely this disturbance from earth is not a option, nor feasible neither advisable. Examples from the world, in particular from the Alps and the Mediterranean basin, are shown for better illustrating the signature of anthropogenic fire on landscapes.

Fire Suppression, District 5

Treesearch

Roy Headley

1916-01-01

The increasing effectiveness of suppression practice is shown by the fact that in 1915 fire suppression cost one-third as much as in 1914, and damage to Government property was kept down to one-fourth the 1914 figure. The seasons were approximately equal in danger. Is further progress to be expected?

The effects of hazardous fuel reduction treatments in the wildland urban interface on the activity of bark beetles infesting ponderosa pine

Treesearch

Christopher J. Fettig; Joel D. McMillin; John. A. Anhold; Shakeeb M. Hamud; Steven J. Seybold; Robert R. Borys

2008-01-01

(Please note, this is an abstract only) Selective logging, fire suppression, forest succession, and climatic changes have resulted in high fire hazards over large areas of the western United States. Federal and state hazardous fuel reduction programs have increased accordingly to reduce the risk, extent and severity of these events, particularly in the wildland urban...

Final Report: Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression Project, Exploration Technology Development Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Gary A.

2011-01-01

The Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression (FPDS) project is a technology development effort within the Exploration Technology Development Program of the Exploration System Missions Directorate (ESMD) that addresses all aspects of fire safety aboard manned exploration systems. The overarching goal for work in the FPDS area is to develop technologies that will ensure crew health and safety on exploration missions by reducing the likelihood of a fire, or, if one does occur, minimizing the risk to the crew, mission, or system. This is accomplished by addressing the areas of (1) fire prevention and material flammability, (2) fire signatures and detection, and (3) fire suppression and response. This report describes the outcomes of this project from the formation of the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) in October 2005 to September 31, 2010 when the Exploration Technology Development Program was replaced by the Enabling Technology Development and Demonstration Program. NASA s fire safety work will continue under this new program and will build upon the accomplishments described herein.

Fire-climate-human interactions during the postglacial period at Sunrise Ridge, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington (USA)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, Megan K.; Lukens, Michael L.; McCutcheon, Patrick T.; Burtchard, Greg C.

2017-12-01

With the creation of Mount Rainier National Park (MORA) in 1899 came the active management of the park's landscapes and a heavy emphasis on fire suppression. Today, managers at MORA seek to better manage current fire activity; however, this requires an improved understanding of past fire activity on the mountain. In this study high-resolution macroscopic charcoal analysis and pollen analysis of lake sediment records was used to reconstruct the postglacial fire and vegetation history for the Sunrise Ridge area of MORA. Fire activity was lowest during the Late Glacial when vegetation was sparse and climate was cool and dry. Fire activity increased during the early Holocene as the regional climate warmed and dried, and burnable biomass became more abundant. Fire activity continued to increase into the middle Holocene (until ca. 6600 cal yr BP) even as the regional climate became wetter and eventually cooler; the modern-day mesic forest and subalpine meadow landscapes of the park established at this time. Fire activity was generally highest and mean fire return intervals were lowest on Sunrise Ridge during the late Holocene, and are consistent with tree-ring based estimates of fire frequency. The similarity between the Sunrise Ridge and other paleofire records in the Pacific Northwest suggests that broad-scale climatic shifts, such as the retreat of the Cordilleran ice sheet and changes in annual insolation, as well as increased interannual climate variability (i.e., drought) particularly in the middle to late Holocene, were responsible for changes in fire activity during the postglacial period. However, abundant and increasing archaeological evidence from Sunrise Ridge during the middle to late Holocene suggests that humans may have also influenced the landscape at this time. It is likely that fires will continue to increase at MORA as drought becomes a more frequent occurrence in the Pacific Northwest.

Risks and issues in fire safety on the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert

1993-01-01

A fire in the inhabited portion of a spacecraft is a greatly feared hazard, but fire protection in space operations is complicated by two factors. First, the spacecraft cabin is an enclosed volume, which limits the resources for fire fighting and the options for crew escape. Second, an orbiting spacecraft experiences a balance of forces, creating a near-zero-gravity (microgravity) environment that profoundly affects the characteristics of fire initiation, spread, and suppression. The current Shuttle Orbiter is protected by a fire-detection and suppression system whose requirements are derived of necessity from accepted terrestrial and aircraft standards. While experience has shown that Shuttle fire safety is adequate, designers recognize that improved systems to respond specifically to microgravity fire characteristics are highly desirable. Innovative technology is particularly advisable for the Space Station, a forthcoming space community with a complex configuration and long-duration orbital missions, in which the effectiveness of current fire-protection systems is unpredictable. The development of risk assessments to evaluate the probabilities and consequences of fire incidents in spacecraft are briefly reviewed. It further discusses the important unresolved issues and needs for improved fire safety in the Space Station, including those of material selection, spacecraft atmospheres, fire detection, fire suppression, and post-fire restoration.

Stennis acquires new ladder truck

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-20

The Stennis Space Center Fire Department added to its fire-fighting capabilities with acquisition of a new emergency response vehicle, Ladder-1, for use on-site. The E-One HP78 Aerial Truck is a combination aerial ladder and fire suppression unit and is designed with the latest safety technology. Featuring a 78-foot ladder and a pumping capability of 1,500 gallons per minute, the new truck provides firefighters with a tremendous rescue and fire suppression tool, Stennis Fire Chief Clark Smith said.

New Technology for the Fire Attire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Although little can be done to reduce the risks of firefighting, something can be done to curb the injuries and fatalities. This is the goal of Project FIRES, a program jointly sponsored by NASA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's U.S. Fire Administration with technical management provided by Marshall Space Flight Center. Project FIRES (Firefighter's Integrated Response Equipment System) involves applications of advanced materials and design concepts, derived from Apollo to update existing gear which does not adequately protect against many of the hazards encountered in fire suppression activities. A major focus of the effort involves application to the FIRES ensemble of lightweight, fire-resistant, heat-protective materials originally developed for use in astronauts' space suits or in spacecraft components which require thermal protection. Data from the fourteen municipal fire departments participating in the field evaluation will form a basis for development of new nationwide protective ensemble students.

Using prescribed fire to reduce the risk of large wildfires: A break-even analysis

Treesearch

James M. Saveland

1987-01-01

Nearly all wildfires are extinguished when they are still small. The 3-5% that get out of control cause 95% of all wildfire-related costs and damages (Dodge 1972, Wilson 1985). There are two ways to deal with these problem fires. One practice is to limit fire by suppressing fires as soon as possible after they are detected. Increasing the capability of suppression...

Bibliography on aircraft fire hazards and safety. Volume 2: Safety. Part 1: Key numbers 1 to 524

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelouch, J. J., Jr. (Compiler); Hacker, P. T. (Compiler)

1974-01-01

Bibliographic citations are presented to describe and define aircraft safety methods, equipment, and criteria. Some of the subjects discussed are: (1) fire and explosion suppression using whiffle balls, (2) ultraviolet flame detecting sensors, (3) evaluation of flame arrestor materials for aircraft fuel systems, (4) crash fire prevention system for supersonic commercial aircraft, and (5) fire suppression for aerospace vehicles.

L-type calcium channels refine the neural population code of sound level

PubMed Central

Grimsley, Calum Alex; Green, David Brian

2016-01-01

The coding of sound level by ensembles of neurons improves the accuracy with which listeners identify how loud a sound is. In the auditory system, the rate at which neurons fire in response to changes in sound level is shaped by local networks. Voltage-gated conductances alter local output by regulating neuronal firing, but their role in modulating responses to sound level is unclear. We tested the effects of L-type calcium channels (CaL: CaV1.1–1.4) on sound-level coding in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) in the auditory midbrain. We characterized the contribution of CaL to the total calcium current in brain slices and then examined its effects on rate-level functions (RLFs) in vivo using single-unit recordings in awake mice. CaL is a high-threshold current and comprises ∼50% of the total calcium current in ICC neurons. In vivo, CaL activates at sound levels that evoke high firing rates. In RLFs that increase monotonically with sound level, CaL boosts spike rates at high sound levels and increases the maximum firing rate achieved. In different populations of RLFs that change nonmonotonically with sound level, CaL either suppresses or enhances firing at sound levels that evoke maximum firing. CaL multiplies the gain of monotonic RLFs with dynamic range and divides the gain of nonmonotonic RLFs with the width of the RLF. These results suggest that a single broad class of calcium channels activates enhancing and suppressing local circuits to regulate the sensitivity of neuronal populations to sound level. PMID:27605536

Effect of wood smoke exposure on vascular function and thrombus formation in healthy fire fighters.

PubMed

Hunter, Amanda L; Unosson, Jon; Bosson, Jenny A; Langrish, Jeremy P; Pourazar, Jamshid; Raftis, Jennifer B; Miller, Mark R; Lucking, Andrew J; Boman, Christoffer; Nyström, Robin; Donaldson, Kenneth; Flapan, Andrew D; Shah, Anoop S V; Pung, Louis; Sadiktsis, Ioannis; Masala, Silvia; Westerholm, Roger; Sandström, Thomas; Blomberg, Anders; Newby, David E; Mills, Nicholas L

2014-12-09

Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of death in fire fighters and has been linked with exposure to air pollution and fire suppression duties. We therefore investigated the effects of wood smoke exposure on vascular vasomotor and fibrinolytic function, and thrombus formation in healthy fire fighters. In a double-blind randomized cross-over study, 16 healthy male fire fighters were exposed to wood smoke (~1 mg/m³ particulate matter concentration) or filtered air for one hour during intermittent exercise. Arterial pressure and stiffness were measured before and immediately after exposure, and forearm blood flow was measured during intra-brachial infusion of endothelium-dependent and -independent vasodilators 4-6 hours after exposure. Thrombus formation was assessed using the ex vivo Badimon chamber at 2 hours, and platelet activation was measured using flow cytometry for up to 24 hours after the exposure. Compared to filtered air, exposure to wood smoke increased blood carboxyhaemoglobin concentrations (1.3% versus 0.8%; P < 0.001), but had no effect on arterial pressure, augmentation index or pulse wave velocity (P > 0.05 for all). Whilst there was a dose-dependent increase in forearm blood flow with each vasodilator (P < 0.01 for all), there were no differences in blood flow responses to acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside or verapamil between exposures (P > 0.05 for all). Following exposure to wood smoke, vasodilatation to bradykinin increased (P = 0.003), but there was no effect on bradykinin-induced tissue-plasminogen activator release, thrombus area or markers of platelet activation (P > 0.05 for all). Wood smoke exposure does not impair vascular vasomotor or fibrinolytic function, or increase thrombus formation in fire fighters. Acute cardiovascular events following fire suppression may be precipitated by exposure to other air pollutants or through other mechanisms, such as strenuous physical exertion and dehydration.

Evaluation of CO2, N2 and He as Fire Suppression Agents in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Gary A.; Hicks, Michael; Pettegrew, Richard

2004-01-01

The U.S. modules of the International Space Station use gaseous CO2 as the fire extinguishing agent. This was selected as a result of extensive experience with CO2 as a fire suppressant in terrestrial applications, trade studies on various suppressants, and experiments. The selection of fire suppressants and suppression strategies for NASA s Lunar and Martian exploration missions will be based on the same studies and normal-gravity data unless reduced gravity fire suppression data is obtained. In this study, the suppressant agent concentrations required to extinguish a flame in low velocity convective flows within the 20-sec of low gravity on the KC-135 aircraft were investigated. Suppressant gas mixtures of CO2, N2, and He with the balance being oxygen/nitrogen mixtures with either 21% or 25% O2 were used to suppress flames on a 19-mm diameter PMMA cylinder in reduced gravity. For each of the suppressant mixtures, limiting concentrations were established that would extinguish the flame at any velocity. Similarly, concentrations were established that would not extinguish the flame. The limiting concentrations were generally consistent with previous studies but did suggest that geometry had an effect on the limiting conditions. Between the extinction and non-extinction limits, the suppression characteristics depended on the extinguishing agent, flow velocity, and O2 concentration. The limiting velocity data from the CO2, He, and N2 suppressants were well correlated using an effective mixture enthalpy per mole of O2, indicating that all act via O2 displacement and cooling mechanisms. In reduced gravity, the agent concentration required to suppress the flames increased as the velocity increased, up to approximately 10 cm/s (the maximum velocity evaluated in this experiment). The effective enthalpy required to extinguish flames at velocities of 10 cm/s is approximately the same as the concentrations in normal gravity. A computational study is underway to further evaluate these findings.

Determinants of fire activity during the last 3500 yr at a wildland-urban interface, Alberta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davis, Emma L.; Courtney Mustaphi, Colin J.; Gall, Amber; Pisaric, Michael F. J.; Vermaire, Jesse C.; Moser, Katrina A.

2016-11-01

Long-term records of wildfires and their controlling factors are important sources of information for informing land management practices. Here, dendrochronology and lake sediment analyses are used to develop a 3500-yr fire and vegetation history for a montane forest in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada. The tree-ring record (AD 1771-2012) indicates that this region historically experienced a mixed-severity fire regime, and that effective fire suppression excluded widespread fire events from the study area during the 20th century. A sediment core collected from Little Trefoil Lake, located near the Jasper townsite, is analyzed for subfossil pollen and macroscopic charcoal (>150 μm). When comparing the tree-ring record to the 3500-yr record of sediment-derived fire events, only high-severity fires are represented in the charcoal record. Comparisons between the charcoal record and historical climate and pollen data indicate that climate and vegetation composition have been important controls on the fire regime for most of the last 3500 yr. Although fire frequency is presently within the historical range of variability, the fire return interval of the last 150 yr is longer than expected given modern climate and vegetation conditions, indicating that humans have become the main control on fire activity around Little Trefoil Lake.

Developing computer-based participatory approaches to mapping landscape values for landscape and resource management

Treesearch

Steve Carver; Alan Watson; Tim Waters; Roian Matt; Kari Gunderson; Brett Davis

2009-01-01

The last 50 years or so have seen a steady increase in the rate of destructive wildfires across the world, partly as a result of climate change and partly as a result of encroachment of human settlement on fire-based ecosystems (Russell et al. 2004; Westerling et al. 2006). Years of active fire suppression in such areas has inevitably led to the build-up of hazardous...

Improving Air Support for Wildfire Management in the United States

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

1 It nearly torched the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and vital electrical infrastructure for all of Los Angeles County in the months that it...Initial Attack and Large Fire Suppression: Phase 1” ( USDA Forest Service, Department of Interior: 1995), x, accessed from http://www.fs.fed.us/fire...publications/aviation/nats1_report.pdf 5“Management Efficiency Assessment on Aviation Activities in the USDA Forest Service” (Management Analysis

Risk-Based Fire Safety Experiment Definition for Manned Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Apostolakis, G. E.; Ho, V. S.; Marcus, E.; Perry, A. T.; Thompson, S. L.

1989-01-01

Risk methodology is used to define experiments to be conducted in space which will help to construct and test the models required for accident sequence identification. The development of accident scenarios is based on the realization that whether damage occurs depends on the time competition of two processes: the ignition and creation of an adverse environment, and the detection and suppression activities. If the fire grows and causes damage faster than it is detected and suppressed, then an accident occurred. The proposed integrated experiments will provide information on individual models that apply to each of the above processes, as well as previously unidentified interactions and processes, if any. Initially, models that are used in terrestrial fire risk assessments are considered. These include heat and smoke release models, detection and suppression models, as well as damage models. In cases where the absence of gravity substantially invalidates a model, alternate models will be developed. Models that depend on buoyancy effects, such as the multizone compartment fire models, are included in these cases. The experiments will be performed in a variety of geometries simulating habitable areas, racks, and other spaces. These simulations will necessitate theoretical studies of scaling effects. Sensitivity studies will also be carried out including the effects of varying oxygen concentrations, pressures, fuel orientation and geometry, and air flow rates. The experimental apparatus described herein includes three major modules: the combustion, the fluids, and the command and power modules.

A Species Distribution Modeling Informed Conservation Assessment of Bog Spicebush

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-14

small populations, or establishing new popu- lations to increase the metapopulation structure within clusters of popula- tions. These outplanting data...fire suppression, and flooding (e.g., due to beaver activity) on vege- tation composition and structure . This effort used vegetation and disturb- ance...Suppression to Prescription. Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL, pp 70–81. Godefroid, S., C. Piazza, G. Rossi, S. Buord, A. D. Stevens, R

Wood crib fire free burning test in ISO room

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiang, Xu; Griffin, Greg; Bradbury, Glenn; Dowling, Vince

2006-04-01

In the research of application potential of water mist fire suppression system for fire fighting in train luggage carriage, a series of experiments were conducted in ISO room on wood crib fire with and without water mist actuation. The results of free burn test without water mist suppression are used as reference in evaluating the efficiency of water mist suppression system. As part of the free burn test, several tests have been done under the hood of ISO room to calibrate the size of the crib fire and these tests can also be used in analyzing the wall effect in room fire hazard. In these free burning experiments, wood cribs of four sizes under the hood were tested. The temperature of crib fire, heat flux around the fire, gas concentration in hood of ISO room were measured in the experiments and two sets of thermal imaging system were used to get the temperature distribution and the typical shape of the free burning flames. From the experiments, the radiation intensity in specific positions around the fire, the effective heat of combustion, mass loss, oxygen consumption rate for different sizes of fire, typical structure of the flame and self extinguishment time was obtained for each crib size.

Catastrophic Fires in Russian Forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukhinin, A. I.; McRae, D. J.; Stocks, B. J.; Conard, S. G.; Hao, W.; Soja, A. J.; Cahoon, D.

2010-12-01

We evaluated the contribution of catastrophic fires to the total burned area and the amount of tree mortality in Russia since the 1970’s. Such fires occurred in the central regions of European Russia (1972, 1976, 1989, 2002, 2010), Khabarovsk krai (1976, 1988, 1998), Amur region (1997-2002), Republics of Yakutia and Tuva (2002), Magadan and Kamchatka oblast (1984, 2001, 2010), and Irkutsk, Chita, Amur regions, Buryat, Agin national districts (2003, 2007-08). We define a catastrophic fire as a single high-severity fire that covers more than 10,000 ha and results in total consumption of the litter and humus layers and in high tree mortality, or the simultaneous occurrence of several high-severity fires in a given region with a total area exceeding 10,000 km2. Fires on this scale can cause substantial economic, social and environmental effects, with regional to global impacts. We hypothesize that there is a positive feedback between anticyclone growth and energy release from wildfires burning over large areas. Usually the first blocking anticyclone appears in June in Russia, bringing with it dry weather that increases fire hazard. The anticyclonic pattern has maximum activity in the end of July and disappears around the middle of August. When high fire activity occurs, the anticyclone may strengthen and develop a blocking character that prevents cyclonic patterns from moving into anticyclone-dominated areas, where the fire danger index may be more than six times the average maximum. The likelihood of uncontrolled fire situations developing increases greatly when the fire number and burned area exceed critical values as a function of conditions that favor high intensity fires. In such situations fire suppression by regional forest protection services becomes impossible and federal resources are required. If the appearance of a blocking anticyclone is forecast, active fire prevention and suppression of small fires (most of which appear to be human caused) is critical. Based on NOAA and TOMS daily data, we estimated fire emissions (including CO2, CO, CH4 and other smoke aerosols) of over 70 Tg Carbon for Yakutian fires in 2002 and more than 120 Tg C for all Russian fires in 2010. We note the potential for increasing amounts of methane emissions when fires occur in permafrost zones and peat bogs. Post-fire changes in permafrost and vegetation cover are discussed in the connection changes in solar radiance balance. During the fire season of 2006 in the Eastern-Siberian, Transbaikal, and Far East regions we identified more than 15,000 fires with a total area of 120,000 km2. From 2002-2010 the annual number of fires in this area ranged from 10,000 to 16,500, and annual burned areas ranged from a low of 30 000 km2 in 2004 to a high of 145,000 km2 in 2003.

Characterising resource use and potential inefficiencies during large-fire suppression in the western US

Treesearch

Hari Katuwal; Christopher J. Dunn; David E. Calkin

2017-01-01

Currently, limited research on large-fire suppression effectiveness suggests fire managers may over-allocate resources relative to values to be protected. Coupled with observations that weather may be more important than resource abundance to achieve control objectives, resource use may be driven more by risk aversion than efficiency. To explore this potential, we...

Using Earth Observations to Assess the Socioeconomic Impact of Human Decision Making during the Suppression of a Wildland Fire

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, V. V.; Kochanski, A.; Mandel, J.; Herr, V.; Schranz, S.

2016-12-01

This presentation will discuss the fire simulation system based on WRF-SFIRE and assimilation of satellite Active Fires detection to estimate the socio-economic impact of Earth observations and fire behavior modeling for the 2011 Las Conchas fire in New Mexico. Multiple scenarios will be developed with the WRF-SFIRE simulation based on value of information (VOI) provided by retired incident commanders, whose decision inputs will steer scenario development and simulation. The scenarios will differ according to the Earth observations available through NASA and then deemed useful to incident commanders. Each scenario will be evaluated in terms of its socio-economic impact as specified by NASA (2012) for its wildland fire program. This presentation is a proposed supplement to NASA grant NNX13AH59G Wildland Fire Behavior and Risk Forecasting, Sher Schranz, PI.

Fire safety applications for spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert; Olson, Sandra L.

1989-01-01

Fire safety for spacecraft is reviewed by first describing current practices, many of which are adapted directly from aircraft. Then, current analyses and experimental knowledge in low-gravity combustion, with implications for fire safety are discussed. In orbiting spacecraft, the detection and suppression of flames are strongly affected by the large reduction in buoyant flows under low gravity. Generally, combustion intensity is reduced in low gravity. There are some notable exceptions, however, one example being the strong enhancement of flames by low-velocity ventilation flows in space. Finally, the future requirements in fire safety, particularly the needs of long-duration space stations in fire prevention, detection, extinguishment, and atmospheric control are examined. The goal of spacecraft fire-safety investigations is the establishment of trade-offs that promote maximum safety without hampering the useful human and scientific activities in space.

Chk1 promotes replication fork progression by controlling replication initiation

PubMed Central

Petermann, Eva; Woodcock, Mick; Helleday, Thomas

2010-01-01

DNA replication starts at initiation sites termed replication origins. Metazoan cells contain many more potential origins than are activated (fired) during each S phase. Origin activation is controlled by the ATR checkpoint kinase and its downstream effector kinase Chk1, which suppresses origin firing in response to replication blocks and during normal S phase by inhibiting the cyclin-dependent kinase Cdk2. In addition to increased origin activation, cells deficient in Chk1 activity display reduced rates of replication fork progression. Here we investigate the causal relationship between increased origin firing and reduced replication fork progression. We use the Cdk inhibitor roscovitine or RNAi depletion of Cdc7 to inhibit origin firing in Chk1-inhibited or RNAi-depleted cells. We report that Cdk inhibition and depletion of Cdc7 can alleviate the slow replication fork speeds in Chk1-deficient cells. Our data suggest that increased replication initiation leads to slow replication fork progression and that Chk1 promotes replication fork progression during normal S phase by controlling replication origin activity. PMID:20805465

α-Oscillations in the monkey sensorimotor network influence discrimination performance by rhythmical inhibition of neuronal spiking.

PubMed

Haegens, Saskia; Nácher, Verónica; Luna, Rogelio; Romo, Ranulfo; Jensen, Ole

2011-11-29

Extensive work in humans using magneto- and electroencephalography strongly suggests that decreased oscillatory α-activity (8-14 Hz) facilitates processing in a given region, whereas increased α-activity serves to actively suppress irrelevant or interfering processing. However, little work has been done to understand how α-activity is linked to neuronal firing. Here, we simultaneously recorded local field potentials and spikes from somatosensory, premotor, and motor regions while a trained monkey performed a vibrotactile discrimination task. In the local field potentials we observed strong activity in the α-band, which decreased in the sensorimotor regions during the discrimination task. This α-power decrease predicted better discrimination performance. Furthermore, the α-oscillations demonstrated a rhythmic relation with the spiking, such that firing was highest at the trough of the α-cycle. Firing rates increased with a decrease in α-power. These findings suggest that α-oscillations exercise a strong inhibitory influence on both spike timing and firing rate. Thus, the pulsed inhibition by α-oscillations plays an important functional role in the extended sensorimotor system.

The influence of lightning activity and anthropogenic factors on large-scale characteristics of natural fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eliseev, A. V.; Mokhov, I. I.; Chernokulsky, A. V.

2017-01-01

A module for simulating of natural fires (NFs) in the climate model of the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences (IAP RAS CM), is extended with respect to the influence of lightning activity and population density on the ignition frequency and fire suppression. The IAP RAS CM is used to perform numerical experiments in accordance with the conditions of the project that intercompares climate models, CMIP5 (Coupled Models Intercomparison Project, phase 5). The frequency of lightning flashes was assigned in accordance with the LIS/OTD satellite data. In the calculations performed, anthropogenic ignitions play an important role in NF occurrences, except for regions at subpolar latitudes and, to a lesser degree, tropical and subtropical regions. Taking into account the dependence of fire frequency on lightning activity and population density intensifies the influence of characteristics of natural fires on the climate changes in tropics and subtropics as compared to the version of the IAP RAS CM that does not take the influence of ignition sources on the large-scale characteristics of NFs into consideration.

Who's driving?: Separating Fire, CO2, and Climate Change Influences on Vegetation and Carbon Dynamics on MC2 Results for Western Oregon and Washington, United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheehan, T.; Bachelet, D. M.; Ferschweiler, K.

2016-12-01

For Oregon and Washington west of the Cascade Mountain crest, results from the MC2 global dynamic vegetation model have projected a shift in potential vegetation type from predominantly conifer to predominantly mixed forest over the 21st century, with a shift from mixed to conifer in some areas. Carbon stocks have been projected to fall over this period. We ran MC2 using the CCSM4 RCP 8.5 climate future downscaled to 2.5 arc minute resolution with 5 different configurations: no fire; assumed ignitions without fire suppression; assumed ignitions with fire suppression; assumed ignitions with fire suppression and with CO2 concentration held at the preindustrial level; and stochastic ignitions without fire suppression. Results show that vegetation change is the result of climate change alone, while carbon is influenced by both fire occurrence and CO2-induced increased water use efficiency. While model results do not indicate a large change in carbon dynamics concomitant with the shift in vegetation, it is reasonable to expect that a change in conditions resulting in such a change in vegetation type would stress the existing vegetation resulting in some mortality and loss of live carbon.

The role of BK-type Ca2+-dependent K+ channels in spike broadening during repetitive firing in rat hippocampal pyramidal cells

PubMed Central

Shao, Li-Rong; Halvorsrud, Ragnhild; Borg-Graham, Lyle; Storm, Johan F

1999-01-01

The role of large-conductance Ca2+-dependent K+ channels (BK-channels; also known as maxi-K- or slo-channels) in spike broadening during repetitive firing was studied in CA1 pyramidal cells, using sharp electrode intracellular recordings in rat hippocampal slices, and computer modelling. Trains of action potentials elicited by depolarizing current pulses showed a progressive, frequency-dependent spike broadening, reflecting a reduced rate of repolarization. During a 50 ms long 5 spike train, the spike duration increased by 63·6 ± 3·4% from the 1st to the 3rd spike. The amplitude of the fast after-hyperpolarization (fAHP) also rapidly declined during each train. Suppression of BK-channel activity with (a) the selective BK-channel blocker iberiotoxin (IbTX, 60 nM), (b) the non-peptidergic BK-channel blocker paxilline (2–10 μM), or (c) calcium-free medium, broadened the 1st spike to a similar degree (≈60%). BK-channel suppression also caused a similar change in spike waveform as observed during repetitive firing, and eliminated (occluded) most of the spike broadening during repetitive firing. Computer simulations using a reduced compartmental model with transient BK-channel current and 10 other active ionic currents, produced an activity-dependent spike broadening that was strongly reduced when the BK-channel inactivation mechanism was removed. These results, which are supported by recent voltage-clamp data, strongly suggest that in CA1 pyramidal cells, fast inactivation of a transient BK-channel current (ICT), substantially contributes to frequency-dependent spike broadening during repetitive firing. PMID:10562340

The importance of considering external influences during presuppression wildfire planning

Treesearch

Marc R. Wiitala; Andrew E. Wilson

2008-01-01

Few administrative units involved in wildland fire protection are islands unto themselves when it comes to wildfire activity and suppression. If not directly affected by the wildfire workload of their neighbors, they are affected by the availability of nationally shared resources impacted by wildfire activity at the regional and national scale. These external...

A model-based framework to evaluate alternative wildfire suppression strategies

Treesearch

Karin L. Riley; Matthew P. Thompson; Joe H. Scott; Julie W. Gilbertson-Day

2018-01-01

The complexity and demands of wildland firefighting in the western U.S. have increased over recent decades due to factors including the expansion of the wildland-urban interface, lengthening fire seasons associated with climate change, and changes in vegetation due to past fire suppression and timber harvest. In light of these changes, the use of more wildland fire on...

Estimating cost of large-fire suppression for three Forest Service regions

Treesearch

Eric L. Smith; Gonz& aacute; lez-Cab& aacute; n Armando

1987-01-01

The annual costs attributable to large fire suppression in three Forest Service Regions (1970-1981) were estimated as a function of fire perimeters using linear regression. Costs calculated on a per chain of perimeterbasis were highest for the Pacific Northwest Region, next highest for the Northern Region, and lowest for the Intermountain Region. Recent costs in real...

23. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM PIPE, 'GRINNELL VALVE', 'VICTROLIC COUPLING,' AND ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

23. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM PIPE, 'GRINNELL VALVE', 'VICTROLIC COUPLING,' AND ALARM AT THE REAR OF BAY NO. 5. - Barstow-Daggett Airport, Hangar Shed No. 4, 39500 National Trails Highway, Daggett, San Bernardino County, CA

Simulating wildfire spread behavior between two NASA Active Fire data timeframes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikari, B.; Hodza, P.; Xu, C.; Minckley, T. A.

2017-12-01

Although NASA's Active Fire dataset is considered valuable in mapping the spatial distribution and extent of wildfires across the world, the data is only available at approximately 12-hour time intervals, creating uncertainties and risks associated with fire spread and behavior between the two Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Satellite (VIIRS) data collection timeframes. Our study seeks to close the information gap for the United States by using the latest Active Fire data collected for instance around 0130 hours as an ignition source and critical inputs to a wildfire model by uniquely incorporating forecasted and real-time weather conditions for predicting fire perimeter at the next 12 hour reporting time (i.e. around 1330 hours). The model ingests highly dynamic variables such as fuel moisture, temperature, relative humidity, wind among others, and prompts a Monte Carlo simulation exercise that uses a varying range of possible values for evaluating all possible wildfire behaviors. The Monte Carlo simulation implemented in this model provides a measure of the relative wildfire risk levels at various locations based on the number of times those sites are intersected by simulated fire perimeters. Model calibration is achieved using data at next reporting time (i.e. after 12 hours) to enhance the predictive quality at further time steps. While initial results indicate that the calibrated model can predict the overall geometry and direction of wildland fire spread, the model seems to over-predict the sizes of most fire perimeters possibly due to unaccounted fire suppression activities. Nonetheless, the results of this study show great promise in aiding wildland fire tracking, fighting and risk management.

Airborne contaminants during controlled residential fires.

PubMed

Fent, Kenneth W; Evans, Douglas E; Babik, Kelsey; Striley, Cynthia; Bertke, Stephen; Kerber, Steve; Smith, Denise; Horn, Gavin P

2018-05-01

In this study, we characterize the area and personal air concentrations of combustion byproducts produced during controlled residential fires with furnishings common in 21 st century single family structures. Area air measurements were collected from the structure during active fire and overhaul (post suppression) and on the fireground where personnel were operating without any respiratory protection. Personal air measurements were collected from firefighters assigned to fire attack, victim search, overhaul, outside ventilation, and command/pump operator positions. Two different fire attack tactics were conducted for the fires (6 interior and 6 transitional) and exposures were compared between the tactics. For each of the 12 fires, firefighters were paired up to conduct each job assignment, except for overhaul that was conducted by 4 firefighters. Sampled compounds included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs, e.g., benzene), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and particulate (area air sampling only). Median personal air concentrations for the attack and search firefighters were generally well above applicable short-term occupational exposure limits, with the exception of HCN measured from search firefighters. Area air concentrations of all measured compounds decreased after suppression. Personal air concentrations of total PAHs and benzene measured from some overhaul firefighters exceeded exposure limits. Median personal air concentrations of HCN (16,300 ppb) exceeded the exposure limit for outside vent firefighters, with maximum levels (72,900 ppb) higher than the immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH) level. Median air concentrations on the fireground (including particle count) were above background levels and highest when collected downwind of the structure and when ground-level smoke was the heaviest. No statistically significant differences in personal air concentrations were found between the 2 attack tactics. The results underscore the importance of wearing self-contained breathing apparatus when conducting overhaul or outside ventilation activities. Firefighters should also try to establish command upwind of the structure fire, and if this cannot be done, respiratory protection should be considered.

Protection against fire in the mountainous forests of Greece case study: forest complex of W. Nestos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drosos, Vasileios C.; Giannoulas, Vasileios J.; Stergiadou, Anastasia; Karagiannis, Evaggelos; Doukas, Aristotelis-Kosmas G.

2014-08-01

Forest fires are an ancient phenomenon. Appear, however, with devastating frequency and intensity over the last 30 years. In our country, the climatic conditions in combination with the intense relief, favor their rapid spread. Considering the fact that environmental conditions provided for decades even worse (increased temperature, drought and vegetation), then the problem of forest fires in our country, is expected to become more intense. The work focuses on the optimization model of the opening up of the forest mountain areas taking into account the prevention and suppression of forest fires. Research area is the mountain forest complex of W. Nestos of Drama Prefecture. The percentage of forest protection area is examined under the light whether the total hose length corresponds to the actual operational capacity to reach a fire source. For this reason are decided to present a three case study concerning area of the forest being protected by fire extinguishing vehicles. The first one corresponds to a fire suppression bandwidth (buffer zone) with a capacity radius of 150m uphill and 250m downhill from the origin point where the fire extinguishing vehicle stands. The second one corresponds to a fire suppression capacity of 200m uphill and 400m downhill and the third one corresponds to a fire suppression capacity of 300m uphill and 500m downhill. The most important forest technical infrastructures to prevent fire are roads network (opening up) for fire protection and buffer zones. Patrols of small and agile 4 × 4 appropriately equipped (pipe length of 500 meters and putting pressure on uphill to 300 meters) for the first attack of the fire in the summer months coupled with early warning of fire observatories adequately cover the forest protection of W. Nestos complex. But spatial distribution needed improvements to a road density of the optimum economic Dec, both forest protection and for better management (skidding) of woody capital.

L-type calcium channels refine the neural population code of sound level.

PubMed

Grimsley, Calum Alex; Green, David Brian; Sivaramakrishnan, Shobhana

2016-12-01

The coding of sound level by ensembles of neurons improves the accuracy with which listeners identify how loud a sound is. In the auditory system, the rate at which neurons fire in response to changes in sound level is shaped by local networks. Voltage-gated conductances alter local output by regulating neuronal firing, but their role in modulating responses to sound level is unclear. We tested the effects of L-type calcium channels (Ca L : Ca V 1.1-1.4) on sound-level coding in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (ICC) in the auditory midbrain. We characterized the contribution of Ca L to the total calcium current in brain slices and then examined its effects on rate-level functions (RLFs) in vivo using single-unit recordings in awake mice. Ca L is a high-threshold current and comprises ∼50% of the total calcium current in ICC neurons. In vivo, Ca L activates at sound levels that evoke high firing rates. In RLFs that increase monotonically with sound level, Ca L boosts spike rates at high sound levels and increases the maximum firing rate achieved. In different populations of RLFs that change nonmonotonically with sound level, Ca L either suppresses or enhances firing at sound levels that evoke maximum firing. Ca L multiplies the gain of monotonic RLFs with dynamic range and divides the gain of nonmonotonic RLFs with the width of the RLF. These results suggest that a single broad class of calcium channels activates enhancing and suppressing local circuits to regulate the sensitivity of neuronal populations to sound level. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Avian response to fire in pine–oak forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park following decades of fire suppression

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rose, Eli T.; Simons, Theodore R.

2016-01-01

Fire suppression in southern Appalachian pine–oak forests during the past century dramatically altered the bird community. Fire return intervals decreased, resulting in local extirpation or population declines of many bird species adapted to post-fire plant communities. Within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, declines have been strongest for birds inhabiting xeric pine–oak forests that depend on frequent fire. The buildup of fuels after decades of fire suppression led to changes in the 1996 Great Smoky Mountains Fire Management Plan. Although fire return intervals remain well below historic levels, management changes have helped increase the amount of fire within the park over the past 20 years, providing an opportunity to study patterns of fire severity, time since burn, and bird occurrence. We combined avian point counts in burned and unburned areas with remote sensing indices of fire severity to infer temporal changes in bird occurrence for up to 28 years following fire. Using hierarchical linear models that account for the possibility of a species presence at a site when no individuals are detected, we developed occurrence models for 24 species: 13 occurred more frequently in burned areas, 2 occurred less frequently, and 9 showed no significant difference between burned and unburned areas. Within burned areas, the top models for each species included fire severity, time since burn, or both, suggesting that fire influenced patterns of species occurrence for all 24 species. Our findings suggest that no single fire management strategy will suit all species. To capture peak occupancy for the entire bird community within xeric pine–oak forests, at least 3 fire regimes may be necessary; one applying frequent low severity fire, another using infrequent low severity fire, and a third using infrequently applied high severity fire.

Probability model for analyzing fire management alternatives: theory and structure

Treesearch

Frederick W. Bratten

1982-01-01

A theoretical probability model has been developed for analyzing program alternatives in fire management. It includes submodels or modules for predicting probabilities of fire behavior, fire occurrence, fire suppression, effects of fire on land resources, and financial effects of fire. Generalized "fire management situations" are used to represent actual fire...

Forest-fire models

Treesearch

Haiganoush Preisler; Alan Ager

2013-01-01

For applied mathematicians forest fire models refer mainly to a non-linear dynamic system often used to simulate spread of fire. For forest managers forest fire models may pertain to any of the three phases of fire management: prefire planning (fire risk models), fire suppression (fire behavior models), and postfire evaluation (fire effects and economic models). In...

The biodiversity cost of carbon sequestration in tropical savanna.

PubMed

Abreu, Rodolfo C R; Hoffmann, William A; Vasconcelos, Heraldo L; Pilon, Natashi A; Rossatto, Davi R; Durigan, Giselda

2017-08-01

Tropical savannas have been increasingly viewed as an opportunity for carbon sequestration through fire suppression and afforestation, but insufficient attention has been given to the consequences for biodiversity. To evaluate the biodiversity costs of increasing carbon sequestration, we quantified changes in ecosystem carbon stocks and the associated changes in communities of plants and ants resulting from fire suppression in savannas of the Brazilian Cerrado, a global biodiversity hotspot. Fire suppression resulted in increased carbon stocks of 1.2 Mg ha -1 year -1 since 1986 but was associated with acute species loss. In sites fully encroached by forest, plant species richness declined by 27%, and ant richness declined by 35%. Richness of savanna specialists, the species most at risk of local extinction due to forest encroachment, declined by 67% for plants and 86% for ants. This loss highlights the important role of fire in maintaining biodiversity in tropical savannas, a role that is not reflected in current policies of fire suppression throughout the Brazilian Cerrado. In tropical grasslands and savannas throughout the tropics, carbon mitigation programs that promote forest cover cannot be assumed to provide net benefits for conservation.

Quantifying the threat of unsuppressed wildfires reaching the adjacent wildland-urban interface on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Wyoming

Treesearch

Joe H. Scott; Donald J. Helmbrecht; Sean A. Parks; Carol Miller

2012-01-01

An important objective for many federal land management agencies is to restore fire to ecosystems that have experienced fire suppression or exclusion over the last century. Managing wildfires for resource objectives (i.e., allowing wildfires to burn in the absence of suppression) is an important tool for restoring such fire-adapted ecosystems. To support management...

Human impacts on 20th century fire dynamics and implications for global carbon and water trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, F.; Lawrence, D. M.; Bond-Lamberty, B. P.

2017-12-01

Fire is a fundamental Earth system process and the primary ecosystem disturbance on the global scale. It affects carbon and water cycles through its impact on terrestrial ecosystems, and at the same time, is regulated by weather and climate, vegetation characteristics, and, importantly, human ignition and efforts to suppress fires (i.e., the direct human effect on fire). Here, we utilize the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) to generate a quantitative understanding of the impacts on fire dynamics and associated carbon and water cycling that can be attributed to changes in human ignition and suppression over the 20th century. We find that the net impact of increases in human ignition and suppression significantly reduce the 20th century averaged global burned area by 38 Mha/yr. The reduction increases since 1920, rising to 103 Mha/yr less burned area at the end of the century. Land carbon gain is weakened by 17% over the 20th century, mainly due to increased human deforestation fires and associated escape fires (i.e., degradation fires) in the tropical humid forests, even though the decrease in burned area in many other regions due to human fire suppression acts to increase land carbon gain. The direct human effect on fire also weakens the 20th century upward trend of global runoff by 6%, and enhances the upward trend in global evaportranspiration since 1945 by 7%. In addition, the above impacts in densely populated, highly developed (if population density > 0.1 person/km2), or moderately populated and developed regions are of opposite sign to those in other regions. Our study suggests that particular attention should be paid to human deforestation and degradation fires in the tropical humid forests when reconstructing and projecting fire carbon emissions and net atmosphere-land carbon exchange and estimating resultant impacts of direct human effect on fire.

Center for Corporate Climate Leadership: Direct Fugitive Emissions from Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Fire Suppression, and Industrial Gases

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This guidance document focuses on several fugitive emissions sources that are common for organizations in many sectors: refrigeration and air conditioningsystems, fire suppression systems, and the purchase and release of industrial gases.

Acute toxicity of three fire-retardant and two fire-suppressant foam formulations to the early life stages of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gaikowski, Mark P.; Hamilton, Steven J.; Buhl, Kevin J.; McDonald, Susan F.; Summers, Cliff H.; Linder, G.; Krest, S.; Sparling, D.; Little, E.

1996-01-01

Laboratory studies were conducted with five early life stages of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, to determine the acute toxicities of five fire-fighting chemical formulations in standardized soft and hard water. Eyed egg, embryo–larvae, swim-up fry, and 60- and 90-d posthatch juveniles were exposed to three fire retardants (Fire-Trol LCG-R, Fire-Trol GTS-R, and Phos-Chek D75-F) and two fire-suppressant foams (Phos-Chek WD-881 and Silv-Ex). Swim-up fry were generally the most sensitive life stage, whereas the eyed-egg was the least sensitive. Toxicity of fire-fighting formulations was greater in hard water than in soft water for all life stages tested with Fire-Trol GTS-R and Silv-Ex and for 90-d-old juveniles tested with Fire-Trol LCG-R. The fire-suppressant foams were more toxic than the fire retardants. The 96-h median lethal concentrations (LC50s) were ranked from the most toxic to the least toxic formulation as follows (ranges are the lowest and highest 96-h LC50 calculated for each formulation): Phos-Chek WD-881 (11–44 mg/L), Silv-Ex (11–78 mg/L), Phos-Chek D75-F (218–>3,600 mg/L), Fire-Trol GTS-R (207–>6,000 mg/L), and Fire-Trol LCG-R (872–>10,000 mg/L). Toxicity values suggest that accidental entry of fire-fighting chemicals into aquatic environments could adversely affect fish populations.

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

30 CFR 57.4761 - Underground shops.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... an automatic fire suppression system in conjunction with an alternate escape route. The alternative... core, are acceptable provided that an automatic sprinkler or deluge system is installed that provides... conditions and procedures. (d) Automatic fire suppression system and escape route. If used as an alternative...

Quantifying spatial patterns of tree groups and gaps in mixed-conifer forests: reference conditions and long-term changes following fire suppression and logging

Treesearch

Jamie M. Lydersen; Malcolm P. North; Eric E. Knapp; Brandon M. Collins

2013-01-01

Fire suppression and past logging have dramatically altered forest conditions in many areas, but changes to within-stand tree spatial patterns over time are not as well understood. The few studies available suggest that variability in tree spatial patterns is an important structural feature of forests with intact frequent fire regimes that should be incorporated in...

Broadleaf deciduous forest counterbalanced the direct effect of climate on Holocene fire regime in hemiboreal/boreal region (NE Europe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feurdean, Angelica; Veski, Siim; Florescu, Gabriela; Vannière, Boris; Pfeiffer, Mirjam; O'Hara, Robert B.; Stivrins, Normunds; Amon, Leeli; Heinsalu, Atko; Vassiljev, Jüri; Hickler, Thomas

2017-08-01

Disturbances by fire are essential for the functioning of boreal/hemiboreal forests, but knowledge of long-term fire regime dynamics is limited. We analysed macrocharcoal morphologies and pollen of a sediment record from Lake Lielais Svētiņu (eastern Latvia), and in conjunction with fire traits analysis present the first record of Holocene variability in fire regime, fuel sources and fire types in boreal forests of the Baltic region. We found a phase of moderate to high fire activity during the cool and moist early (mean fire return interval; mFRI of ∼280 years; 11,700-7500 cal yr BP) and the late (mFRI of ∼190 years; 4500-0 cal yr BP) Holocene and low fire activity (mFRI of ∼630 years) during the Holocene Thermal Optimum (7500-4500 cal yr BP). Charcoal morphotypes and the pollen record show the predominance of frequent surface fires, occasionally transitioning to the crown during Pinus sylvestris-Betula boreal forests and less frequent surface fires during the dominance of temperate deciduous forests. In contrast to the prevailing opinion that fires in boreal forests are mostly low to moderate severity surface fires, we found evidence for common occurrence of stand-replacing crown fires in Picea abies canopy. Our results highlight that charcoal morphotypes analysis allows for distinguishing the fuel types and surface from crown fires, therefore significantly advancing our interpretation of fire regime. Future warmer temperatures and increase in the frequency of dry spells and abundant biomass accumulation can enhance the fire risk on the one hand, but will probably promote the expansion of broadleaf deciduous forests to higher latitudes, on the other hand. By highlighting the capability of broadleaf deciduous forests to act as fire-suppressing landscape elements, our results suggest that fire activity may not increase in the Baltic area under future climate change.

Cost-effective fire management for southern California's chaparral wilderness: an analytical procedure

Treesearch

Chris A. Childers; Douglas D. Piirto

1989-01-01

Fire management has always meant fire suppression to the managers of the chaparral covered southern California National Forests. Today, Forest Service fire management programs must be cost effective, while wilderness fire management objectives are aimed at recreating natural fire regimes. A cost-effectiveness analysis has been developed to compare fire management...

Using the Large Fire Simulator System to map wildland fire potential for the conterminous United States

Treesearch

LaWen Hollingsworth; James Menakis

2010-01-01

This project mapped wildland fire potential (WFP) for the conterminous United States by using the large fire simulation system developed for Fire Program Analysis (FPA) System. The large fire simulation system, referred to here as LFSim, consists of modules for weather generation, fire occurrence, fire suppression, and fire growth modeling. Weather was generated with...

44 CFR 204.3 - Definitions used throughout this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Worksheet. Fire complex. Two or more individual fires located in the same general area, which are assigned.... The ranking official responsible for overseeing the management of fire operations, planning, logistics... existing fire prevention or suppression resources from an area of lower fire danger to one of higher fire...

44 CFR 204.3 - Definitions used throughout this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Worksheet. Fire complex. Two or more individual fires located in the same general area, which are assigned.... The ranking official responsible for overseeing the management of fire operations, planning, logistics... existing fire prevention or suppression resources from an area of lower fire danger to one of higher fire...

44 CFR 204.3 - Definitions used throughout this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Worksheet. Fire complex. Two or more individual fires located in the same general area, which are assigned.... The ranking official responsible for overseeing the management of fire operations, planning, logistics... existing fire prevention or suppression resources from an area of lower fire danger to one of higher fire...

Fire protection for a Martian colony

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beattie, Robert M., Jr.

The fire prevention failures that occurred in Apollo 1 and Challenger accidents are reviewed and used to discuss fire protection measures that should be taken in a Martian colony. Fire detection systems, classes of fire, and suppression agents are described. The organization of fire fighting personnel appropriate for Mars is addressed.

Identification of two distinct fire regimes in Southern California: implications for economic impact and future change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Yufang; Goulden, Michael L.; Faivre, Nicolas; Veraverbeke, Sander; Sun, Fengpeng; Hall, Alex; Hand, Michael S.; Hook, Simon; Randerson, James T.

2015-09-01

The area burned by Southern California wildfires has increased in recent decades, with implications for human health, infrastructure, and ecosystem management. Meteorology and fuel structure are universally recognized controllers of wildfire, but their relative importance, and hence the efficacy of abatement and suppression efforts, remains controversial. Southern California’s wildfires can be partitioned by meteorology: fires typically occur either during Santa Ana winds (SA fires) in October through April, or warm and dry periods in June through September (non-SA fires). Previous work has not quantitatively distinguished between these fire regimes when assessing economic impacts or climate change influence. Here we separate five decades of fire perimeters into those coinciding with and without SA winds. The two fire types contributed almost equally to burned area, yet SA fires were responsible for 80% of cumulative 1990-2009 economic losses (3.1 Billion). The damage disparity was driven by fire characteristics: SA fires spread three times faster, occurred closer to urban areas, and burned into areas with greater housing values. Non-SA fires were comparatively more sensitive to age-dependent fuels, often occurred in higher elevation forests, lasted for extended periods, and accounted for 70% of total suppression costs. An improved distinction of fire type has implications for future projections and management. The area burned in non-SA fires is projected to increase 77% (±43%) by the mid-21st century with warmer and drier summers, and the SA area burned is projected to increase 64% (±76%), underscoring the need to evaluate the allocation and effectiveness of suppression investments.

Manual fire suppression methods on typical machinery space spray fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carhart, H. W.; Leonard, J. T.; Budnick, E. K.; Ouellette, R. J.; Shanley, J. H., Jr.

1990-07-01

A series of tests was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), potassium bicarbonate powder (PKP) and Halon 1211, alone and in various combinations, in extinguishing spray fires. The sprays were generated by JP-5 jet fuel issuing from an open sounding tube, and open petcock, a leaking flange or a slit pipe, and contacting an ignition source. The results indicate that typical fuel spray fires, such as those simulated in this series, are very severe. Flame heights ranged from 6.1 m (20 ft) for the split pipe to 15.2 m (50 ft) for the sounding tube scenario. These large flame geometries were accompanied by heat release rates of 6 MW to greater than 50 MW, and hazardous thermal radiation levels in the near field environment, up to 9.1 m (30 ft) away. Successful suppression of these fires requires both a significant reduction in flame radiation and delivery of a suppression agent to shielded areas. Of the nine suppression methods tested, the 95 gpm AFFF hand line and the hand line in conjunction with PKP were particularly effective in reducing the radiant flux.

The biodiversity cost of carbon sequestration in tropical savanna

PubMed Central

Abreu, Rodolfo C. R.; Hoffmann, William A.; Vasconcelos, Heraldo L.; Pilon, Natashi A.; Rossatto, Davi R.; Durigan, Giselda

2017-01-01

Tropical savannas have been increasingly viewed as an opportunity for carbon sequestration through fire suppression and afforestation, but insufficient attention has been given to the consequences for biodiversity. To evaluate the biodiversity costs of increasing carbon sequestration, we quantified changes in ecosystem carbon stocks and the associated changes in communities of plants and ants resulting from fire suppression in savannas of the Brazilian Cerrado, a global biodiversity hotspot. Fire suppression resulted in increased carbon stocks of 1.2 Mg ha−1 year−1 since 1986 but was associated with acute species loss. In sites fully encroached by forest, plant species richness declined by 27%, and ant richness declined by 35%. Richness of savanna specialists, the species most at risk of local extinction due to forest encroachment, declined by 67% for plants and 86% for ants. This loss highlights the important role of fire in maintaining biodiversity in tropical savannas, a role that is not reflected in current policies of fire suppression throughout the Brazilian Cerrado. In tropical grasslands and savannas throughout the tropics, carbon mitigation programs that promote forest cover cannot be assumed to provide net benefits for conservation. PMID:28875172

36 CFR 228.110 - Indemnification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... United States for: (a) Injury, loss or damage, including fire suppression costs, which the United States incurs as a result of the operations; and (b) Payments made by the United States in satisfaction of claims, demands or judgments for an injury, loss or damage, including fire suppression costs, which...

Wildfire Risk Management: Challenges and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, M.; Calkin, D. E.; Hand, M. S.; Kreitler, J.

2014-12-01

In this presentation we address federal wildfire risk management largely through the lens of economics, targeting questions related to costs, effectiveness, efficiency, and tradeoffs. Beyond risks to resources and assets such as wildlife habitat, watersheds, and homes, wildfires present financial risk and budgetary instability for federal wildfire management agencies due to highly variable annual suppression costs. Despite its variability, the costs of wildfire management have continued to escalate and account for an ever-growing share of overall agency budgets, compromising abilities to attain other objectives related to forest health, recreation, timber management, etc. Trends associated with a changing climate and human expansion into fire-prone areas could lead to additional suppression costs in the future, only further highlighting the need for an ability to evaluate economic tradeoffs in investments across the wildfire management spectrum. Critically, these economic analyses need to accurately capture the complex spatial and stochastic aspects of wildfire, the inherent uncertainty associated with monetizing environmental impacts of wildfire, the costs and effectiveness of alternative management policies, and linkages between pre-fire investments and active incident management. Investing in hazardous fuels reduction and forest restoration in particular is a major policy lever for pre-fire risk mitigation, and will be a primary focus of our presentation. Evaluating alternative fuel management and suppression policies could provide opportunities for significant efficiency improvements in the development of risk-informed management fire management strategies. Better understanding tradeoffs of fire impacts and costs can help inform policy questions such as how much of the landscape to treat and how to balance investments in treating new areas versus maintaining previous investments. We will summarize current data needs, knowledge gaps, and other factors influencing research and development on this critically important topic. Specifically we will focus on how to embed simulation models within an economic framework, how to link fire models with models of wildfire management expenditures, how to evaluate alternative management policies, and how to measure cost-effectiveness.

Suppression of the Thermal Decomposition Reaction of Forest Combustible Materials in Large-Area Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkov, R. S.; Zhdanova, A. O.; Kuznetsov, G. V.; Strizhak, P. A.

2018-05-01

Experimental investigations on the characteristic time of suppression of the thermal decomposition reaction of typical forest combustible materials (aspen twigs, birch leaves, spruce needles, pine chips, and a mixture of these materials) and the volume of water required for this purpose have been performed for model fire hotbeds of different areas: SFCM = 0.0003-0.007 m2 and SFCM = 0.045-0.245 m2. In the experiments, aerosol water flows with droplets of size 0.01-0.25 mm were used for the spraying of model fire hotbeds, and the density of spraying was 0.02 L/(m2·s). It was established that the characteristics of suppression of a fire by an aerosol water flow are mainly determined by the sizes of the droplets in this flow. Prognostic estimates of changes in the dispersivity of a droplet cloud, formed from large (as large as 0.5 L) "drops" (water agglomerates) thrown down from a height, have been made. It is shown that these changes can influence the conditions and characteristics of suppression of a forest fire. Dependences, allowing one to forecast the characteristics of suppression of the thermal decomposition of forest combustible materials with the use of large water agglomerates thrown down from an aircraft and aerosol clouds formed from these agglomerates in the process of their movement to the earth, are presented.

Suppression of the Thermal Decomposition Reaction of Forest Combustible Materials in Large-Area Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkov, R. S.; Zhdanova, A. O.; Kuznetsov, G. V.; Strizhak, P. A.

2018-03-01

Experimental investigations on the characteristic time of suppression of the thermal decomposition reaction of typical forest combustible materials (aspen twigs, birch leaves, spruce needles, pine chips, and a mixture of these materials) and the volume of water required for this purpose have been performed for model fire hotbeds of different areas: SFCM = 0.0003-0.007 m2 and SFCM = 0.045-0.245 m2. In the experiments, aerosol water flows with droplets of size 0.01-0.25 mm were used for the spraying of model fire hotbeds, and the density of spraying was 0.02 L/(m2·s). It was established that the characteristics of suppression of a fire by an aerosol water flow are mainly determined by the sizes of the droplets in this flow. Prognostic estimates of changes in the dispersivity of a droplet cloud, formed from large (as large as 0.5 L) "drops" (water agglomerates) thrown down from a height, have been made. It is shown that these changes can influence the conditions and characteristics of suppression of a forest fire. Dependences, allowing one to forecast the characteristics of suppression of the thermal decomposition of forest combustible materials with the use of large water agglomerates thrown down from an aircraft and aerosol clouds formed from these agglomerates in the process of their movement to the earth, are presented.

Knowledge management: an application to wildfire prevention planning

Treesearch

Daniel L Schmoldt

1989-01-01

Residential encroachment into wildland areas places an additional burden on fire management activities. Prevention programs, fuel management efforts, and suppression strategies, previously employed in wildland areas, require modification for protection of increased values at risk in this interface area. Knowledge-based computer systems are being investigated as...

Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 2: Description and interpretations of fire behavior

Treesearch

Mark A. Finney; Charles W. McHugh; Roberta Bartlette; Kelly Close; Paul Langowski

2003-01-01

This report summarizes the progress of the Hayman Fire, its behavior, and the influence of environmental conditions. Data were obtained from narratives from fire behavior analysts assigned to the fire management teams, discussions with fire management staff, meteorology from local weather stations and Bradshaw and others (2003), photographs, satellite imagery, and...

An Implementing Strategy for Improving Wildland Fire Environmental Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCalla, M. R.; Andrus, D.; Barnett, K.

2007-12-01

Wildland fire is any planned or unplanned fire which occurs in wildland ecosystems. Wildland fires affect millions of acres annually in the U.S. An average of 5.4 million acres a year were burned in the U.S. between 1995 and 2004, approximately 142 percent of the average burned area between 1984 and 1994. In 2005 alone, Federal agencies spent nearly $1 billion on fire suppression and state and local agencies contributed millions more. Many Americans prefer to live and vacation in relatively remote surroundings, (i.e., woods and rangelands). These choices offer many benefits, but they also present significant risks. Most of North America is fire-prone and every day developed areas and home sites are extending further into natural wildlands, which increases the chances of catastrophic fire. In addition, an abundance of accumulated biomass in forests and rangelands and persistent drought conditions are contributing to larger, costlier wildland fires. To effectively prevent, manage, suppress, respond to, and recover from wildland fires, fire managers, and other communities which are impacted by wildland fires (e.g., the business community; healthcare providers; federal, state, and local policymakers; the media; the public, etc.) need timely, accurate, and detailed wildland fire weather and climate information to support their decision-making activities. But what are the wildland fire weather and climate data, products, and information, as well as information dissemination technologies, needed to reach out and promote wildland fire environmental literacy in these communities? The Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM) conducted a comprehensive review and assessment of weather and climate needs of providers and users in their wildland fire and fuels management activities. The assessment has nine focus areas, one of which is environmental literacy (e.g., education, training, outreach, partnering, and collaboration). The OFCM model for promoting wildland fire environmental literacy, the model's component parts, as well as an implementing strategy to execute the model will be presented. That is, the presentation will lay out the framework and methodology which the OFCM used to systematically define the wildland fire weather and climate education and outreach needs through interdepartmental collaboration within the OFCM coordinating infrastructure. A key element of the methodology is to improve the overall understanding and use of wildland fire forecast and warning climate and weather products and to exploit current and emerging technologies to improve the dissemination of customer-tailored forecast and warning information and products to stakeholders and users. Thus, the framework and methodology define the method used to determine the target public, private, and academic sector audiences. The methodology also identifies the means for determining the optimal channels, formats, and content for informing end users in time for effective action to be taken.

Modeling wildfire incident complexity dynamics

Treesearch

Matthew P. Thompson

2013-01-01

Wildfire management in the United States and elsewhere is challenged by substantial uncertainty regarding the location and timing of fire events, the socioeconomic and ecological consequences of these events, and the costs of suppression. Escalating U.S. Forest Service suppression expenditures is of particular concern at a time of fiscal austerity as swelling fire...

75 FR 60667 - Airworthiness Directives; Learjet Inc. Model 45 Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-01

.... This proposed AD would require a general visual inspection for damage of wiring (including chafing... result in a short circuit and the loss of systems associated with the wiring (including fire suppression..., which could result in the loss of systems associated with the wiring (including fire suppression...

Allowable Stresses For Use in Dynamic Analysis of PF-4 Fire Suppression System Piping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menefee, Maia Catherine; Salmon, Michael W.

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a limited test program performed on samples of fittings removed from the PF-4 fire suppression system and to present recommendations for allowable stresses to be used in subsequent piping analysis.

Where you stand depends on where you sit: Qualitative inquiry into notions of fire adaptation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brenkert-Smith, Hannah; Meldrum, James; Champ, Patricia A.; Barth, Christopher

2017-01-01

Wildfire and the threat it poses to society represents an example of the complex, dynamic relationship between social and ecological systems. Increasingly, wildfire adaptation is posited as a pathway to shift the approach to fire from a suppression paradigm that seeks to control fire to a paradigm that focuses on “living with” and “adapting to” wildfire. In this study, we seek insights into what it means to adapt to wildfire from a range of stakeholders whose efforts contribute to the management of wildfire. Study participants provided insights into the meaning, relevance, and use of the concept of fire adaptation as it relates to their wildfire-related activities. A key finding of this investigation suggests that social scale is of key importance in the conceptualization and understanding of adaptation for participating stakeholders. Indeed, where you stand in terms of understandings of fire adaptation depends in large part on where you sit.

Fire extinguishment in oxygen enriched atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, A. F.; Rappaport, M. W.

1973-01-01

Current state-of-the-art of fire suppression and extinguishment techniques in oxygen enriched atmosphere is reviewed. Four classes of extinguishment action are considered: cooling, separation of reactants, dilution or removal of fuel, and use of chemically reactive agents. Current practice seems to show preference for very fast acting water spray applications to all interior surfaces of earth-based chambers. In space, reliance has been placed on fire prevention methods through the removal of ignition sources and use of nonflammable materials. Recommendations are made for further work related to fire suppression and extinguishment in oxygen enriched atmospheres, and an extensive bibliography is appended.

Fire Protection for Buildings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edmunds, Jane

1972-01-01

Reviews attack on fire safety in high rise buildings made by a group of experts representing the iron and steel industry at a recent conference. According to one expert, fire problems are people oriented, which calls for emphasis on fire prevention rather than reliance on fire suppression and for fire pretection to be built into a structure.…

Ecological fire use for ecological fire management: Managing large wildfires by design

Treesearch

Timothy Ingalsbee

2015-01-01

Past fire exclusion policies and fire suppression actions have led to a historic "fire deficit" on public wildlands. These sociocultural actions have led to unprecedented environmental changes that have created conditions conducive to more frequent large-scale wildfires. Politicians, the newsmedia, and agency officials portray large wildland fires as...

The irrationality of continued fire suppression: A partial analysis of the costs and benefits of restoration-based fuel reduction treatments vs. no treatment

Treesearch

G. B. Snider; P. J. Daugherty

2008-01-01

(Please note, this is an abstract only) In 1905, the Bureau of Forestry became the U.S. Forest Service and was given responsibility for protecting newly designated forest reserves. A critical part of its charge was the prevention and control of fires. In 1908 Congress set up a unique system, like an open checkbook, that assured payment for fire suppression as needed....

Fire and birds in maritime Pacific Northwest

Treesearch

Mark H. Huff; Nathaniel E. Seavy; John D. Alexander; C. John Ralph

2005-01-01

Resource managers face the challenge of understanding how numerous factors, including fire and fire suppression, influence habitat composition and animal communities. We summarize information on fire effects on major vegetation types and bird/fire relations within the maritime Pacific Northwest, and pose management related questions and research considerations....

36 CFR 211.5 - Emergency fire suppression assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... this subpart these definitions apply: (1) Prescribed fire means a fire burning under a set of specified conditions which will accomplish certain planned resource management objectives. (2) Escaped prescribed fire means a prescribed fire which has either exceeded the prescription or has rekindled after it has been...

36 CFR 211.5 - Emergency fire suppression assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... this subpart these definitions apply: (1) Prescribed fire means a fire burning under a set of specified conditions which will accomplish certain planned resource management objectives. (2) Escaped prescribed fire means a prescribed fire which has either exceeded the prescription or has rekindled after it has been...

36 CFR 211.5 - Emergency fire suppression assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... this subpart these definitions apply: (1) Prescribed fire means a fire burning under a set of specified conditions which will accomplish certain planned resource management objectives. (2) Escaped prescribed fire means a prescribed fire which has either exceeded the prescription or has rekindled after it has been...

36 CFR 211.5 - Emergency fire suppression assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... this subpart these definitions apply: (1) Prescribed fire means a fire burning under a set of specified conditions which will accomplish certain planned resource management objectives. (2) Escaped prescribed fire means a prescribed fire which has either exceeded the prescription or has rekindled after it has been...

36 CFR 211.5 - Emergency fire suppression assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... this subpart these definitions apply: (1) Prescribed fire means a fire burning under a set of specified conditions which will accomplish certain planned resource management objectives. (2) Escaped prescribed fire means a prescribed fire which has either exceeded the prescription or has rekindled after it has been...

12,000-Years of fire regime drivers in the lowlands of Transylvania (Central-Eastern Europe): a data-model approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feurdean, A.; Liakka, J.; Vannière, B.; Marinova, E.; Hutchinson, S. M.; Mosburgger, V.; Hickler, T.

2013-12-01

The usefulness of sedimentary charcoal records to document centennial to millennial scale trends in aspects of fire regimes (frequency, severity) is widely acknowledged, yet the long-term variability in these regimes is poorly understood. Here, we use a high-resolution, multi-proxy analysis of a lacustrine sequence located in the lowlands of Transylvania (NW Romania), alongside global climate simulations in order to disentangle the drivers of fire regimes in this dry climatic region of Central-Eastern Europe. Periods of greater fire activity and frequency occurred between 10,700 and 7100 cal yr BP (mean Fire Interval = mFI 112 yr), and between 3300 and 700 cal yr BP (mFI 150 yr), whereas intervals of lower fire activity were recorded between 12,000 and 10,700 cal yr BP (mFI 217 yr), 7100 and 3300 cal yr BP (mFI 317 yr), and over last 700 years (no fire events detected). We found good correlations between simulated early summer (June, July) soil moisture content and near-surface air temperature with fire activity, particularly for the early to mid Holocene. A climate-fire relationship is further supported by local hydrological changes, i.e., lake level and runoff fluctuations. Fuel limitation, as a result of arid and strongly seasonal climatic conditions, led to low fire activity before 10,700 cal yr BP. However, fires were most frequent during climatically drier phases for the remaining, fuel-sufficient, part of the Holocene. Our results also suggest that the occurrence of more frequent fires in the early Holocene has kept woodlands open, promoted grassland abundance and sustained a more flammable ecosystem (mFI < 150 years) whereas the decline in fire risk under cooler and wetter climate conditions (mFI = 317 years) favoured woodland development. From 3300 cal yr BP, human impacts clearly were partly responsible for changes in fire activity, first increasing fire frequency and severity in periods with fire-favourable climatic conditions (halving the mFI from 300 years to about 150 years), then effectively suppressing fires over the last several centuries. Given the projected future temperature increase and moisture decline and the biomass accumulation due to the agricultural land abandonment in the region, natural fire frequency would be expected to return to <150 years.

Training Fires on Indian Reservations in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR) Open Burning Rule allows Fire Protection Services to request permission from EPA to conduct an outdoor burn by qualified personnel to train firefighters on fire suppression and fire fighting techniques.

The Evolution of Wildland Fire Management Policy in the USA: Successes and Failures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Caban, A.

2015-12-01

Wildfires have been suppressed over the last 100 years in forest and brush landscapes. For the last three decades, fires occurrence and severity have significantly increased when compared to historical levels causing economic damage and suppression costs never experienced before in the US or globally. As the wildland fire problem evolved so did the public response through a wildland fire management policy guided by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management understanding of the problem. Globally it is estimated that more 350 million hectares of wildland burn annually. They oxidize approximately 3-8% of the total terrestrial net primary productivity. The economic and physical relevance of wildland fire management and protection programs is ever growing, particularly considering mounting wildfire costs and losses globally. In the US alone, from 2000 to 2013 more than 37 million hectares of wildland has been affected at a cost of over $21 billion. The increase in siege-like fires can be explained in part by increasing population, particularly in the wildland-urban interface and the accumulation of biomass fuel due to over a century of fire exclusion. Recent developments demonstrate a strong relationship between fire and weather and climate variations. How the wildland fire management policy has evolved through time? The development can be divided in three stages: the formative years between 1905 and 1911; the consolidation years from 1911 through 1968; and the modern era from 1995 to present. Each stage is characterized by a series of significant events that caused changes on how the problem was approached. For example, the establishment of the Forest Service in 1905 and the rash of large wildfires in the western USA set the base for the wildfire suppression of all wildfires in 1911. During the second stage we see the 1935 policy of suppressing all wildfires by 10-am next-day. By 1968 the policy has evolved to include the use of prescribed burning and the elimination of the 10-am next-day policy. In the modern era, by 1995 the wildland fire management policy changed to require the use of economic efficiency analysis in fire suppression actions. The recently passed FLAME Act and establishment of the FS Cohesive Strategy have been in response to increases in the wildland-urban interface problem and climate change challenges.

43 CFR 9212.2 - Fire prevention orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TECHNICAL SERVICES (9000) FIRE MANAGEMENT Wildfire Prevention § 9212.2 Fire prevention orders. (a) To prevent wildfire or facilitate its suppression, an authorized officer...

43 CFR 9212.2 - Fire prevention orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TECHNICAL SERVICES (9000) FIRE MANAGEMENT Wildfire Prevention § 9212.2 Fire prevention orders. (a) To prevent wildfire or facilitate its suppression, an authorized officer...

43 CFR 9212.2 - Fire prevention orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TECHNICAL SERVICES (9000) FIRE MANAGEMENT Wildfire Prevention § 9212.2 Fire prevention orders. (a) To prevent wildfire or facilitate its suppression, an authorized officer...

43 CFR 9212.2 - Fire prevention orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TECHNICAL SERVICES (9000) FIRE MANAGEMENT Wildfire Prevention § 9212.2 Fire prevention orders. (a) To prevent wildfire or facilitate its suppression, an authorized officer...

Sequential use of simulation and optimization in analysis and planning

Treesearch

Hans R. Zuuring; Jimmie D. Chew; J. Greg Jones

2000-01-01

Management activities are analyzed at landscape scales employing both simulation and optimization. SIMPPLLE, a stochastic simulation modeling system, is initially applied to assess the risks associated with a specific natural process occurring on the current landscape without management treatments, but with fire suppression. These simulation results are input into...

Fire Technology Abstracts, volume 4, issue 1, August, 1981

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holtschlag, L. J.; Kuvshinoff, B. W.; Jernigan, J. B.

This bibliography contains over 400 citations with abstracts addressing various aspects of fire technology. Subjects cover the dynamics of fire, behavior and properties of materials, fire modeling and test burns, fire protection, fire safety, fire service organization, apparatus and equipment, fire prevention, suppression, planning, human behavior, medical problems, codes and standards, hazard identification, safe handling of materials, insurance, economics of loss and prevention, and more.

GABAergic inhibition through synergistic astrocytic neuronal interaction transiently decreases vasopressin neuronal activity during hypoosmotic challenge.

PubMed

Wang, Yu-Feng; Sun, Min-Yu; Hou, Qiuling; Hamilton, Kathryn A

2013-04-01

The neuropeptide vasopressin is crucial to mammalian osmotic regulation. Local hypoosmotic challenge transiently decreases and then increases vasopressin secretion. To investigate mechanisms underlying this transient response, we examined the effects of hypoosmotic challenge on the electrical activity of rat hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) vasopressin neurons using patch-clamp recordings. We found that 5 min exposure of hypothalamic slices to hypoosmotic solution transiently increased inhibitory postsynaptic current (IPSC) frequency and reduced the firing rate of vasopressin neurons. Recovery occurred by 10 min of exposure, even though the osmolality remained low. The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor blocker, gabazine, blocked the IPSCs and the hypoosmotic suppression of firing. The gliotoxin l-aminoadipic acid blocked the increase in IPSC frequency at 5 min and the recovery of firing at 10 min, indicating astrocytic involvement in hypoosmotic modulation of vasopressin neuronal activity. Moreover, β-alanine, an osmolyte of astrocytes and GABA transporter (GAT) inhibitor, blocked the increase in IPSC frequency at 5 min of hypoosmotic challenge. Confocal microscopy of immunostained SON sections revealed that astrocytes and magnocellular neurons both showed positive staining of vesicular GATs (VGAT). Hypoosmotic stimulation in vivo reduced the number of VGAT-expressing neurons, and increased co-localisation and molecular association of VGAT with glial fibrillary acidic protein that increased significantly by 10 min. By 30 min, neuronal VGAT labelling was partially restored, and astrocytic VGAT was relocated to the ventral portion while it decreased in the somatic zone of the SON. Thus, synergistic astrocytic and neuronal GABAergic inhibition could ensure that vasopressin neuron firing is only transiently suppressed under hypoosmotic conditions. © 2013 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Short pauses in thalamic deep brain stimulation promote tremor and neuronal bursting.

PubMed

Swan, Brandon D; Brocker, David T; Hilliard, Justin D; Tatter, Stephen B; Gross, Robert E; Turner, Dennis A; Grill, Warren M

2016-02-01

We conducted intraoperative measurements of tremor during DBS containing short pauses (⩽50 ms) to determine if there is a minimum pause duration that preserves tremor suppression. Nine subjects with ET and thalamic DBS participated during IPG replacement surgery. Patterns of DBS included regular 130 Hz stimulation interrupted by 0, 15, 25 or 50 ms pauses. The same patterns were applied to a model of the thalamic network to quantify effects of pauses on activity of model neurons. All patterns of DBS decreased tremor relative to 'off'. Patterns with pauses generated less tremor reduction than regular high frequency DBS. The model revealed that rhythmic burst-driver inputs to thalamus were masked during DBS, but pauses in stimulation allowed propagation of bursting activity. The mean firing rate of bursting-type model neurons as well as the firing pattern entropy of model neurons were both strongly correlated with tremor power across stimulation conditions. The temporal pattern of stimulation influences the efficacy of thalamic DBS. Pauses in stimulation resulted in decreased tremor suppression indicating that masking of pathological bursting is a mechanism of thalamic DBS for tremor. Pauses in stimulation decreased the efficacy of open-loop DBS for suppression of tremor. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fire Protection in Educational Occupancies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gervais, Romeo P.

2000-01-01

Discusses the origins of school fires and the components of the fire protection code called the Life Safety Code (LSC). Three of the following LSC requirements are described: means of egress; protection from hazards; and fire suppression and alarm systems. Information on who starts fires is highlighted along with preventive measures. (GR)

Relative impact of weather vs. fuels on fire regimes in coastal California

Treesearch

Jon E. Keeley

2008-01-01

Extreme fire weather is of over riding importance in determining fire behavior in coastal chaparral and on these landscapes fire suppression policy has not resulted in fire exclusion. There is regional variation in foehn winds, which are most important in southern California. Under these severe fire weather conditions fuel age does not constrain fire behavior. As a...

Multiscale perspectives of fire, climate and humans in western North America and the Jemez Mountains, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swetnam, Thomas W.; Farella, Joshua; Roos, Christopher I.; Liebmann, Matthew J.; Falk, Donald A.; Allen, Craig D.

2016-01-01

Interannual climate variations have been important drivers of wildfire occurrence in ponderosa pine forests across western North America for at least 400 years, but at finer scales of mountain ranges and landscapes human land uses sometimes over-rode climate influences. We reconstruct and analyse effects of high human population densities in forests of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico from ca 1300 CE to Present. Prior to the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, human land uses reduced the occurrence of widespread fires while simultaneously adding more ignitions resulting in many small-extent fires. During the 18th and 19th centuries, wet/dry oscillations and their effects on fuels dynamics controlled widespread fire occurrence. In the late 19th century, intensive livestock grazing disrupted fuels continuity and fire spread and then active fire suppression maintained the absence of widespread surface fires during most of the 20th century. The abundance and continuity of fuels is the most important controlling variable in fire regimes of these semi-arid forests. Reduction of widespread fires owing to reduction of fuel continuity emerges as a hallmark of extensive human impacts on past forests and fire regimes.

Analysis of the prescribed burning practice in the pine forest of northwestern Portugal.

PubMed

Fernandes, P; Botelho, H

2004-01-01

The ignition of low-intensity fires in the dormant season in the pine stands of north-western Portugal seeks to reduce the existing fuel hazard without compromising site quality. The purpose of this study is to characterise this practice and assess its effectiveness, based on information resulting from the normal monitoring process at the management level, and using operational guidelines, fire behaviour models and a newly developed method to classify prescribed fire severity. Although the region's humid climate strongly constrains the activity of prescribed fire, 87% of the fires analysed were undertaken under acceptable meteorological and fuel moisture conditions. In fact, most operations achieved satisfactory results. On average, prescribed fire reduces by 96% the potential intensity of a wildfire occurring under extreme weather conditions, but 36% of the treated sites would still require heavy fire fighting resources to suppress such fire, and 17% would still carry it in the tree canopy. Only 10% of the prescribed burns have an excessive impact on trees or the forest floor, while 89% (normal fire weather) or 59% (extreme fire weather) comply with both ecological integrity maintenance and wildfire protection needs. Improved planning and monitoring procedures are recommended in order to overcome the current deficiencies.

Fast-acting sprinkler system design considerations for propellant manufacture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, A. L.; Crable, J. M.; Kristoff, P. T.

1984-08-01

Fast-acting sprinkler systems for detection and suppression of fires in propellant operations, which require activation in the millisecond range in order to be effective, can be easily defeated unless particular attention is paid to design and maintenance details. Of primary consideration are detector selection and placement in processes to minimize the effect of environmental influences. Also important are nozzle placement, water flow density, water supply pressure, and pattern and sloping of piping. When all of these design criteria are properly implemented, water application can occur within 100 ms of fire detection.

Contrasting spatial patterns in active-fire and fire-suppressed Mediterranean climate old-growth mixed conifer forests.

PubMed

Fry, Danny L; Stephens, Scott L; Collins, Brandon M; North, Malcolm P; Franco-Vizcaíno, Ernesto; Gill, Samantha J

2014-01-01

In Mediterranean environments in western North America, historic fire regimes in frequent-fire conifer forests are highly variable both temporally and spatially. This complexity influenced forest structure and spatial patterns, but some of this diversity has been lost due to anthropogenic disruption of ecosystem processes, including fire. Information from reference forest sites can help management efforts to restore forests conditions that may be more resilient to future changes in disturbance regimes and climate. In this study, we characterize tree spatial patterns using four-ha stem maps from four old-growth, Jeffrey pine-mixed conifer forests, two with active-fire regimes in northwestern Mexico and two that experienced fire exclusion in the southern Sierra Nevada. Most of the trees were in patches, averaging six to 11 trees per patch at 0.007 to 0.014 ha(-1), and occupied 27-46% of the study areas. Average canopy gap sizes (0.04 ha) covering 11-20% of the area were not significantly different among sites. The putative main effects of fire exclusion were higher densities of single trees in smaller size classes, larger proportion of trees (≥ 56%) in large patches (≥ 10 trees), and decreases in spatial complexity. While a homogenization of forest structure has been a typical result from fire exclusion, some similarities in patch, single tree, and gap attributes were maintained at these sites. These within-stand descriptions provide spatially relevant benchmarks from which to manage for structural heterogeneity in frequent-fire forest types.

30 CFR 75.1103-10 - Fire suppression systems; additional requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... requirements. 75.1103-10 Section 75.1103-10 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT... Protection § 75.1103-10 Fire suppression systems; additional requirements. For each conveyor belt flight... per minute, an additional cache of the materials specified in § 75.1103-9(a)(1), (2), and (3) shall be...

Factors affecting fire suppression costs as identified by incident management teams

Treesearch

Janie Canton-Thompson; Brooke Thompson; Krista Gebert; David Calkin; Geoff Donovan; Greg Jones

2006-01-01

This study uses qualitative sociological methodology to discover information and insights about the role of Incident Management Teams in wildland fire suppression costs. We interviewed 48 command and general staff members of Incident Management Teams throughout the United States. Interviewees were asked about team structure, functioning, and decision making as a...

30 CFR 75.1103-10 - Fire suppression systems; additional requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... per minute, an additional cache of the materials specified in § 75.1103-9(a)(1), (2), and (3) shall be... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fire suppression systems; additional requirements. 75.1103-10 Section 75.1103-10 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT...

A Review of Water Mist Technology for Fire Suppression

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-30

Smith, D.P., and Ball, D.N. (1993), "New Applications of Aqueous Agents for Fire Suppression," Halen Alternatives Technical Working Conference...Flows," Prog. Energy, Combust. ScL, 14, 1988, pp. 171-194. Dabros, T., and Van de Ven, T.G.M. (1992), "Hydrodynamic Interactions between Two Spheres Near

The demise of fire and "mesophication" of forests in the eastern United States

Treesearch

Gregory J. Nowacki; Marc D. Abrams

2008-01-01

A diverse array of fire-adapted plant communities once covered the eastern United States. European settlement greatly altered fire regimes, often increasing fire occurrence (e.g., in northern hardwoods) or substantially decreasing it (e.g., in tallgrass prairies). Notwithstanding these changes, fire suppression policies, beginning around the 1920s, greatly reduced fire...

Decision making under uncertainty: Recommendations for the Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS)

Treesearch

Matthew P. Thompson

2015-01-01

The management of wildfire is a dynamic, complex, and fundamentally uncertain enterprise. Fire managers face uncertainties regarding fire weather and subsequent influence on fire behavior, the effects of fire on socioeconomic and ecological resources, and the efficacy of alternative suppression actions on fire outcomes. In these types of difficult decision environments...

Shift in fire-ecosystems and weather changes

Treesearch

Bongani Finiza

2013-01-01

During recent decades too much focus fell on fire suppression and fire engineering methods. Little attention has been given to understanding the shift in the changing fire weather resulting from the global change in weather patterns. Weather change have gradually changed the way vegetation cover respond to fire occurrence and brought about changes in fire behavior and...

Fires in Southern Georgia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Several large fires were burning in southern Georgia on April 29, 2007, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA's Terra satellite passed overhead and captured this image. Places where MODIS detected actively burning fires are outlined in red. The Roundabout Fire sprang up on April 27, according to the U.S. Southern Area Coordination Center, and was about 3,500 acres as of April 30. That fire was threatening homes in the community of Kirkland. Meanwhile, south of Waycross, two large blazes were burning next to each other in the northern part of Okefenokee Swamp. The Sweat Farm Road Fire threatened the town of Waycross in previous weeks, but at the end of April, activity had moved to the southeastern perimeter. The fire had affected more than 50,000 acres of timber (including pine tree plantations) and swamps. Scores of residences scattered throughout the rural area are threatened. The Big Turnaround Complex is burning to the east. The 26,000-acre fire was extremely active over the weekend, with flame lengths more than 60 feet (just over 18 meters) in places. The two blazes appeared to overlap in fire perimeter maps available from the U.S. Geospatial Multi-Agency Coordination Team. According to the Southern Area Coordination Center morning report on April 30, the Sweat Farm Road Fire 'will be a long term fire. Containment and control will depend on significant rainfall, due to the inaccessible swamp terrain.' No expected containment date was available for the Big Turnaround Complex Fire, either. Describing that fire, the report stated, 'Heavy fuel loading, high fire danger, and difficulty of access continue to hamper suppression efforts.' The large image provided above has a spatial resolution (level of detail) of 250 meters per pixel. The MODIS Rapid Response Team provides twice-daily images of the region in additional resolutions. They also provide a version of the image that shows smoke plumes stretching out across the Atlantic Ocean.

Impact of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire across western US forests.

PubMed

Abatzoglou, John T; Williams, A Park

2016-10-18

Increased forest fire activity across the western continental United States (US) in recent decades has likely been enabled by a number of factors, including the legacy of fire suppression and human settlement, natural climate variability, and human-caused climate change. We use modeled climate projections to estimate the contribution of anthropogenic climate change to observed increases in eight fuel aridity metrics and forest fire area across the western United States. Anthropogenic increases in temperature and vapor pressure deficit significantly enhanced fuel aridity across western US forests over the past several decades and, during 2000-2015, contributed to 75% more forested area experiencing high (>1 σ) fire-season fuel aridity and an average of nine additional days per year of high fire potential. Anthropogenic climate change accounted for ∼55% of observed increases in fuel aridity from 1979 to 2015 across western US forests, highlighting both anthropogenic climate change and natural climate variability as important contributors to increased wildfire potential in recent decades. We estimate that human-caused climate change contributed to an additional 4.2 million ha of forest fire area during 1984-2015, nearly doubling the forest fire area expected in its absence. Natural climate variability will continue to alternate between modulating and compounding anthropogenic increases in fuel aridity, but anthropogenic climate change has emerged as a driver of increased forest fire activity and should continue to do so while fuels are not limiting.

Impact of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire across western US forests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abatzoglou, John T.; Park Williams, A.

2016-10-01

Increased forest fire activity across the western continental United States (US) in recent decades has likely been enabled by a number of factors, including the legacy of fire suppression and human settlement, natural climate variability, and human-caused climate change. We use modeled climate projections to estimate the contribution of anthropogenic climate change to observed increases in eight fuel aridity metrics and forest fire area across the western United States. Anthropogenic increases in temperature and vapor pressure deficit significantly enhanced fuel aridity across western US forests over the past several decades and, during 2000-2015, contributed to 75% more forested area experiencing high (>1 σ) fire-season fuel aridity and an average of nine additional days per year of high fire potential. Anthropogenic climate change accounted for ˜55% of observed increases in fuel aridity from 1979 to 2015 across western US forests, highlighting both anthropogenic climate change and natural climate variability as important contributors to increased wildfire potential in recent decades. We estimate that human-caused climate change contributed to an additional 4.2 million ha of forest fire area during 1984-2015, nearly doubling the forest fire area expected in its absence. Natural climate variability will continue to alternate between modulating and compounding anthropogenic increases in fuel aridity, but anthropogenic climate change has emerged as a driver of increased forest fire activity and should continue to do so while fuels are not limiting.

The largest forest fires in Portugal: the constraints of burned area size on the comprehension of fire severity.

PubMed

Tedim, Fantina; Remelgado, Ruben; Martins, João; Carvalho, Salete

2015-01-01

Portugal is a European country with highest forest fires density and burned area. Since beginning of official forest fires database in 1980, an increase in number of fires and burned area as well as appearance of large and catastrophic fires have characterized fire activity in Portugal. In 1980s, the largest fires were just a little bit over 10,000 ha. However, in the beginning of 21st century several fires occurred with a burned area over 20,000 ha. Some of these events can be classified as mega-fires due to their ecological and socioeconomic severity. The present study aimed to discuss the characterization of large forest fires trend, in order to understand if the largest fires that occurred in Portugal were exceptional events or evidences of a new trend, and the constraints of fire size to characterize fire effects because, usually, it is assumed that larger the fire higher the damages. Using Portuguese forest fire database and satellite imagery, the present study showed that the largest fires could be seen at the same time as exceptional events and as evidence of a new fire regime. It highlighted the importance of size and patterns of unburned patches within fire perimeter as well as heterogeneity of fire ecological severity, usually not included in fire regime description, which are critical to fire management and research. The findings of this research can be used in forest risk reduction and suppression planning.

29 CFR 1915.505 - Fire response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... written standard operating procedures for each type of fire response at the employer's facility; (v) The... suppression operations established by written standard operating procedures for each particular type of fire...) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT Fire Protection in Shipyard Employment § 1915...

29 CFR 1915.505 - Fire response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... written standard operating procedures for each type of fire response at the employer's facility; (v) The... suppression operations established by written standard operating procedures for each particular type of fire...) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT Fire Protection in Shipyard Employment § 1915...

29 CFR 1915.505 - Fire response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... written standard operating procedures for each type of fire response at the employer's facility; (v) The... suppression operations established by written standard operating procedures for each particular type of fire...) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT Fire Protection in Shipyard Employment § 1915...

29 CFR 1915.505 - Fire response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... written standard operating procedures for each type of fire response at the employer's facility; (v) The... suppression operations established by written standard operating procedures for each particular type of fire...) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT Fire Protection in Shipyard Employment § 1915...

29 CFR 1915.505 - Fire response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... written standard operating procedures for each type of fire response at the employer's facility; (v) The... suppression operations established by written standard operating procedures for each particular type of fire...) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS FOR SHIPYARD EMPLOYMENT Fire Protection in Shipyard Employment § 1915...

Recent changes in annual area burned in interior Alaska: The impact of fire management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calef, M.P.; Varvak, Anna; McGuire, A. David; Chapin, F. S.; Reinhold, K. B.

2015-01-01

The Alaskan boreal forest is characterized by frequent extensive wildfires whose spatial extent has been mapped for the past 70 years. Simple predictions based on this record indicate that area burned will increase as a response to climate warming in Alaska. However, two additional factors have affected the area burned in this time record: the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) switched from cool and moist to warm and dry in the late 1970s and the Alaska Fire Service instituted a fire suppression policy in the late 1980s. In this paper a geographic information system (GIS) is used in combination with statistical analyses to reevaluate the changes in area burned through time in Alaska considering both the influence of the PDO and fire management. The authors found that the area burned has increased since the PDO switch and that fire management drastically decreased the area burned in highly suppressed zones. However, the temporal analysis of this study shows that the area burned is increasing more rapidly in suppressed zones than in the unsuppressed zone since the late 1980s. These results indicate that fire policies as well as regional climate patterns are important as large-scale controls on fires over time and across the Alaskan boreal forest.

Assessing the Role and Impact of Geospatial Data for Wildland Fire Management Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, E. A.; Lev, S. M.

2016-12-01

The 2015 Wildland and Fire Science and Technology Task Force Final Report, produced by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability, Subcommittee on Disaster Reduction, highlighted the increasing frequency of large wildfires and the growing demand for science to inform critical resource decisions to manage, mitigate, respond to, and recover from wildland fires. Federal spending on fire suppression from 2005-2015 has more than doubled despite policy changes that prioritize the mitigation of fire risks through the use of fuel treatments, prescribed fire, and management of naturally occurring wildfires to protect life and property. Fire suppression policies over the last century have created forests primed for severe fire, and in the face of a changing climate, the benefits of re-introducing fire into once fire-resilient ecosystems are clear. There are a range of complex factors and regional variation associated with wildland fire risk that complicate our understanding and effective management of this hazard. Data derived from Earth-observing (EO) systems and networks are a crucial input for managers when making decisions about fire suppression and fuel management. EO data can also be used to develop pre- and post-fire metrics that can aid in the evaluating the effectiveness of wildland fire management decisions. A value-tree method for mapping the role of EO systems and networks in delivering societal benefit through key Federal objectives related to wildland fire management will be presented. The value-tree methodology utilizes input from subject matter experts to assess the availability and usability of data and data products and to evaluate the impact of individual EO data inputs for achieving wildland fire management objectives. The results provide a qualitative assessment of the value of the data for the objectives described and identify critical gaps and continuity issues associated with improvements to and continuous delivery of societal benefit.

Acute toxicity of fire-retardant and foam-suppressant chemicals to early life stages of chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buhl, Kevin J.; Hamilton, Steven J.

1998-01-01

Laboratorys studies were conducted to determine the acute toxicity of three fire retardants (Fire-Trol GTS-R, Fire-Trol LCG-R, and Phos-Chek D75-F), and two fire-suppressant foams (Phos-Chek WD-881 and Ansul Silv-Ex) to early life stages of chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, in hard and soft water. Regardless of water type, swim-up fry and juveniles (60 and 90 d posthatch) exhibited similar sensitivities to each chemical and these life stages were more sensitive than eyed eggs. Foam suppressants were more toxic to each life stage than the fire retardants in both water types. The descending rank order of toxicity for these chemicals tested with swim-up fry and juveniles (range of 96-h median lethal concentrations [LC50s]) was Phos-Chek WD-881 (7–13 mg/L) > Ansul Silv-Ex (11–22 mg/L) > Phos-Chek D75-F (218–305 mg/L) > Fire-Trol GTS-R (218–412 mg/L) > Fire-Trol LCG-R (685–1,195 mg/L). Water type had a minor effect on the toxicity of these chemicals. Comparison of acute toxicity values with recommended application concentrations indicates that accidental inputs of these chemicals into stream environments would require substantial dilution (237- to 1,429-fold) to reach concentrations equivalent to their 96-h LC50s.

Human impacts on 20th century fire dynamics and implications for global carbon and water trajectories

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Fang; Lawrence, David M.; Bond-Lamberty, Ben

Fire is a fundamental Earth system process and the primary ecosystem disturbance on the global scale. It affects carbon and water cycles through changing terrestrial ecosystems, and at the same time, is regulated by weather and climate, vegetation characteristics, and, importantly, human ignitions and suppression (i.e., the direct human effect on fire). Here, we utilize the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) to quantify the impacts of changes in human ignition and suppression on fire dynamics and associated carbon and water cycles. We find that the impact is to significantly reduce the 20th century global burned area by a centurymore » average of 38 Mha/yr and by 103 Mha/yr at the end of the century. Land carbon gain is weakened by 17% over the 20th century, mainly due to increased human deforestation fires and associated escape fires (i.e., degradation fires) in the tropical humid forests, even though the decrease in burned area in many other regions due to human fire suppression acts to increase land carbon gain. The direct human effect on fire weakens the upward trend in global runoff throughout the century by 6% and enhances the upward trend in global evapotranspiration since ~ 1945 by 7%. In addition, the above impacts in densely populated, highly developed (if population density > 0.1 person/km2), or moderately populated and developed regions are of opposite sign to those in other regions. Our study suggests that particular attention should be paid to human deforestation and degradation fires in the tropical humid forests when reconstructing and projecting fire carbon emissions and net atmosphere-land carbon exchange and estimating resultant impacts of direct human effect on fire.« less

Human impacts on 20th century fire dynamics and implications for global carbon and water trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fang; Lawrence, David M.; Bond-Lamberty, Ben

2018-03-01

Fire is a fundamental Earth system process and the primary ecosystem disturbance on the global scale. It affects carbon and water cycles through changing terrestrial ecosystems, and at the same time, is regulated by weather and climate, vegetation characteristics, and, importantly, human ignitions and suppression (i.e., the direct human effect on fire). Here, we utilize the Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM4.5) to quantify the impacts of changes in human ignition and suppression on fire dynamics and associated carbon and water cycles. We find that the impact is to significantly reduce the 20th century global burned area by a century average of 38 Mha/yr and by 103 Mha/yr at the end of the century. Land carbon gain is weakened by 17% over the 20th century, mainly due to increased human deforestation fires and associated escape fires (i.e., degradation fires) in the tropical humid forests, even though the decrease in burned area in many other regions due to human fire suppression acts to increase land carbon gain. The direct human effect on fire weakens the upward trend in global runoff throughout the century by 6% and enhances the upward trend in global evapotranspiration since 1945 by 7%. In addition, the above impacts in densely populated, highly developed (if population density > 0.1 person/km2), or moderately populated and developed regions are of opposite sign to those in other regions. Our study suggests that particular attention should be paid to human deforestation and degradation fires in the tropical humid forests when reconstructing and projecting fire carbon emissions and net atmosphere-land carbon exchange and estimating resultant impacts of direct human effect on fire.

Extinguishing Agent for Magnesium Fire: Phases 5 and 6.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

This report documents the validation testing of the extinguishing system for metal fires developed as part of Phases I-IV. The results of this...system represented a reliable metal fire extinguishing system that could control and extinguish very large metal fires . The specifications developed for...the agent and for the delivery system are discussed in detail. Keywords: Fire suppression, Metal fires , Fire extinguishers.

FOCUS: a fire management planning system -- final report

Treesearch

Frederick W. Bratten; James B. Davis; George T. Flatman; Jerold W. Keith; Stanley R. Rapp; Theodore G. Storey

1981-01-01

FOCUS (Fire Operational Characteristics Using Simulation) is a computer simulation model for evaluating alternative fire management plans. This final report provides a broad overview of the FOCUS system, describes two major modules-fire suppression and cost, explains the role in the system of gaming large fires, and outlines the support programs and ways of...

Yellowstone National Park and the summer of fire

Treesearch

Diane Smith

2013-01-01

Because of their close relationships with fires, western forest ecosystems are considered fire dependent. If we hope to sustain the communities of trees, plants, and animals that characterize these wildland forests, we need to understand the natural role of fire, changes brought about by suppressing fire, and alternatives for restoring some reasonable semblance of the...

Fire Risk and Residential Development: A GIS Analysis

Treesearch

Jennifer L. Rechel; James B. Davis; Ted K. Bradshaw

1992-01-01

Population growth is rapid in rural areas in California. This growth into the wildland-urban interface makes fire protection and suppression more difficult. Fire managers have opportunities to reduce fire danger by improving housing development patterns; however, the overall density and placement of houses is usually set by criteria other than fire danger. By...

Benefits of hindsight: reestablishing fire on the landscape.

Treesearch

Sally Duncan

2001-01-01

Well-intentioned fire suppression efforts during the last 80 to 100 years have altered the structure of low-elevation forests in the interior Northwest. Historically, nondestructive, frequent, low-intensity fires have given way to larger, infrequent, severe, high-intensity fires. Because of altered fire behavior, forests now have increased fuel, and consequently, are...

36 CFR 1234.12 - What are the fire safety requirements that apply to records storage facilities?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... records storage facilities? (a) The fire detection and protection systems must be designed or reviewed by a licensed fire protection engineer. If the system was not designed by a licensed fire protection... engineer that describes the design intent of the fire detection and suppression system, detailing the...

36 CFR 1234.12 - What are the fire safety requirements that apply to records storage facilities?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... records storage facilities? (a) The fire detection and protection systems must be designed or reviewed by a licensed fire protection engineer. If the system was not designed by a licensed fire protection... engineer that describes the design intent of the fire detection and suppression system, detailing the...

A method for determining fire history in coniferous forests in the Mountain West

Treesearch

Stephen F. Arno; Kathy M. Sneck

1977-01-01

Describes a method for determining historic fire frequency, intensity, and size from cross sections collected from fire-scarred trees and tree age classes determined through increment borings. Tells how to interpret the influence of fire in stand composition and structure and how to identify effects of modern fire suppression.

Assessing predictive services' 7-day fire potential outlook

Treesearch

Karin Riley; Crystal Stonesifer; Dave Calkin; Haiganoush Preisler

2015-01-01

The Predictive Services program was created under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group in 2001 to address the need for long- and short-term decision support information for fire managers and operations personnel. The primary mission of Predictive Services is to integrate fire weather, fire danger, and resource availability to enable strategic fire suppression...

Determination of Survivable Fires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dietrich, D. L.; Niehaus, J. E.; Ruff, G. A.; Urban, D. L.; Takahashi, F.; Easton, J. W.; Abbott, A. A.; Graf, J. C.

2012-01-01

At NASA, there exists no standardized design or testing protocol for spacecraft fire suppression systems (either handheld or total flooding designs). An extinguisher's efficacy in safely suppressing any reasonable or conceivable fire is the primary benchmark. That concept, however, leads to the question of what a reasonable or conceivable fire is. While there exists the temptation to over-size' the fire extinguisher, weight and volume considerations on spacecraft will always (justifiably) push for the minimum size extinguisher required. This paper attempts to address the question of extinguisher size by examining how large a fire a crew member could successfully survive and extinguish in the confines of a spacecraft. The hazards to the crew and equipment during an accidental fire include excessive pressure rise resulting in a catastrophic rupture of the vehicle skin, excessive temperatures that burn or incapacitate the crew (due to hyperthermia), carbon dioxide build-up or other accumulation of other combustion products (e.g. carbon monoxide). Estimates of these quantities are determined as a function of fire size and mass of material burned. This then becomes the basis for determining the maximum size of a target fire for future fire extinguisher testing.

Results and Insights on the Impact of Smoke on Digital Instrumentation and Control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tanaka, T. J.; Nowlen, S. P.

2001-01-31

Smoke can cause interruptions and upsets in active electronics. Because nuclear power plants are replacing analog with digital instrumentation and control systems, qualification guidelines for new systems are being reviewed for severe environments such as smoke and electromagnetic interference. Active digital systems, individual components, and active circuits have been exposed to smoke in a program sponsored by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The circuits and systems were all monitored during the smoke exposure, indicating any immediate effects of the smoke. The major effect of smoke has been to increase leakage currents (through circuit bridging across contacts and leads) and tomore » cause momentary upsets and failures in digital systems. This report summarizes two previous reports and presents new results from conformal coating, memory chip, and hard drive tests. The report describes practices for mitigation of smoke damage through digital system design, fire barriers, ventilation, fire suppressants, and post fire procedures.« less

Climate and Wildfire in Mountains of the Western United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alfaro, E.; Westerling, A. L.; Cayan, D. R.

2004-12-01

Since the mid-1980s, there has been a dramatic increase in the area burned in wildfires in mountain forests of the western United States, with mean annual area burned nearly three and a half times higher compared to the preceding one and a half decades.(1) Concomitant increases in variability in annual area burned and in fire suppression costs pose a serious challenge for land management in the mountainous West. The variance in annual area burned since 1987 is nineteen times its previous level. Since managers must be prepared for the worst possible scenarios in every fire season, increased uncertainty about the scale of the western fire season each year imposes high costs on public agencies. Annual real suppression costs in western forests have more than doubled for the Forest Service since 1987, while the variance in annual suppression costs is over four times higher. Although federal agencies' fire suppression budgets have increased recently, they are still close to what would be spent in an "average" year that seldom occurs, while costs tend to fluctuate between low and high extremes. Modeling area burned and suppression costs as a function of climate variability alone, Westerling (2004, unpublished work) found that the probability of the Forest Service's suppression expenses exceeding the current annual suppression budget has exceeded 50% since 1987, a substantial increase from the one-in-three chance over the preceding 40 years. Recent progress in our understanding of the links between climate and wildfire, and in our ability to forecast some aspects of both climate and wildfire season severity a season or more in advance, offers some hope that these costs might be ameliorated through the integration of climate information into fire and fuels management. In addition to the effects of climate variability on wildfire, long-term biomass accumulations in some western ecosystems have fueled an increasing incidence of large, stand-replacing wildfires where such fires were previously rare. These severe large fires can result in erosion and changes in vegetation type, with consequences for water quality, stream flow, future biological productivity of the affected areas, and habitat loss for endangered species. Apart from their deleterious ecological consequences, severe fires can also dramatically affect amenity values for public lands and for homeowners living in the wildland-urban interface. In the National Fire Plan, land management agencies have committed to reducing fuels on millions of hectares of public lands. The primary means are mechanical removal, prescribed fire and wildland fire use. The Forest Service estimates they will need to spend hundreds of millions of dollars per year to meet their fuel reduction targets, while efforts in recent years have not kept up with the current rate of biomass increase. Use of climate information for targeting resources and scheduling prescribed burns could increase the efficiency of these efforts. In this study we review the fire history since 1970 for western mountain forests, and demonstrate apparent links between regional climate variability and decadal-scale changes in annual area burned. This analysis explores how wildfire size and frequency have varied over the past thirty-five years by elevation and latitude, and how climate indices such as precipitation, temperature, drought indices and the timing of spring runoff vary in importance for fire season severity by elevation in forests around the western United States.

Mitigating operating room fires: development of a carbon dioxide fire prevention device.

PubMed

Culp, William C; Kimbrough, Bradly A; Luna, Sarah; Maguddayao, Aris J

2014-04-01

Operating room fires are sentinel events that present a real danger to surgical patients and occur at least as frequently as wrong-sided surgery. For fire to occur, the 3 points of the fire triad must be present: an oxidizer, an ignition source, and fuel source. The electrosurgical unit (ESU) pencil triggers most operating room fires. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a gas that prevents ignition and suppresses fire by displacing oxygen. We hypothesize that a device can be created to reduce operating room fires by generating a cone of CO2 around the ESU pencil tip. One such device was created by fabricating a divergent nozzle and connecting it to a CO2 source. This device was then placed over the ESU pencil, allowing the tip to be encased in a cone of CO2 gas. The device was then tested in 21%, 50%, and 100% oxygen environments. The ESU was activated at 50 W cut mode while placing the ESU pencil tip on a laparotomy sponge resting on an aluminum test plate for up to 30 seconds or until the sponge ignited. High-speed videography was used to identify time of ignition. Each test was performed in each oxygen environment 5 times with the device activated (CO2 flow 8 L/min) and with the device deactivated (no CO2 flow-control). In addition, 3-dimensional spatial mapping of CO2 concentrations was performed with a CO2 sampling device. The median ± SD [range] ignition time of the control group in 21% oxygen was 2.9 s ± 0.44 [2.3-3.0], in 50% oxygen 0.58 s ± 0.12 [0.47-0.73], and in 100% oxygen 0.48 s ± 0.50 [0.03-1.27]. Fires were ignited with each control trial (15/15); no fires ignited when the device was used (0/15, P < 0.0001). The CO2 concentration at the end of the ESU pencil tip was 95%, while the average CO2 concentration 1 to 1.4 cm away from the pencil tip on the bottom plane was 64%. In conclusion, an operating room fire prevention device can be created by using a divergent nozzle design through which CO2 passes, creating a cone of fire suppressant. This device as demonstrated in a flammability model effectively reduced the risk of fire. CO2 3-dimensional spatial mapping suggests effective fire reduction at least 1 cm away from the tip of the ESU pencil at 8 L/min CO2 flow. Future testing should determine optimum CO2 flow rates and ideal nozzle shapes. Use of this device may substantially reduce the risk of patient injury due to operating room fires.

Effectiveness of Prescribed Fire as a Fuel Treatment in Californian Coniferous Forests

Treesearch

Nicole M. Vaillant; JoAnn Fites-Kaufman; Scott L. Stephens

2006-01-01

Effective fire suppression for the past century has altered forest structure and increased fuel loads. Prescribed fire as a fuels treatment can reduce wildfire size and severity. This study investigates how prescribed fire affects fuel loads, forest structure, potential fire behavior, and modeled tree mortality at 80th, 90th, and 97.5th percentile fire weather...

30 CFR 75.1107-16 - Inspection of fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Systems” (NFPA No. 11A—1970). National Fire Code No. 13A “Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems” (NFPA No. 13A—1971). National Fire Code No. 15 “Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection” (NFPA No. 15—1969). National Fire Code No. 17 “Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems” (NFPA No. 17—1969). National Fire...

30 CFR 75.1107-16 - Inspection of fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Systems” (NFPA No. 11A—1970). National Fire Code No. 13A “Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems” (NFPA No. 13A—1971). National Fire Code No. 15 “Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection” (NFPA No. 15—1969). National Fire Code No. 17 “Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems” (NFPA No. 17—1969). National Fire...

30 CFR 75.1107-16 - Inspection of fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Systems” (NFPA No. 11A—1970). National Fire Code No. 13A “Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems” (NFPA No. 13A—1971). National Fire Code No. 15 “Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection” (NFPA No. 15—1969). National Fire Code No. 17 “Dry Chemical Extinguishing Systems” (NFPA No. 17—1969). National Fire...

Introduction: Strengthening the foundation of wildland fire Effects prediction for research and management

Treesearch

Matthew B. Dickinson; Kevin C. Ryan

2010-01-01

As prescribed fire use increases and the options for responding to wildfires continue to expand beyond suppression, the need for improving fire effects prediction capabilities be¬comes increasingly apparent. The papers in this Fire Ecology special issue describe recent advances in fire effects prediction for key classes of direct (first-order) fire effects. Important...

Climate change, fire management, and ecological services in the southwestern US

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hurteau, Matthew D.; Bradford, John B.; Fulé, Peter Z.; Taylor, Alan H.; Martin, Katherine L.

2014-01-01

The diverse forest types of the southwestern US are inseparable from fire. Across climate zones in California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, fire suppression has left many forest types out of sync with their historic fire regimes. As a result, high fuel loads place them at risk of severe fire, particularly as fire activity increases due to climate change. A legacy of fire exclusion coupled with a warming climate has led to increasingly large and severe wildfires in many southwest forest types. Climate change projections include an extended fire season length due to earlier snowmelt and a general drying trend due to rising temperatures. This suggests the future will be warmer and drier regardless of changes in precipitation. Hotter, drier conditions are likely to increase forest flammability, at least initially. Changes in climate alone have the potential to alter the distribution of vegetation types within the region, and climate-driven shifts in vegetation distribution are likely to be accelerated when coupled with stand-replacing fire. Regardless of the rate of change, the interaction of climate and fire and their effects on Southwest ecosystems will alter the provisioning of ecosystem services, including carbon storage and biodiversity. Interactions between climate, fire, and vegetation growth provide a source of great uncertainty in projecting future fire activity in the region, as post-fire forest recovery is strongly influenced by climate and subsequent fire frequency. Severe fire can be mitigated with fuels management including prescribed fire, thinning, and wildfire management, but new strategies are needed to ensure the effectiveness of treatments across landscapes. We review the current understanding of the relationship between fire and climate in the Southwest, both historical and projected. We then discuss the potential implications of climate change for fire management and examine the potential effects of climate change and fire on ecosystem services. We conclude with an assessment of the role of fire management in an increasingly flammable Southwest.

Demonstration of Spacecraft Fire Safety Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruff, Gary A.; Urban, David L.

2012-01-01

During the Constellation Program, the development of spacecraft fire safety technologies were focused on the immediate questions related to the atmosphere of the habitable volume and implementation of fire detection, suppression, and postfire clean-up systems into the vehicle architectures. One of the difficulties encountered during the trade studies for these systems was the frequent lack of data regarding the performance of a technology, such as a water mist fire suppression system or an optically-based combustion product monitor. Even though a spacecraft fire safety technology development project was being funded, there was insufficient time and funding to address all the issues as they were identified. At the conclusion of the Constellation Program, these knowledge gaps formed the basis for a project proposed to the Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program. This project, subsequently funded by the AES Program and in operation since October 2011, has as its cornerstone the development of an experiment to be conducted on an ISS resupply vehicle, such as the European Space Agency (ESA) Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) or Orbital Science s Cygnus vehicle after it leaves the ISS and before it enters the atmosphere. The technology development efforts being conducted in this project include continued quantification of low- and partial-gravity maximum oxygen concentrations of spacecraft-relevant materials, development and verification of sensors for fire detection and post-fire monitoring, development of standards for sizing and selecting spacecraft fire suppression systems, and demonstration of post-fire cleanup strategies. The major technology development efforts are identified in this paper but its primary purpose is to describe the spacecraft fire safety demonstration being planned for the reentry vehicle.

Be careful what you wish for: The legacy of Smokey Bear

Treesearch

Geoffrey H. Donovan; Thomas C. Brown

2007-01-01

A century of wildfire suppression in the United States has led to increased fuel loading and large-scale ecological change across some of the nation's forests. Land management agencies have responded by increasing the use of prescribed fire and thinning. However, given the continued emphasis on fire suppression, current levels of funding for such fuel management...

Forecasting resource-allocation decisions under climate uncertainty: fire suppression with assessment of net benefits of research

Treesearch

Jeffrey P. Prestemon; Geoffrey H. Donovan

2008-01-01

Making input decisions under climate uncertainty often involves two-stage methods that use expensive and opaque transfer functions. This article describes an alternative, single-stage approach to such decisions using forecasting methods. The example shown is for preseason fire suppression resource contracting decisions faced by the United States Forest Service. Two-...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

30 CFR 75.1911 - Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered equipment and fuel transportation units.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... circuit continuity. If the system is not electrically operated, a means shall be provided to indicate the... secured computer system that is not susceptible to alteration. (3) Records shall be maintained at a... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Fire suppression systems for diesel-powered...

Long-term demographic trends in a fire-suppressed mixed-conifer forest

Treesearch

Carrie R. Levine; Flora Krivak-Tetley; Natalie S. van Doorn; Jolie-Anne S. Ansley; John J. Battles

2016-01-01

In the western United States, forests are experiencing novel environmental conditions related to a changing climate and a suppression of the historical fire regime. Mixed-conifer forests, considered resilient to disturbance due to their heterogeneity in structure and composition, appear to be shifting to a more homogeneous state, but the timescale of these shifts is...

Wildfire risk and home purchase decisions.

Treesearch

Patricia Champ; Geoffrey Donovan; Christopher Barth

2008-01-01

In the last 20 years, wildfire damages and the costs of wildfire suppression have risen dramatically. This trend has been attributed to three main factors: climate change, increased fuel loads from a century of wildfire suppression, and increased housing development in fire-prone areas., There is little that fire managers can do about climate change, and current fuel...

Syn-pandemic Fire Suppression in the Tropical Americas During European Conquest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nevle, R. J.; Bird, D. K.

2006-12-01

A new reconstruction of the biomass burning history of the tropical Americas during the past 5 millennia documents the expansion of fire use by Mesoamerican and Amazonian agriculturalists and a subsequent period of fire suppression beginning ~500 years BP. Fire suppression is synchronous with the collapse of the American indigenous population during European conquest. The present work synthesizes microscopic charcoal accumulation records preserved in lake, bog, and basin sediments from 14 sites in Central America and equatorial South America to reconstruct regional variation in charcoal accumulation rates, averaged over 200-year increments, relative to the mean rate of regional charcoal accumulation during the past 5 millennia. This study builds upon prior fire history reconstructions by synthesizing a substantially greater number of stratigraphic charcoal accumulation sequences to resolve features of the Late Holocene biomass burning record in the tropical Americas. We find that between ~5000 and ~4000 years BP, charcoal accumulation generally persisted at rates >1 standard deviation (s.d.) below the 5-millennium mean. Subsequently charcoal accumulation rates fluctuated until ~3000 years BP and then increased, maintaining an average level >0.5 s.d. above the 5-millenium mean until ~500 years BP. After ~500 years BP, charcoal accumulation rates dropped to values below the 5000-year mean and remained suppressed for the next several centuries. The variation in charcoal accumulation rates over the past 5000 years reflects both climatic and anthropogenic factors affecting the regional fire history of the tropical Americas. The transition to above-average charcoal accumulation rates after 3000 years BP is synchronous with a trend toward a drier climate in the circum-Caribbean region and expanding forest clearance and cultivation by Mesoamerican and Amazonian societies. The subsequent, prolonged period of enhanced biomass burning between ~3000 and ~500 years BP is punctuated by three intervals of low charcoal accumulation, reflecting intermittent episodes of fire-suppression lasting <200 years. The latest and most pronounced of these low-fire intervals occurs at ~1100 years BP and corresponds to the Classic Maya collapse. The persistence of low charcoal accumulation rates for several centuries after ~500 years BP is parsimoniously explained by a reduction of agriculture-related biomass burning due to syn-pandemic population collapse. During European conquest, pandemics killed ~90% of the indigenous American population, estimated to represent ~20% of the 16^{th} century global population. The suppression of biomass burning after ~500 years BP is a unique feature of the fire history of Central and equatorial South America relative to other regions of the globe, where rates of charcoal accumulation are typically >0.2 s.d. above their Holocene mean values. Syn-pandemic fire suppression in the tropical Americas is associated with massive regional reforestation and sequestration of carbon into the terrestrial biosphere, which contributed to the ~2% global reduction in atmospheric CO2 levels and the 0.1 per mil increase in δ13C of atmospheric CO2 from 1500 to 1700 A.D.

Differences in Human Versus Lightning Fires with Human Proximity at Two Spatial Scales in Interior Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calef, M. P.; Varvak, A.; McGuire, A. D.

2017-12-01

The boreal forest contains significant amounts of carbon in its biomass and soils and is currently responding to a rapidly changing climate. This is leading to warmer temperatures, drier conditions and larger and more frequent wildfires in western North America. However, the fire regime is also affected by direct human activities through suppression, ignition, and land use changes. Models are important predictive tools for understanding future conditions but they are based on regional generalizations of wildfire behavior and do not account for the complexity of human-fire interactions. In order to achieve a better understanding of the human influence on fires and how human fires differ from lightning fires, we analyzed both in regard to human proximity at two spatial scales (the Fairbanks subregion and Interior Alaska) using ArcGIS and quantitative analysis methods. We found that area burned is increasing across the region at 3% per year and is driven by increase in area burned by lightning while human-caused area burned has been decreasing recently especially in the WUI near Fairbanks. Human fires differed from lightning fires in several ways: they occurred significantly closer to settlements and highways, burned for a shorter duration, and were not as restricted to a brief seasonal window. The fire regime in the much more populated Fairbanks subregion has been altered by human activity: it experienced substantially more human fire ignitions along with a larger area burned though the human influence decreases with distance. This study provides important insights into spatial patterns of human influences on fires and provides useful information for fire modeling and fire management.

Corticospinal neurons in macaque ventral premotor cortex with mirror properties: a potential mechanism for action suppression?

PubMed

Kraskov, Alexander; Dancause, Numa; Quallo, Marsha M; Shepherd, Samantha; Lemon, Roger N

2009-12-24

The discovery of "mirror neurons" in area F5 of the ventral premotor cortex has prompted many theories as to their possible function. However, the identity of mirror neurons remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether identified pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) in area F5 of two adult macaques exhibited "mirror-like" activity. About half of the 64 PTNs tested showed significant modulation of their activity while monkeys observed precision grip of an object carried out by an experimenter, with somewhat fewer showing modulation during precision grip without an object or grasping concealed from the monkey. Therefore, mirror-like activity can be transmitted directly to the spinal cord via PTNs. A novel finding is that many PTNs (17/64) showed complete suppression of discharge during action observation, while firing actively when the monkey grasped food rewards. We speculate that this suppression of PTN discharge might be involved in the inhibition of self-movement during action observation. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hydrology, erosion, plant, and soil relationships after rangeland wildfire

Treesearch

Kenneth E. Spaeth; Frederick B. Pierson; Peter R. Robichaud; Corey A. Moffet

2007-01-01

Wildfire is an important ecological process and management issue on western rangelands. Fire suppression activities in the past century have increased the number and severity of wildfires, resulting in increased soil erosion and decreased water quality. Many infiltration studies on rangeland have shown that litter and vegetation cover protect the soil and enhance...

Species comparison of the physical properties of loblolly and slash pine wood and bark

Treesearch

Thomas L. Eberhardt; Joseph Dahlen; Laurence Schimleck

2017-01-01

Composition of the southern pine forest is now predominated by two species, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) and slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.), owing to fire suppression activities, natural regeneration on abandoned agricultural lands, and extensive planting. Comparison of the wood and bark physical properties of these...

Hydrological principles for sustainable management of forest ecosystems

Treesearch

Irena F. Creed; Gabor Z. Sass; Jim M. Buttle; Julia A. Jones

2011-01-01

Forested landscapes around the world are changing as a result of human activities, including forest management, fire suppression, mountaintop mining, conversion of natural forests to plantations, and climate change (Brockerhoff et al., 2008; Cyr et al., 2009; Johnston et al., 2010; Miller et al., 2009; Kelly et al., 2010; Palmer et al., 2010). Forests...

4. What do we need to know about roads?

Treesearch

Leslie M. Reid; Robert R. Ziemer; Michael J. Furniss

1994-01-01

Abstract - Roads facilitate forest management activities, recreational access, and fire suppression. At the same time, they damage wildlife habitat, destroy the remoteness many seek in wildland recreation, produce sediment, alter aquatic ecosystems, and abet the dispersal of noxious weeds. Design of appropriate road networks is thus a controversial task for land...

Defining and predicting urban-wildland interface zones using a GIS-based model

Treesearch

Lawrence R. Gering; Angel V. Chun; Steve Anderson

2000-01-01

Resource managers are beginning to experience a deluge of management conflicts as urban population centers expand into formerly wildland settings. Fire suppression, recreational, watershed management, and traditional forest management practices are activities that have become contentious in many locales. A better understanding of the interface zone between these two...

Burning questions for managers: Fuels management practices in riparian areas

Treesearch

Kristen E. Meyer; Kathleen A. Dwire; Patricia A. Champ; Sandra E. Ryan; Gregg M. Riegel; Timothy A. Burton

2012-01-01

Vegetation treatment projects for fuel reduction in riparian areas can pose distinct challenges to resource managers. Riparian areas are protected by administrative regulations, many of which are largely custodial and restrict active management. Like uplands, however, riparian areas have been affected by fire suppression, land use, and multiple types of disturbance....

Chapter 1: Overview of the integrated landscape assessment project

Treesearch

Miles A. Hemstrom; Jessica E. Halofsky; F. Jack Triepke; R. James Barbour; Janine Salwasser

2014-01-01

Fire suppression, vegetation management activities, wildfires, grazing, climate change, and other factors result in constantly changing vegetation and habitat conditions across millions of hectares in the Western United States. In recent years, the size and number of large wildfires has grown, threatening lives, property, and ecosystem integrity. At the same time,...

Cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment of syngas electricity from woody biomass residues

Treesearch

Hongmei Gu; Richard Bergman

2017-01-01

Forest restoration and fire suppression activities in the western United States have resulted in large volumes of low-to-no value residues. An environmental assessment would enable greater use while maintaining environmental sustainability of these residues for energy products. One internationally accepted sustainable metric tool that can assess environmental impacts...

Multiscale perspectives of fire, climate and humans in western North America and the Jemez Mountains, USA.

PubMed

Swetnam, Thomas W; Farella, Joshua; Roos, Christopher I; Liebmann, Matthew J; Falk, Donald A; Allen, Craig D

2016-06-05

Interannual climate variations have been important drivers of wildfire occurrence in ponderosa pine forests across western North America for at least 400 years, but at finer scales of mountain ranges and landscapes human land uses sometimes over-rode climate influences. We reconstruct and analyse effects of high human population densities in forests of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico from ca 1300 CE to Present. Prior to the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, human land uses reduced the occurrence of widespread fires while simultaneously adding more ignitions resulting in many small-extent fires. During the 18th and 19th centuries, wet/dry oscillations and their effects on fuels dynamics controlled widespread fire occurrence. In the late 19th century, intensive livestock grazing disrupted fuels continuity and fire spread and then active fire suppression maintained the absence of widespread surface fires during most of the 20th century. The abundance and continuity of fuels is the most important controlling variable in fire regimes of these semi-arid forests. Reduction of widespread fires owing to reduction of fuel continuity emerges as a hallmark of extensive human impacts on past forests and fire regimes.This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. © 2016 The Authors.

Multiscale perspectives of fire, climate and humans in western North America and the Jemez Mountains, USA

PubMed Central

Farella, Joshua; Liebmann, Matthew J.; Falk, Donald A.; Allen, Craig D.

2016-01-01

Interannual climate variations have been important drivers of wildfire occurrence in ponderosa pine forests across western North America for at least 400 years, but at finer scales of mountain ranges and landscapes human land uses sometimes over-rode climate influences. We reconstruct and analyse effects of high human population densities in forests of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico from ca 1300 CE to Present. Prior to the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, human land uses reduced the occurrence of widespread fires while simultaneously adding more ignitions resulting in many small-extent fires. During the 18th and 19th centuries, wet/dry oscillations and their effects on fuels dynamics controlled widespread fire occurrence. In the late 19th century, intensive livestock grazing disrupted fuels continuity and fire spread and then active fire suppression maintained the absence of widespread surface fires during most of the 20th century. The abundance and continuity of fuels is the most important controlling variable in fire regimes of these semi-arid forests. Reduction of widespread fires owing to reduction of fuel continuity emerges as a hallmark of extensive human impacts on past forests and fire regimes. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The interaction of fire and mankind’. PMID:27216525

Incipient I Fire Brigade Training & Certification.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anoka-Hennepin Technical Coll., Minneapolis, MN.

This document contains course materials for the minimum general and Koch-specific requirements for the fire suppression training and education portion of the integrated industrial emergency response team training program. The various levels of performance were developed with the National Fire standard 600, Private Fire Brigades. The training is…

Fire behavior, fuel treatments, and fire suppression on the Hayman Fire - Part 1: Fire weather, meteorology, and climate

Treesearch

Larry Bradshaw; Roberta Bartlette; John McGinely; Karl Zeller

2003-01-01

The Hayman Fire in June 2002 was heavily influenced by antecedent regional weather conditions, culminating in a series of daily weather events that aligned to produce widely varying fire behavior. This review of weather conditions associated with the Hayman Fire consists of two parts: 1) A brief overview of prior conditions as described by a regional climate review and...

Fire technology abstracts, volume 4. Cumulative indexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1982-03-01

Cumulative subject, author, publisher, and report number indexes referencing articles, books, reports, and patents are provided. The dynamics of fire, behavior and properties of materials, fire modeling and test burns, fire protection, fire safety, fire service organization, apparatus and equipment, fire prevention suppression, planning, human behavior, medical problems, codes and standards, hazard identification, safe handling of materials, and insurance economics of loss and prevention are among the subjects covered.

Forest-fire model with natural fire resistance.

PubMed

Yoder, Mark R; Turcotte, Donald L; Rundle, John B

2011-04-01

Observations suggest that contemporary wildfire suppression practices in the United States have contributed to conditions that facilitate large, destructive fires. We introduce a forest-fire model with natural fire resistance that supports this theory. Fire resistance is defined with respect to the size and shape of clusters; the model yields power-law frequency-size distributions of model fires that are consistent with field observations in the United States, Canada, and Australia.

Female-Specific Glucose Sensitivity of GnRH1 Neurons Leads to Sexually Dimorphic Inhibition of Reproduction in Medaka.

PubMed

Hasebe, Masaharu; Kanda, Shinji; Oka, Yoshitaka

2016-11-01

Close interaction exists between energy-consuming reproduction and nutritional status. However, there are differences in costs and priority for reproduction among species and even between sexes, which leads to diversification of interactions between reproduction and nutritional status. Despite such diversified interactions among species and sexes, most of the analysis of the nutritional status-dependent regulation of reproduction has been limited to an endothermic vertebrate, mammalian species of either sex. Therefore, the mechanisms underlying the diversified interactions remain elusive. In the present study, we demonstrated the effects of malnutritional status on reproduction at both organismal and cellular levels in an ectothermic vertebrate, a teleost medaka of both sexes. First, we analyzed the effects of malnutrition by fasting on gonadosomatic index, number of spawned/fertilized eggs, and courtship behavior. Fasting strongly suppressed reproduction in females but, surprisingly, not in males. Next, we analyzed the effects of fasting on firing activity of hypothalamic GnRH1 neurons, which form the final common pathway for the control of reproduction. An electrophysiological analysis showed that low glucose, which is induced by fasting, directly suppresses the firing activity of GnRH1 neurons specifically in females through intracellular ATP-sensitive potassium channels and AMP-activated protein kinase pathways. Based on the fact that such suppressions occurred only in females, we conclude that nutritional status-dependent, glucose-sensing in GnRH1 neurons may contribute to the most fitted reproductive regulation for each sex.

A fire management simulation model using stochastic arrival times

Treesearch

Eric L. Smith

1987-01-01

Fire management simulation models are used to predict the impact of changes in the fire management program on fire outcomes. As with all models, the goal is to abstract reality without seriously distorting relationships between variables of interest. One important variable of fire organization performance is the length of time it takes to get suppression units to the...

Prescribed fire in North American forests and woodlands: history, current practice, and challenges

Treesearch

Kevin C. Ryan; Eric E. Knapp; J. Morgan Varner

2013-01-01

Whether ignited by lightning or by Native Americans, fire once shaped many North American ecosystems. Euro-American settlement and 20th-century fire suppression practices drastically altered historic fire regimes, leading to excessive fuel accumulation and uncharacteristically severe wildfires in some areas and diminished flammability resulting from shifts to more fire...

36 CFR § 1234.12 - What are the fire safety requirements that apply to records storage facilities?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... records storage facilities? (a) The fire detection and protection systems must be designed or reviewed by a licensed fire protection engineer. If the system was not designed by a licensed fire protection... engineer that describes the design intent of the fire detection and suppression system, detailing the...

Monitoring post-fire vegetation regeneration in a Madrean ecosystem

Treesearch

Kelley J. O' Neal; John Rogan; Stephen R. Yool

2005-01-01

Fire suppression over the past century has contributed to the conversion of grasslands to shrublands in Sky Island communities. Two prescribed fires were ignited in the Peloncillo Mountains: Baker Canyon in 1995 and Maverick Spring in 1997. Remote sensing data were used to examine prescribed fire effectiveness in reducing shrub cover and to monitor post-fire...

Lessons learned from prescribed fire in ponderosa pine forests of the southern Sierra Nevada

Treesearch

Karen E. Bagne; Kathryn L. Purcell

2009-01-01

Prescribed fire is a commonly used management tool in fire-suppressed ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests, but effects of these fires on birds are largely unstudied. We investigated both direct and indirect impacts on breeding birds in ponderosa pine forests of the southern Sierra Nevada where fires were applied in the spring. Following...

Evaluation of Suppression of Hydroprocessed Renewable Jet (HRJ) Fuel Fires with Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

cameras were installed around the test pan and an underwater GoPro ® video camera recorded the fire from below the layer of fuel. 3.2.2. Camera Images...Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 3.2.3. Video Images A GoPro video camera with a wide angle lens recorded the tests...camera and the GoPro ® video camera were not used for fire suppression experiments. 3.3.2. Test Pans Two ¼-in thick stainless steel test pans were

A dendrochronology based fire history of Jeffry pine-mixed conifer forests in the Sierra San Pedro Martir, Mexico

Treesearch

Scott L. Stephens; Carl N. Skinner; Samantha J. Gill

2003-01-01

Conifer forests in northwestern Mexico have not experienced systematic fire suppression or logging, making them unique in western North America. Fire regimes of Pinus jeffreyi Grev. & Balf. mixed conifer forests in the Sierra San Pedro Martir, Baja California, Mexico, were determined by identifying 105 fire dates from 1034 fire scars in 105 specimens. Fires were...

36 CFR 211.4 - Cooperation for fire prevention and control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Cooperation for fire... AGRICULTURE ADMINISTRATION Cooperation § 211.4 Cooperation for fire prevention and control. The Forest Service... will result in mutual benefit in the prevention and suppression of forest fires: Provided, That the...

What is limiting more flexible fire management—public or agency pressure?

Treesearch

Toddi A. Steelman; Sarah M. McCaffrey

2011-01-01

Conventional wisdom within American federal fire management agencies suggests that external influence such as community or political pressure for aggressive suppression are key factors circumscribing the ability to execute less aggressive fire management strategies. Thus, a better understanding of external constraints on fire management options is essential. This...

Introduction [Chapter 1

Treesearch

Sharon M. Hood; Donald Long; Melanie Miller; Kevin C. Ryan

2007-01-01

Many areas throughout the United States are facing the triple threat of increasing fire severity, residential growth in areas prone to wildland fire, and suppression costs and losses. In addition, substantial changes are occurring in the way we plan and implement management on federal lands relative to use of wildland fire, prescribed fire, and mechanical fuel...

36 CFR 211.4 - Cooperation for fire prevention and control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Cooperation for fire... AGRICULTURE ADMINISTRATION Cooperation § 211.4 Cooperation for fire prevention and control. The Forest Service... will result in mutual benefit in the prevention and suppression of forest fires: Provided, That the...

30 CFR 75.1107-16 - Inspection of fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-16 Section 75.1107-16 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire... Systems” (NFPA No. 11A—1970). National Fire Code No. 13A “Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems” (NFPA...

30 CFR 75.1107-16 - Inspection of fire suppression devices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-16 Section 75.1107-16 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH MANDATORY SAFETY STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND COAL MINES Fire Protection Fire... Systems” (NFPA No. 11A—1970). National Fire Code No. 13A “Care and Maintenance of Sprinkler Systems” (NFPA...

Effects of post-fire soil hydrophobicity on inorganic soil nitrogen and sulfur cycling

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fire plays an important role in many native ecosystems, and its suppression has increased woody encroachment across the globe. Restoring native herbaceous communities following fire in encroached systems is often challenging. Post-fire soil hydrophobicity is one factor that may further limit site re...

Contrasting Spatial Patterns in Active-Fire and Fire-Suppressed Mediterranean Climate Old-Growth Mixed Conifer Forests

PubMed Central

Fry, Danny L.; Stephens, Scott L.; Collins, Brandon M.; North, Malcolm P.; Franco-Vizcaíno, Ernesto; Gill, Samantha J.

2014-01-01

In Mediterranean environments in western North America, historic fire regimes in frequent-fire conifer forests are highly variable both temporally and spatially. This complexity influenced forest structure and spatial patterns, but some of this diversity has been lost due to anthropogenic disruption of ecosystem processes, including fire. Information from reference forest sites can help management efforts to restore forests conditions that may be more resilient to future changes in disturbance regimes and climate. In this study, we characterize tree spatial patterns using four-ha stem maps from four old-growth, Jeffrey pine-mixed conifer forests, two with active-fire regimes in northwestern Mexico and two that experienced fire exclusion in the southern Sierra Nevada. Most of the trees were in patches, averaging six to 11 trees per patch at 0.007 to 0.014 ha−1, and occupied 27–46% of the study areas. Average canopy gap sizes (0.04 ha) covering 11–20% of the area were not significantly different among sites. The putative main effects of fire exclusion were higher densities of single trees in smaller size classes, larger proportion of trees (≥56%) in large patches (≥10 trees), and decreases in spatial complexity. While a homogenization of forest structure has been a typical result from fire exclusion, some similarities in patch, single tree, and gap attributes were maintained at these sites. These within-stand descriptions provide spatially relevant benchmarks from which to manage for structural heterogeneity in frequent-fire forest types. PMID:24586472

The role of climate and vegetation change in shaping past and future fire regimes in the northwestern US and the implications for ecosystem management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitlock, C.; Shafer, S.L.; Marlon, J.

2003-01-01

Fire is an important part of the disturbance regimes of northwestern US forests and its role in maintaining and altering forest vegetation is evident in the paleoecological record of the region. Long-term reconstructions of Holocene fire regimes, provided by the analysis of charcoal, pollen, and other fire proxies in a network of lake records, indicate that the Pacific Northwest and summer-dry regions of the northern Rocky Mountains experienced their highest fire activity in the early Holocene (11,000-7000 years ago) and during the Medieval Warm Period (ca. 1000 years ago) when drought conditions were more severe than today. In contrast, in summer-wet areas of the northern Rocky Mountains, the period of highest fire activity was registered in the last 7000 years when dry woodland vegetation developed. When synthesized across the entire northwestern US, the paleoecological record reveals that past and present fire regimes are strongly controlled by climate changes occurring on multiple time scales. The scarcity of fires in the 20th century in some northwestern US ecosystems may be the result of successful fire suppression policies, but in wetter forests this absence is consistent with long-term fire regime patterns. In addition, simulations of potential future climate and vegetation indicate that future fire conditions in some parts of the northwestern US could be more severe than they are today. The Holocene record of periods of intensified summer drought is used to assess the nature of future fire-climate-vegetation linkages in the region. ?? 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Reducing Manpower for a Technologically Advanced Ship

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-27

Watchstations by 84% (119 to 34) “ Autonomic ” Fire Suppression System AFSS is designed to automatically: (1) Isolate damage to firemain piping... System (IPS) Advanced VLS Autonomic Fire Suppression Hull Form Scale Models Total Ship Computing Environment (TSCE) Integrated Undersea...Warfare (IUSW) System ( AFSS ) 8 Total Ship Organization Ship C3I Engage Support Technical Director TSCEI Sense Integrated Product Teams TSSE Director

Forecasting poductivity in forest fire suppression operations: A methodological approach based on suppression difficulty analysis and documented experience

Treesearch

Francisco Rodríguez y Silva; Armando González-Cabán

2013-01-01

The abandonment of land, the high energy load generated and accumulated by vegetation covers, climate change and interface scenarios in Mediterranean forest ecosystems are demanding serious attention to forest fire conditions. This is particularly true when dealing with the budget requirements for undertaking protection programs related to the state of current and...

The effects of fire suppression on Bachman's sparrows in upland pine forests of eastern Texas

Treesearch

Richard N. Conner; Clifford E. Shackelford; Richard R. Schaefer; Daniel Saenz

2005-01-01

We studied the effects of 8 years of fire suppression on shrub-level vegetation, Bachman's Sparrows (Aimophila aestivalis), and selected forest bird species between 1995 and 2003in eastern Texas. Woody shrub-level vegetation between ground level and 3 m above the ground, measured using a leaf area index, increased significantly in all sites !n...

Prediction suppression and surprise enhancement in monkey inferotemporal cortex.

PubMed

Ramachandran, Suchitra; Meyer, Travis; Olson, Carl R

2017-07-01

Exposing monkeys, over the course of days and weeks, to pairs of images presented in fixed sequence, so that each leading image becomes a predictor for the corresponding trailing image, affects neuronal visual responsiveness in area TE. At the end of the training period, neurons respond relatively weakly to a trailing image when it appears in a trained sequence and, thus, confirms prediction, whereas they respond relatively strongly to the same image when it appears in an untrained sequence and, thus, violates prediction. This effect could arise from prediction suppression (reduced firing in response to the occurrence of a probable event) or surprise enhancement (elevated firing in response to the omission of a probable event). To identify its cause, we compared firing under the prediction-confirming and prediction-violating conditions to firing under a prediction-neutral condition. The results provide strong evidence for prediction suppression and limited evidence for surprise enhancement. NEW & NOTEWORTHY In predictive coding models of the visual system, neurons carry signed prediction error signals. We show here that monkey inferotemporal neurons exhibit prediction-modulated firing, as posited by these models, but that the signal is unsigned. The response to a prediction-confirming image is suppressed, and the response to a prediction-violating image may be enhanced. These results are better explained by a model in which the visual system emphasizes unpredicted events than by a predictive coding model. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Suppression and Structure of Low Strain Rate Nonpremixed Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamins, Anthony; Bundy, Matthew; Park, Woe Chul; Lee, Ki Yong; Logue, Jennifer

2003-01-01

The agent concentration required to achieve suppression of low strain rate nonpremixed flames is an important fire safety consideration. In a microgravity environment such as a space platform, unwanted fires will likely occur in near quiescent conditions where strain rates are very low. Diffusion flames typically become more robust as the strain rate is decreased. When designing a fire suppression system for worst-case conditions, low strain rates should be considered. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of radiative emission, flame strain, agent addition, and buoyancy on the structure and extinction of low strain rate nonpremixed flames through measurements and comparison with flame simulations. The suppression effectiveness of a suppressant (N2) added to the fuel stream of low strain rate methane-air diffusion flames was measured. Flame temperature measurements were attained in the high temperature region of the flame (T greater than 1200 K) by measurement of thin filament emission intensity. The time varying temperature was measured and simulated as the flame made the transition from normal to microgravity conditions and as the flame extinguished.

Reliability study of an emerging fire suppression system

DOE PAGES

Miller, David A.; Rossati, Lyric M.; Fritz, Nathan K.; ...

2015-11-01

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Plutonium gloveboxes are known to present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials, these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. The primary component of interest in self-contained fire extinguishers is the nylon 6-6 machined tube that comprises the main body of the system.Thermo-mechanical modeling and characterization of nylon 6-6 for use in plutonium glovebox applications has been carried out. Data has been generated regarding property degradation leading to poor, or reduced, engineering performancemore » of nylon 6-6 components. In this study, nylon 6-6 tensile specimens conforming to the casing of self-contained fire extinguisher systems have been exposed to hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acids. This information was used to predict the performance of a load bearing engineering component comprised of nylon 6-6 and designed to operate in a consistent manner over a specified time period. The study provides a fundamental understanding of the engineering performance of the fire suppression system and the effects of environmental degradation due to acid exposure on engineering performance. Data generated help identify the limitations of self-contained fire extinguishers. No critical areas of concern for plutonium glovebox applications of nylon 6-6 have been identified when considering exposure to mineral acid.« less

Reliability study of an emerging fire suppression system

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, David A.; Rossati, Lyric M.; Fritz, Nathan K.

Self-contained fire extinguishers are a robust, reliable and minimally invasive means of fire suppression for gloveboxes. Plutonium gloveboxes are known to present harsh environmental conditions for polymer materials, these include radiation damage and chemical exposure, both of which tend to degrade the lifetime of engineered polymer components. The primary component of interest in self-contained fire extinguishers is the nylon 6-6 machined tube that comprises the main body of the system.Thermo-mechanical modeling and characterization of nylon 6-6 for use in plutonium glovebox applications has been carried out. Data has been generated regarding property degradation leading to poor, or reduced, engineering performancemore » of nylon 6-6 components. In this study, nylon 6-6 tensile specimens conforming to the casing of self-contained fire extinguisher systems have been exposed to hydrochloric, nitric, and sulfuric acids. This information was used to predict the performance of a load bearing engineering component comprised of nylon 6-6 and designed to operate in a consistent manner over a specified time period. The study provides a fundamental understanding of the engineering performance of the fire suppression system and the effects of environmental degradation due to acid exposure on engineering performance. Data generated help identify the limitations of self-contained fire extinguishers. No critical areas of concern for plutonium glovebox applications of nylon 6-6 have been identified when considering exposure to mineral acid.« less

The human dimension of fire regimes on Earth.

PubMed

Bowman, David M J S; Balch, Jennifer; Artaxo, Paulo; Bond, William J; Cochrane, Mark A; D'Antonio, Carla M; Defries, Ruth; Johnston, Fay H; Keeley, Jon E; Krawchuk, Meg A; Kull, Christian A; Mack, Michelle; Moritz, Max A; Pyne, Stephen; Roos, Christopher I; Scott, Andrew C; Sodhi, Navjot S; Swetnam, Thomas W; Whittaker, Robert

2011-12-01

Humans and their ancestors are unique in being a fire-making species, but 'natural' (i.e. independent of humans) fires have an ancient, geological history on Earth. Natural fires have influenced biological evolution and global biogeochemical cycles, making fire integral to the functioning of some biomes. Globally, debate rages about the impact on ecosystems of prehistoric human-set fires, with views ranging from catastrophic to negligible. Understanding of the diversity of human fire regimes on Earth in the past, present and future remains rudimentary. It remains uncertain how humans have caused a departure from 'natural' background levels that vary with climate change. Available evidence shows that modern humans can increase or decrease background levels of natural fire activity by clearing forests, promoting grazing, dispersing plants, altering ignition patterns and actively suppressing fires, thereby causing substantial ecosystem changes and loss of biodiversity. Some of these contemporary fire regimes cause substantial economic disruptions owing to the destruction of infrastructure, degradation of ecosystem services, loss of life, and smoke-related health effects. These episodic disasters help frame negative public attitudes towards landscape fires, despite the need for burning to sustain some ecosystems. Greenhouse gas-induced warming and changes in the hydrological cycle may increase the occurrence of large, severe fires, with potentially significant feedbacks to the Earth system. Improved understanding of human fire regimes demands: (1) better data on past and current human influences on fire regimes to enable global comparative analyses, (2) a greater understanding of different cultural traditions of landscape burning and their positive and negative social, economic and ecological effects, and (3) more realistic representations of anthropogenic fire in global vegetation and climate change models. We provide an historical framework to promote understanding of the development and diversification of fire regimes, covering the pre-human period, human domestication of fire, and the subsequent transition from subsistence agriculture to industrial economies. All of these phases still occur on Earth, providing opportunities for comparative research.

The human dimension of fire regimes on Earth

PubMed Central

Bowman, David M J S; Balch, Jennifer; Artaxo, Paulo; Bond, William J; Cochrane, Mark A; D'Antonio, Carla M; DeFries, Ruth; Johnston, Fay H; Keeley, Jon E; Krawchuk, Meg A; Kull, Christian A; Mack, Michelle; Moritz, Max A; Pyne, Stephen; Roos, Christopher I; Scott, Andrew C; Sodhi, Navjot S; Swetnam, Thomas W; Whittaker, Robert

2011-01-01

Humans and their ancestors are unique in being a fire-making species, but ‘natural’ (i.e. independent of humans) fires have an ancient, geological history on Earth. Natural fires have influenced biological evolution and global biogeochemical cycles, making fire integral to the functioning of some biomes. Globally, debate rages about the impact on ecosystems of prehistoric human-set fires, with views ranging from catastrophic to negligible. Understanding of the diversity of human fire regimes on Earth in the past, present and future remains rudimentary. It remains uncertain how humans have caused a departure from ‘natural’ background levels that vary with climate change. Available evidence shows that modern humans can increase or decrease background levels of natural fire activity by clearing forests, promoting grazing, dispersing plants, altering ignition patterns and actively suppressing fires, thereby causing substantial ecosystem changes and loss of biodiversity. Some of these contemporary fire regimes cause substantial economic disruptions owing to the destruction of infrastructure, degradation of ecosystem services, loss of life, and smoke-related health effects. These episodic disasters help frame negative public attitudes towards landscape fires, despite the need for burning to sustain some ecosystems. Greenhouse gas-induced warming and changes in the hydrological cycle may increase the occurrence of large, severe fires, with potentially significant feedbacks to the Earth system. Improved understanding of human fire regimes demands: (1) better data on past and current human influences on fire regimes to enable global comparative analyses, (2) a greater understanding of different cultural traditions of landscape burning and their positive and negative social, economic and ecological effects, and (3) more realistic representations of anthropogenic fire in global vegetation and climate change models. We provide an historical framework to promote understanding of the development and diversification of fire regimes, covering the pre-human period, human domestication of fire, and the subsequent transition from subsistence agriculture to industrial economies. All of these phases still occur on Earth, providing opportunities for comparative research. PMID:22279247

The human dimension of fire regimes on Earth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bowman, David M.J.S.; Balch, Jennifer; Artaxo, Paulo; Bond, William J.; Cochrane, Mark A.; D'Antonio, Carla M.; DeFries, Ruth; Johnston, Fay H.; Keeley, Jon E.; Krawchuk, Meg A.; Kull, Christian A.; Michelle, Mack; Moritz, Max A.; Pyne, Stephen; Roos, Christopher I.; Scott, Andrew C.; Sodhi, Navjot S.; Swetnam, Thomas W.

2011-01-01

Humans and their ancestors are unique in being a fire-making species, but 'natural' (i.e. independent of humans) fires have an ancient, geological history on Earth. Natural fires have influenced biological evolution and global biogeochemical cycles, making fire integral to the functioning of some biomes. Globally, debate rages about the impact on ecosystems of prehistoric human-set fires, with views ranging from catastrophic to negligible. Understanding of the diversity of human fire regimes on Earth in the past, present and future remains rudimentary. It remains uncertain how humans have caused a departure from 'natural' background levels that vary with climate change. Available evidence shows that modern humans can increase or decrease background levels of natural fire activity by clearing forests, promoting grazing, dispersing plants, altering ignition patterns and actively suppressing fires, thereby causing substantial ecosystem changes and loss of biodiversity. Some of these contemporary fire regimes cause substantial economic disruptions owing to the destruction of infrastructure, degradation of ecosystem services, loss of life, and smoke-related health effects. These episodic disasters help frame negative public attitudes towards landscape fires, despite the need for burning to sustain some ecosystems. Greenhouse gas-induced warming and changes in the hydrological cycle may increase the occurrence of large, severe fires, with potentially significant feedbacks to the Earth system. Improved understanding of human fire regimes demands: (1) better data on past and current human influences on fire regimes to enable global comparative analyses, (2) a greater understanding of different cultural traditions of landscape burning and their positive and negative social, economic and ecological effects, and (3) more realistic representations of anthropogenic fire in global vegetation and climate change models. We provide an historical framework to promote understanding of the development and diversification of fire regimes, covering the pre-human period, human domestication of fire, and the subsequent transition from subsistence agriculture to industrial economies. All of these phases still occur on Earth, providing opportunities for comparative research.

Neurons in the Amygdala with Response-Selectivity for Anxiety in Two Ethologically Based Tests

PubMed Central

Wang, Dong V.; Wang, Fang; Liu, Jun; Zhang, Lu; Wang, Zhiru; Lin, Longnian

2011-01-01

The amygdala is a key area in the brain for detecting potential threats or dangers, and further mediating anxiety. However, the neuronal mechanisms of anxiety in the amygdala have not been well characterized. Here we report that in freely-behaving mice, a group of neurons in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) fires tonically under anxiety conditions in both open-field and elevated plus-maze tests. The firing patterns of these neurons displayed a characteristic slow onset and progressively increased firing rates. Specifically, these firing patterns were correlated to a gradual development of anxiety-like behaviors in the open-field test. Moreover, these neurons could be activated by any impoverished environment similar to an open-field; and introduction of both comfortable and uncomfortable stimuli temporarily suppressed the activity of these BLA neurons. Importantly, the excitability of these BLA neurons correlated well with levels of anxiety. These results demonstrate that this type of BLA neuron is likely to represent anxiety and/or emotional values of anxiety elicited by anxiogenic environmental stressors. PMID:21494567

Introduction to the effects of wildland fire on aquatic ecosystems in the Western USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rieman, B.; Gresswell, Robert E.; Young, M.; Luce, C.

2003-01-01

The management of wildfire has long been controversial. The role of fire and fire-related management in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems has become an important focus in recent years, but the general debate is not new. In his recent book, Stephen Pyne (2001 )describes the political and scientific debate surrounding the creation of the U.S. Forest Service and the emergence of fire suppression as a central tenet of wildland management. Essentially, views in the first decade of the 20th century focused on fire as good or evil: a tool that might benefit other resources or interests (e.g. Indian burning) and mitigate larger more destructive fires, or a threat to the recruitment and productivity of newly designated forest reserves. The “great fires” in the Western USA in 1910 and the associated loss of human life and property largely forged the public and political will to suppress fire on a massive scale.

Remote optical observations of actively burning biomass fires using potassium line spectral emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magidimisha, Edwin; Griffith, Derek J.

2016-02-01

Wildland fires are a widespread, seasonal and largely man-made hazard which have a broad range of negative effects. These wildfires cause not only the destruction of homes, infrastructure, cultivated forests and natural habitats but also contribute to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and aerosol particle production. Global satellite-based monitoring of biomass burning using thermal infrared sensors is currently a powerful tool to assist in finding ways to establish suppression strategies and to understand the role that fires play in global climate change. Advances in silicon-based camera technology present opportunities to resolve the challenge of ubiquitous wildfire early detection in a cost-effective manner. This study investigated several feasibility aspects of detecting wildland fires using near-infrared (NIR) spectral line emissions from electronically excited potassium (K) atoms at wavelengths of 766.5 and 769.9 nm, during biomass burning.

44 CFR 206.390 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SECURITY DISASTER ASSISTANCE FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE Fire Suppression Assistance § 206.390 General. When the Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Assistance Directorate determines that a fire or fires threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster, assistance may be authorized...

44 CFR 206.390 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... SECURITY DISASTER ASSISTANCE FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE Fire Suppression Assistance § 206.390 General. When the Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Assistance Directorate determines that a fire or fires threaten such destruction as would constitute a major disaster, assistance may be authorized...

Impact of anthropogenic climate change on wildfire across western US forests

PubMed Central

Williams, A. Park

2016-01-01

Increased forest fire activity across the western continental United States (US) in recent decades has likely been enabled by a number of factors, including the legacy of fire suppression and human settlement, natural climate variability, and human-caused climate change. We use modeled climate projections to estimate the contribution of anthropogenic climate change to observed increases in eight fuel aridity metrics and forest fire area across the western United States. Anthropogenic increases in temperature and vapor pressure deficit significantly enhanced fuel aridity across western US forests over the past several decades and, during 2000–2015, contributed to 75% more forested area experiencing high (>1 σ) fire-season fuel aridity and an average of nine additional days per year of high fire potential. Anthropogenic climate change accounted for ∼55% of observed increases in fuel aridity from 1979 to 2015 across western US forests, highlighting both anthropogenic climate change and natural climate variability as important contributors to increased wildfire potential in recent decades. We estimate that human-caused climate change contributed to an additional 4.2 million ha of forest fire area during 1984–2015, nearly doubling the forest fire area expected in its absence. Natural climate variability will continue to alternate between modulating and compounding anthropogenic increases in fuel aridity, but anthropogenic climate change has emerged as a driver of increased forest fire activity and should continue to do so while fuels are not limiting. PMID:27791053

Implications of changing fire regimes for aquatic ecosystems

Treesearch

Bruce Rieman; Charles H. Luce; Jason B. Dunham; Amanda L. Rosenberger

2005-01-01

Climate change and past management, including fire suppression, have been linked to changing patterns of fire in the last century. It is widely believed that many forested areas have moved from a regime of low and mixed severity fire to more frequent and more continuous high severity fire (Hessburg and Agee 2003). There is growing concern among ecologists and natural...

The Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory: A 50-year dedication to understanding wildlands and fire

Treesearch

Diane M. Smith

2012-01-01

In 1960, the USDA Forest Service established the Northern Forest Fire Laboratory (now the Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory) to find scientific solutions for better managing the nation's wildland resources and to research ways to improve forest fire prevention and suppression. This new state-of-the-art research facility did not emerge from a vacuum, however. This...

Presettlement fire regime and vegetation mapping in Southeastern Coastal Plain forest ecosystems

Treesearch

Andrew D. Bailey; Robert Mickler; Cecil Frost

2007-01-01

Fire-adapted forest ecosystems make up 95 percent of the historic Coastal Plain vegetation types in the Southeastern United States. Fire suppression over the last century has altered the species composition of these ecosystems, increased fuel loads, and increased wildfire risk. Prescribed fire is one management tool used to reduce fuel loading and restore fire-adapted...

Fire frequency effects on fuel loadings in pine-oak forests of the Madrean Province

Treesearch

Francisco J. Escobedo; Peter F. Ffolliott; Gerald J. Gottfried; Florentino Garza

2001-01-01

Loadings of downed woody fuels in pine-oak forests of the Madrean Province are heavier on sites in southeastern Arizona with low fire frequencies and lower on sites in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, with high fire frequencies. Low fire frequencies in southeastern Arizona are attributed largely to past land uses and the fire suppression policies of land management...

A review of challenges to determining and demonstrating efficiency of large fire management

Treesearch

Matthew P. Thompson; Francisco Rodriguez y Silva; David E. Calkin; Michael S. Hand

2017-01-01

Characterising the impacts of wildland fire and fire suppression is critical information for fire management decision-making. Here, we focus on decisions related to the rare larger and longer-duration fire events, where the scope and scale of decision-making can be far broader than initial response efforts, and where determining and demonstrating efficiency of...

Evaluating risks and benefits of wildland fire at landscape scales

Treesearch

Carol Miller; Peter B. Landres; Paul B. Alaback

2000-01-01

Fire suppression has resulted in severe management challenges, especially in the wildland-urban interface zone. Fire managers seek to reduce fuels and risks in the interface zone, while striving to return the natural role of fire to wildland ecosystems. Managers must balance the benefits of wildland fire on ecosystem health against the values that need to be protected...

Small-molecule inhibitors suppress the expression of both type III secretion and amylovoran biosynthesis genes in Erwinia amylovora.

PubMed

Yang, Fan; Korban, Schuyler S; Pusey, P Lawrence; Elofsson, Michael; Sundin, George W; Zhao, Youfu

2014-01-01

The type III secretion system (T3SS) and exopolysaccharide (EPS) amylovoran are two essential pathogenicity factors in Erwinia amylovora, the causal agent of the serious bacterial disease fire blight. In this study, small molecules that inhibit T3SS gene expression in E. amylovora under hrp (hypersensitive response and pathogenicity)-inducing conditions were identified and characterized using green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter. These compounds belong to salicylidene acylhydrazides and also inhibit amylovoran production. Microarray analysis of E. amylovora treated with compounds 3 and 9 identified a total of 588 significantly differentially expressed genes. Among them, 95 and 78 genes were activated and suppressed by both compounds, respectively, when compared with the dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) control. The expression of the majority of T3SS genes in E. amylovora, including hrpL and the avrRpt2 effector gene, was suppressed by both compounds. Compound 3 also suppressed the expression of amylovoran precursor and biosynthesis genes. However, both compounds induced significantly the expression of glycogen biosynthesis genes and siderophore biosynthesis, regulatory and transport genes. Furthermore, many membrane, lipoprotein and exported protein-encoding genes were also activated by both compounds. Similar expression patterns were observed for compounds 1, 2 and 4. Using crab apple flower as a model, compound 3 was capable of reducing disease development in pistils. These results suggest a common inhibition mechanism shared by salicylidene acylhydrazides and indicate that small-molecule inhibitors that disable T3SS function could be explored to control fire blight disease. © 2013 BSPP AND JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD.

Baseline intrinsic flammability of Earth's ecosystems estimated from paleoatmospheric oxygen over the past 350 million years.

PubMed

Belcher, Claire M; Yearsley, Jonathan M; Hadden, Rory M; McElwain, Jennifer C; Rein, Guillermo

2010-12-28

Atmospheric oxygen (O(2)) is estimated to have varied greatly throughout Earth's history and has been capable of influencing wildfire activity wherever fuel and ignition sources were present. Fires consume huge quantities of biomass in all ecosystems and play an important role in biogeochemical cycles. This means that understanding the influence of O(2) on past fire activity has far-reaching consequences for the evolution of life and Earth's biodiversity over geological timescales. We have used a strong electrical ignition source to ignite smoldering fires, and we measured their self-sustaining propagation in atmospheres of different oxygen concentrations. These data have been used to build a model that we use to estimate the baseline intrinsic flammability of Earth's ecosystems according to variations in O(2) over the past 350 million years (Ma). Our aim is to highlight times in Earth's history when fire has been capable of influencing the Earth system. We reveal that fire activity would be greatly suppressed below 18.5% O(2), entirely switched off below 16% O(2), and rapidly enhanced between 19-22% O(2). We show that fire activity and, therefore, its influence on the Earth system would have been high during the Carboniferous (350-300 Ma) and Cretaceous (145-65 Ma) periods; intermediate in the Permian (299-251 Ma), Late Triassic (285-201 Ma), and Jurassic (201-145 Ma) periods; and surprisingly low to lacking in the Early-Middle Triassic period between 250-240 Ma. These baseline variations in Earth's flammability must be factored into our understanding of past vegetation, biodiversity, evolution, and biogeochemical cycles.

Fire Safety in Extraterrestrial Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert

1998-01-01

Despite rigorous fire-safety policies and practices, fire incidents are possible during lunar and Martian missions. Fire behavior and hence preventive and responsive safety actions in the missions are strongly influenced by the low-gravity environments in flight and on the planetary surfaces. This paper reviews the understanding and key issues of fire safety in the missions, stressing flame spread, fire detection, suppression, and combustion performance of propellants produced from Martian resources.

Manual Fire Suppression Methods on Typical Machinery Space Spray Fires

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-31

Aqueous Film Forming Foam Manuscnpt approved April 25, 1990. ( AFFF ), has been incorporated in machinery space fire protection systems to...distribution unlimited. 13. ABSTRACT (Maximum 200 words) A series of tests was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Aqueous Film Forming Foami ( AFFF ...machinery space fire protection systems to control running fuel and fuel spray fires (PKP side of TAFES), and bilge fires ( aqueous film forming foam

Fire and logging history at Huckleberry Hallow, Shannon County, Missouri

Treesearch

Richard P. Guyette; Daniel C. Dey

1997-01-01

Disturbances such as windthrow, fire and timber harvest significantly effect how forest ecosystems develop. We have and continue to modify the nature of our forests through anthropogenic fire, fire suppression, and resource exploitation and management. Past disturbance histories, as well as current cultural practices and ecological processes, must be considered in...

Temporal changes to fire risk in dissimilar WUI communities

Treesearch

N. C. Leyshon; C. A. Dicus; D. B. Sapsis

2015-01-01

Despite increasing proportions of governmental budgets allocated to fire suppression resources, wildfires annually destroy great numbers of homes and critical infrastructure in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). Since 2002, the largest fires in the histories of California, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Oregon, and Texas have occurred in spite of increased fire...

VIEW OF THE DISPATCH OFFICE IN BUILDING 331. ALL SITEWIDE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

VIEW OF THE DISPATCH OFFICE IN BUILDING 331. ALL SITE-WIDE FIRE ALARM SIGNALS, INCLUDING ALL FIRE PHONES, FIRE PULL BOXES, HEAT AND SMOKE DETECTORS, AND SUPPRESSION SYSTEM FLOW ALARMS, ARE TRANSMITTED TO THE BUILDING 331 DISPATCHER'S OFFICE. (3/77) - Rocky Flats Plant, Vehicle Maintenance Garage & Fire Station, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Organizational learning contributes to guidance for managing wildland fires for multiple objectives

Treesearch

Tom Zimmerman; Tim Sexton

2010-01-01

Since the inception of organized fire suppression in the early 1900s, wildland fire management has dramatically evolved in operational complexity; ecological significance; social, economic, and political magnitude; areas and timing of application; and recognition of potentially serious consequences. Throughout the past 100 years, fire management has matured from a...

Socio-ecological factors influencing the use of fire to maintain and restore ecosystem health

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fire suppression in grassland systems adapted to fire is a major factor that has contributed to recruitment of woody species into grasslands worldwide. Even though the ecology of restoring these fire prone systems back to a grassland state is becoming clearer, the major hurdle to reintroducing histo...

Understanding change: Wildfire in Boulder County, Colorado

Treesearch

Hannah Brenkert-Smith; Patricia A. Champ; Amy L. Telligman

2013-01-01

Wildfire activity continues to plague communities in the American West. Three causes are often identified as key contributors to the wildfire problem: accumulated fuels on public lands due to a history of suppressing wildfires; climate change; and an influx of residents into fire prone areas referred to as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The latter of these...

Understanding change: Wildfire in Larimer County, Colorado

Treesearch

Hannah Brenkert-Smith; Patricia A. Champ

2013-01-01

Wildfire activity continues to plague communities in the American West. Three causes are often identified as key contributors to the wildfire problem: accumulated fuels on public lands due to a history of suppressing wildfires; climate change; and an influx of residents into fire prone areas referred to as the wildland-urban interface (WUI). The latter of these...

Mechanical restoration of California mixed-conifer forests: does it matter which trees are cut?

Treesearch

Jessica Miesel; Ralph Boerner; Carl Skinner

2009-01-01

The montane ecosystems of northern California have been subjected to repeated manipulation and active fire suppression for over a century, resulting in changes in community structure that contribute to increased wildfire hazard. Ecosystem restoration via reduction of stand density for wildfire hazard mitigation has received substantial attention in recent years;...

Harvesting systems for western stand health improvement cuttings

Treesearch

Bruce R. Hartsough; Bryce J. Stokes; Joseph F. McNeel; William F. Watson

1995-01-01

A significant percentage of the forested area in the western United States is comprised of stands that have been altered over time by human activities, especially fire suppression, and are now being damaged by droughts, insect attacks, and wildfires. These stands should be returned to a condition where "biotic and abiotic influences do not threaten resource...

A Model For Defining and Predicting The Urban-Wildland Interface For The Piedmont of South Carolina

Treesearch

Mary L. Webb Marek; Lawrence R. Gering

2002-01-01

Resource managers continue to experience a deluge of management conflicts as urban population centers expand into areas that were formerly wildland settings. Traditional forest management practices, fire suppression, recreational opportunities and wildlife management are activities that have become contentious in many locales. A better understanding of the interface...

Cumulative watershed effects of fuel management in the Eastern United States

Treesearch

Russell LaFayette; Maureen T. Brooks; John P. Potyondy; Lisa Audin; Suzanne L. Krieger; Carl C. Trettin

2012-01-01

As a result of effective fire suppression activities over the last 75 years and a reduction in timber harvesting on the national forests, biomass has accumulated increasing the susceptibility of large and more severe wildfires. Reducing accumulated fuels is now a major management objective on the national forests. A combination of traditional silvicultural treatments...

Contributions of microgravity test results to the design of spacecraft fire-safety systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert; Urban, David L.

1993-01-01

Experiments conducted in spacecraft and drop towers show that thin-sheet materials have reduced flammability ranges and flame-spread rates under quiescent low-gravity environments (microgravity) compared to normal gravity. Furthermore, low-gravity flames may be suppressed more easily by atmospheric dilution or decreasing atmospheric total pressure than their normal-gravity counterparts. The addition of a ventilating air flow to the low-gravity flame zone, however, can greatly enhance the flammability range and flame spread. These results, along with observations of flame and smoke characteristics useful for microgravity fire-detection 'signatures', promise to be of considerable value to spacecraft fire-safety designs. The paper summarizes the fire detection and suppression techniques proposed for the Space Station Freedom and discusses both the application of low-gravity combustion knowledge to improve fire protection and the critical needs for further research.

44 CFR 206.394 - Cost eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... incident fires involving co-mingled Federal/State and privately owned forest or grassland. (10) In those... Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compacts, eligible costs are reimbursed in accordance with eligibility... HOMELAND SECURITY DISASTER ASSISTANCE FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE Fire Suppression Assistance § 206.394...

Fire Suppression Properties of Very Fine Water Mist

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

with the University of Heidelberg, developed an in situ oxygen sensor based on tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy ( TDLAS ) to provide absolute... oxygen number densities in the presence of mist.3 Th e TDLAS oxygen sensor provides real-time, calibra- tion-free, quantitative oxygen ...Determination of Molecular Oxygen Concentrations in Full-Scale Fire Suppression Tests Using TDLAS ,” Proc. Combust. Inst. 29, 353-360 (2002).

Chapter 15: Economic analysis of federal wildfire management programs

Treesearch

Krista M. Gebert; David E. Calkin; Robert J. Huggett; Karen L. Abt

2008-01-01

In the past two decades, there has been a significant increase in the number of acres burned by wildland fires and in the amount of money being spent to suppress these fires (Calkin et al. 2005a). With expenditures on suppression alone climbing to more than a billion dollars in four of the past seven years (2000-2006), the federal land management agencies are coming...

The Influence of Wildfire on Long-Term Erosion: Insights from the Jemez Mountains, NM and the Western USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitch, E. P.; Meyer, G. A.

2017-12-01

A major influence of wildfire on long-term erosion in the western USA is strongly suggested by extreme postfire debris flows and floods, where fire severity has increased in recent decades due to climate change and land use. Roughly 30% of the ponderosa-mixed conifer forests of the Jemez Mountains has burned in the last 20 yr, much at high severity, whereas tree-ring data indicate mostly lower-severity burns from 1600-1900 CE, before fire suppression and grazing. Fire-related alluvial deposits proximal to hillslopes reflect mostly small to moderate erosional events over the last 4000 yr, compared to thick, bouldery debris-flow deposits from recent severe fires; some modern postfire debris flows appear truly extreme in comparison to Holocene deposits. Recognizable fire-related deposits make up 77% of fans from moist north aspects, as relatively dense vegetation and thick soil yield minor surface runoff unless severely burned. Only 39% of fan sediments from drier south aspects are fire-related, however, as sparser vegetation and exposed bedrock can produce runoff and sediment when unburned. Peaks in fire-related sedimentation at 1800, 650, 410, and 300 cal yr BP coincide with severe droughts, often preceded by wetter decades that could suppress fire activity and promote denser stands. Although the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA, 1050-700 cal yr BP) was marked by generally warmer temperatures and multidecadal episodes of widespread, severe drought in the western USA, fire-related sedimentation was relatively minor in the Jemez Mountains. In contrast, dense subalpine forests of Yellowstone and central Idaho burned less frequently and more severely in the late Holocene, and produced major debris flows in the MCA. Fire accounts for only 30-50% of Holocene fan deposition in these areas, as steep unburned basins also produce large debris flows in extreme storms. The relative importance of fire in erosion depends on topography, bedrock, soil cover, and forest composition and density; potent climatic influence on the latter makes it difficult to generalize about how strongly fire drives long-term erosion rates, as even local aspect is important. Also, our data represent interglacial environments that are uncommon over the Quaternary, such that extrapolation of fire's importance beyond the last 104 yr is unwarranted.

The impact of fire suppression tasks on firefighter hydration: a critical review with consideration of the utility of reported hydration measures.

PubMed

Walker, Adam; Pope, Rodney; Orr, Robin Marc

2016-01-01

Firefighting is a highly stressful occupation with unique physical challenges, apparel and environments that increase the potential for dehydration. Dehydration leaves the firefighter at risk of harm to their health, safety and performance. The purpose of this review was to critically analyse the current literature investigating the impact of fighting 'live' fires on firefighter hydration. A systematic search was performed of four electronic databases for relevant published studies investigating the impact of live fire suppression on firefighter hydration. Study eligibility was assessed using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included studies were critically appraised using the Downs and Black protocol and graded according to the Kennelly grading system. Ten studies met the eligibility criteria for this review. The average score for methodological quality was 55 %, ranging from 50 % ('fair' quality) to 61 % ('good' quality) with a 'substantial agreement' between raters ( k  = .772). Wildfire suppression was considered in five studies and structural fire suppression in five studies. Results varied across the studies, reflecting variations in outcome measures, hydration protocols and interventions. Three studies reported significant indicators of dehydration resulting from structural fire suppression, while two studies found mixed results, with some measures indicating dehydration and other measures an unchanged hydration status. Three studies found non-significant changes in hydration resulting from wildfire firefighting and two studies found significant improvements in markers of hydration. Ad libitum fluid intake was a common factor across the studies finding no, or less severe, dehydration. The evidence confirms that structural and wildfire firefighting can cause dehydration. Ad libitum drinking may be sufficient to maintain hydration in many wildfire environments but possibly not during intense, longer duration, hot structural fire operations. Future high quality research better quantifying the effects of these influences on the degree of dehydration is required to inform policies and procedures that ensure firefighter health and safety.

An infrared scattering by evaporating droplets at the initial stage of a pool fire suppression by water sprays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dombrovsky, Leonid A.; Dembele, Siaka; Wen, Jennifer X.

2018-06-01

The computational analysis of downward motion and evaporation of water droplets used to suppress a typical transient pool fire shows local regions of a high volume fraction of relatively small droplets. These droplets are comparable in size with the infrared wavelength in the range of intense flame radiation. The estimated scattering of the radiation by these droplets is considerable throughout the entire spectrum except for a narrow region in the vicinity of the main absorption peak of water where the anomalous refraction takes place. The calculations of infrared radiation field in the model pool fire indicate the strong effect of scattering which can be observed experimentally to validate the fire computational model.

Relation of weather forecasts to the prediction of dangerous forest fire conditions

Treesearch

R. H. Weidman

1923-01-01

The purpose of predicting dangerous forest-fire conditions, of course, is to reduce the great cost and damage caused by forest fires. In the region of Montana and northern Idaho alone the average cost to the United States Forest Service of fire protection and suppression is over $1,000,000 a year. Although the causes of forest fires will gradually be reduced by...

Roost tree selection by northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colonies following prescribed fire in a Central Appalachian Mountains hardwood forest

Treesearch

Joshua B. Johnson; John W. Edwards; W. Mark Ford; J. Edward Gates

2009-01-01

Following decades of fire suppression in eastern forests, prescribed fire as a tool to restore or enhance oak (Quercus spp.)-dominated communities is gaining widespread acceptance in the Appalachian Mountains and elsewhere. However, the interactions of fire with biotic components such as wildlife that might be impacted by prescribed fire are poorly...

Spacecraft Fire Safety: A Human Space Flight Program Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pedley, Michael D.

2003-01-01

This paper presents viewgraphs on the International Space Station's fire safety program from a human space flight perspective. The topics include: 1) Typical Manned Spacecraft Materials; 2) Typical Flammable Hardware Protection; 3) Materials Flammability; 4) Fire Retardants; 5) Nonflammable Foam Cushion Material; 6) Electrical Wire and Cable; 7) Russian Solid-Fuel Oxygen Generator (SFOG); 8) GOX Ignition Mechanisms; 9) Fire Detection; and 10) Fire Suppression.

Proposed wildland fire amendment to the Coronado National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan

Treesearch

Sherry A. Tune; Erin M. Boyle

2005-01-01

The Coronado National Forest proposed amending its 1986 Land and Resource Management Plan to conform to the 2001 Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy. This Policy emphasizes fire’s essential role in maintaining natural ecosystems and allows a broader range of management options for wildland fires. Under the current Forest Plan, fires must be suppressed in areas...

A Drought Index for Forest Fire Control

Treesearch

John J. Keetch; George M. Byram

1968-01-01

The moisture content of the upper soil, as well as that of the covering layer of duff, has an important effect on the fire suppression effort in forest and wildland areas. In certain forested areas of the United States, fires in deep duff fuels are of particular concern to the fire control manager. When these fuels are dry, fires burn deeply, dam-age is excessive, and...

Effects of prescribed fire on fuels, vegetation, and Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) demographics in Texas juniper-oak woodlands

Treesearch

Jennifer L. Reidy; Frank R., III Thompson; Carl Schwope; Scott Rowin; James M. Mueller

2016-01-01

The Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) is an endangered songbird that breeds in mature juniper-oak woodlands restricted to Central Texas. This habitat is increasingly susceptible to crown fire due to climate change, land use change, and fire suppression. Prescribed fire is a potential tool to reduce the risk of crown fire and may be a...

Fire and vegetation dynamics in the Cross Timbers forests of south-central North America

Treesearch

Steve W. Hallgren; Ryan D. DeSantis; Jesse A. Burton

2012-01-01

The vegetation of the Cross Timbers forests was maintained for thousands of years by fire; the historic fire return interval was likely 1 to 10 years. Fire suppression over the past century led to a doubling of stand basal area, increased diversity of tree species, reduced dominance of oak, and increased mesic species intolerant of fire. Dendrochronological studies...

Understanding effects of fire suppression, fuels treatment, and wildfire on bird communities in the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion

Treesearch

John D. Alexander; C. John Ralph; Bill Hogoboom; Nathaniel E. Seavy; Stewart Janes

2004-01-01

Although fire management is increasingly recognized as an important component of conservation in Klamath-Siskiyou ecosystems, empirical evidence on the ecological effects of fire in this region is limited. Here we describe a conceptual model as a framework for understanding the effects of fire and fire management on bird abundance. This model identifies three major...

Prioritizing forest fuels treatments based on the probability of high-severity fire restores adaptive capacity in Sierran forests

Treesearch

Daniel J. Krofcheck; Matthew D. Hurteau; Robert M. Scheller; E. Louise Loudermilk

2017-01-01

In frequent fire forests of the western United States, a legacy of fire suppression coupled with increases in fire weather severity have altered fire regimes and vegetation dynamics. When coupled with projected climate change, these conditions have the potential to lead to vegetation type change and altered carbon (C) dynamics. In the Sierra Nevada, fuels...

An event-based approach for examining the effects of wildland fire decisions on communities

Treesearch

Stephen F. McCool; James A. Burchfield; Daniel R. Williams; Matthew S. Carroll

2006-01-01

Public concern over the consequences of forest fire to wildland interface communities has led to increased resources devoted to fire suppression, fuel treatment, and management of fire events. The social consequences of the decisions involved in these and other fire-related actions are largely unknown, except in an anecdotal sense, but do occur at a variety of temporal...

Exploratory breath analyses for assessing toxic dermal exposures of firefighters during suppression of structural burns.

PubMed

Pleil, Joachim D; Stiegel, Matthew A; Fent, Kenneth W

2014-09-01

Firefighters wear fireproof clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) during rescue and fire suppression activities to protect against acute effects from heat and toxic chemicals. Fire services are also concerned about long-term health outcomes from chemical exposures over a working lifetime, in particular about low-level exposures that might serve as initiating events for adverse outcome pathways (AOP) leading to cancer. As part of a larger US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of dermal exposure protection from safety gear used by the City of Chicago firefighters, we collected pre- and post-fire fighting breath samples and analyzed for single-ring and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as bioindicators of occupational exposure to gas-phase toxicants. Under the assumption that SCBA protects completely against inhalation exposures, any changes in the exhaled profile of combustion products were attributed to dermal exposures from gas and particle penetration through the protective clothing. Two separate rounds of firefighting activity were performed each with 15 firefighters per round. Exhaled breath samples were collected onto adsorbent tubes and analyzed with gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with a targeted approach using selective ion monitoring. We found that single ring aromatics and some PAHs were statistically elevated in post-firefighting samples of some individuals, suggesting that fire protective gear may allow for dermal exposures to airborne contaminants. However, in comparison to a previous occupational study of Air Force maintenance personnel where similar compounds were measured, these exposures are much lower suggesting that firefighters' gear is very effective. This study suggests that exhaled breath sampling and analysis for specific targeted compounds is a suitable method for assessing systemic dermal exposure in a simple and non-invasive manner.

10 CFR 50.48 - Fire protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... suppression systems; and (iii) The means to limit fire damage to structures, systems, or components important...) Standard 805, “Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light Water Reactor Electric Generating... pressurized-water reactors (PWRs) is not permitted. (iv) Uncertainty analysis. An uncertainty analysis...

10 CFR 50.48 - Fire protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... suppression systems; and (iii) The means to limit fire damage to structures, systems, or components important...) Standard 805, “Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection for Light Water Reactor Electric Generating... pressurized-water reactors (PWRs) is not permitted. (iv) Uncertainty analysis. An uncertainty analysis...

30 CFR 57.4560 - Mine entrances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR METAL AND NONMETAL MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS-UNDERGROUND METAL AND NONMETAL MINES Fire Prevention and Control... escapeways shall be— (a) Provided with a fire suppression system, other than fire extinguishers and water...

Historical reconstructions of California wildfires vary by data source

USGS Publications Warehouse

Syphard, Alexandra D.; Keeley, Jon E.

2016-01-01

Historical data are essential for understanding how fire activity responds to different drivers. It is important that the source of data is commensurate with the spatial and temporal scale of the question addressed, but fire history databases are derived from different sources with different restrictions. In California, a frequently used fire history dataset is the State of California Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP) fire history database, which circumscribes fire perimeters at a relatively fine scale. It includes large fires on both state and federal lands but only covers fires that were mapped or had other spatially explicit data. A different database is the state and federal governments’ annual reports of all fires. They are more complete than the FRAP database but are only spatially explicit to the level of county (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection – Cal Fire) or forest (United States Forest Service – USFS). We found substantial differences between the FRAP database and the annual summaries, with the largest and most consistent discrepancy being in fire frequency. The FRAP database missed the majority of fires and is thus a poor indicator of fire frequency or indicators of ignition sources. The FRAP database is also deficient in area burned, especially before 1950. Even in contemporary records, the huge number of smaller fires not included in the FRAP database account for substantial cumulative differences in area burned. Wildfires in California account for nearly half of the western United States fire suppression budget. Therefore, the conclusions about data discrepancies and the implications for fire research are of broad importance.

Concepts for Future Large Fire Modeling

Treesearch

A. P. Dimitrakopoulos; R. E. Martin

1987-01-01

A small number of fires escape initial attack suppression efforts and become large, but their effects are significant and disproportionate. In 1983, of 200,000 wildland fires in the United States, only 4,000 exceeded 100 acres. However, these escaped fires accounted for roughly 95 percent of wildfire-related costs and damages (Pyne, 1984). Thus, future research efforts...

Restoring fire suppressed Texas pak woodlands to historic conditions using prescribed fire

Treesearch

Jeff C. Sparks; Michael C. Stambaugh; Eric L. Keith

2012-01-01

Comparable to many oak ecosystems across the eastern United States, oak woodlands in Texas display characteristics of changing composition and structure due to altered fire regimes. Information describing historic fire regimes suggests woodlands underwent relatively frequent and repeated burning prior to major Euro-American influence in the early 19th century. Oak...

A foundation for initial attack simulation: the Fried and Fried fire containment model

Treesearch

Jeremy S. Fried; Burton D. Fried

2010-01-01

The Fried and Fried containment algorithm, which models the effect of suppression efforts on fire growth, allows simulation of any mathematically representable fire shape, provides for "head" and "tail" attack tactics as well as parallel attack (building fireline parallel to but at some offset distance from the free-burning fire perimeter, alone and...

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; forest structure and fire hazard fact sheet 04: role of silviculture in fuel treatments

Treesearch

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2004-01-01

The principal goals of fuel treatments are to reduce fireline intensities, reduce the potential for crown fires, improve opportunities for successful fire suppression, and improve forest resilience to forest fires. This fact sheet discusses thinning, and surface fuel treatments, as well as challenges associated with those treatments.

Varied ecosystems need different fire protection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gutsell, Sheri L.; Johnson, Edward A.; Miyanishi, Kiyoko; Keeley, Jon E.; Dickinson, Matthew; Bridge, Simon R. J.

2001-01-01

Covington states in his Commentary1 that the open ponderosa pine forests of the western United States are "in widespread collapse" because fire suppression by humans has eliminated the low-intensity surface fire regime that maintained the open, park-like structure of these forests. He fears this will lead to an "unprecedented" crown fire regime that will eliminate forests.

Fire scar mapping in a southern African savanna

Treesearch

Andrew T. Hudak; Bruce H. Brockett; Carol A. Wessman

1998-01-01

Multitemporal principal components analyses (PCAs) of pre- and post-burn Landsat Thematic Mapper images were used to map fire scars in Madikwe Game Reserve (MGR), South Africa. Prior to MGR's inception in 1991, when the land was used for extensive cattle ranching, overgrazing and fire suppression lead to bush encroachment. Fire is currently being used to control...

Public acceptance of wildland fire and fuel management: Panel responses in seven locations

Treesearch

Eric Toman; Bruce Shindler; Sarah McCaffrey; James Bennett

2014-01-01

Wildland fire affects both public and private resources throughout the United States. A century of fire suppression has contributed to changing ecological conditions and accumulated fuel loads. Managers have used a variety of approaches to address these conditions and reduce the likelihood of wildland fires that may result in adverse ecological impacts and threaten...

Quantifying Fire's Impacts on Total and Pyrogenic Carbon Stocks in Mixed-Conifer Forests: Results from Pre- and Post-Fire Measurements in Active Wildfire Incidents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miesel, J. R.; Reiner, A. L.; Ewell, C. M.; Sanderman, J.; Maestrini, B.; Adkins, J.

2016-12-01

Widespread US fire suppression policy has contributed to an accumulation of vegetation in many western forests relative to historic conditions, and these changes can exacerbate wildfire severity and carbon (C) emissions. Serious concern exists about positive feedbacks between wildfire emissions and global climate; however, fires not only release C from terrestrial to atmospheric pools, they also create "black" or pyrogenic C (PyC) which contributes to longer-term C stability. Our objective was to quantify wildfire impacts on aboveground and belowground total C and PyC stocks in California mixed-conifer forests. We worked with incident management teams to access five active wildfires to establish and measure plots within days before and after fire. We measured pre- and post-fire aboveground forest structure and woody fuels to calculate aboveground biomass, biomass C, and PyC, and we collected pre- and post-fire forest floor and 0-5 cm mineral soil samples to measure belowground C and PyC stocks. Our preliminary results show that fire had minimal impact on the number of trees per hectare, whereas C losses from the tree layer occurred via consumption of foliage, and PyC gain occurred in tree bark. Fire released 54% to 100% of surface fuel C. In the forest floor layer, we observed 33 to 100% C loss, whereas changes in PyC stocks ranged from 100% loss to 186% gain relative to pre-fire samples. In general, fire had minimal to no impact on 0-5 cm mineral soil C. We will present relationships between total C, PyC and post-fire C and N dynamics in one of the five wildfire sites. Our data are unique because they represent nearly immediate pre- and post-fire measurements in major wildfires in a widespread western U.S. forest type. This research advances understanding of the role of fire on forest C fluxes and C sequestration potential as PyC.

36 CFR 228.108 - Surface use requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... authorized in an approved surface use plan of operations, protect such resources. (e) Fire prevention and control. To the extent practicable, the operator shall take measures to prevent uncontrolled fires on the area of operation and to suppress uncontrolled fires resulting from the operations. (f) Fisheries...

36 CFR 228.108 - Surface use requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... authorized in an approved surface use plan of operations, protect such resources. (e) Fire prevention and control. To the extent practicable, the operator shall take measures to prevent uncontrolled fires on the area of operation and to suppress uncontrolled fires resulting from the operations. (f) Fisheries...

36 CFR 228.108 - Surface use requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... authorized in an approved surface use plan of operations, protect such resources. (e) Fire prevention and control. To the extent practicable, the operator shall take measures to prevent uncontrolled fires on the area of operation and to suppress uncontrolled fires resulting from the operations. (f) Fisheries...

Contributions of Microgravity Test Results to the Design of Spacecraft Fire Safety Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert; Urban, David L.

1993-01-01

Experiments conducted in spacecraft and drop towers show that thin-sheet materials have reduced flammability ranges and flame-spread rates under quiescent low-gravity environments (microgravity) as compared to normal gravity. Furthermore, low-gravity flames may be suppressed more easily by atmospheric dilution or decreasing atmospheric total pressure than their normal-gravity counterparts. The addition of a ventilating air flow to the low-gravity flame zone, however, can greatly enhance the flammability range and flame spread. These results, along with observations of flame and smoke characteristics useful for microgravity fire-detection 'signatures', promise to be of considerable value to spacecraft fire-safety designs. The paper summarizes the fire detection and suppression techniques proposed for the Space Station Freedom and discusses both the application of low-gravity combustion knowledge to improve fire protection and the critical needs for further research.

Effects of cold temperatures on the excitability of rat trigeminal ganglion neurons that are not for cold-sensing

PubMed Central

Kanda, Hirosato; Gu, Jianguo G.

2016-01-01

Except a small population of primary afferent neurons for sensing cold to generate the sensations of innocuous and noxious cold, it is generally believed that cold temperatures suppress the excitability of other primary afferent neurons that are not for cold-sensing. These not-for-cold-sensing neurons include the majority of non-nociceptive and nociceptive afferent neurons. In the present study we have found that not-for-cold-sensing neurons of rat trigeminal ganglia (TG) change their excitability in several ways at cooling temperatures. In nearly 70% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, the cooling temperature of 15°C increases their membrane excitability. We regard these neurons as cold-active neurons. For the remaining 30% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, the cooling temperature of 15°C either has no effect (regarded as cold-ineffective neurons) or suppress (regarded as cold-suppressive neurons) their membrane excitability. For cold-active neurons, the cold temperature of 15°C increases their excitability as is evidenced by the increases in action potential (AP) firing numbers and/or reduction of AP rheobase when these neurons are depolarized electrically. The cold temperature of 15°C significantly inhibits M-currents and increases membrane input resistance of cold-active neurons. Retigabine, an M-current activator, abolishes the effect of cold temperatures on AP firing but not the effect of cold temperature on AP rheobase levels. The inhibition of M-currents and the increases of membrane input resistance are likely two mechanisms by which cooling temperatures increase the excitability of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons. PMID:26709732

Effects of cold temperatures on the excitability of rat trigeminal ganglion neurons that are not for cold sensing.

PubMed

Kanda, Hirosato; Gu, Jianguo G

2017-05-01

Aside from a small population of primary afferent neurons for sensing cold, which generate sensations of innocuous and noxious cold, it is generally believed that cold temperatures suppress the excitability of primary afferent neurons not responsible for cold sensing. These not-for-cold-sensing neurons include the majority of non-nociceptive and nociceptive afferent neurons. In this study we have found that the not-for-cold-sensing neurons of rat trigeminal ganglia (TG) change their excitability in several ways at cooling temperatures. In nearly 70% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, a cooling temperature of 15°C increases their membrane excitability. We regard these neurons as cold-active neurons. For the remaining 30% of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons, the cooling temperature of 15°C either has no effect (cold-ineffective neurons) or suppress their membrane excitability (cold-suppressive neurons). For cold-active neurons, the cold temperature of 15°C increases their excitability as is evidenced by increases in action potential (AP) firing numbers and/or the reduction in AP rheobase when these neurons are depolarized electrically. The cold temperature of 15°C significantly inhibits M-currents and increases membrane input resistance of cold-active neurons. Retigabine, an M-current activator, abolishes the effect of cold temperatures on AP firing, but not the effect of cold temperature on AP rheobase levels. The inhibition of M-currents and the increases of membrane input resistance are likely two mechanisms by which cooling temperatures increase the excitability of not-for-cold-sensing TG neurons. This article is part of the special article series "Pain". © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Resilience Through Disturbance: Effects of Wildfire on Vegetation and Water Balance in the Sierra Nevadas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boisrame, G. F. S.; Thompson, S. E.; Stephens, S.; Collins, B.; Tague, N.

2015-12-01

A century of fire suppression in the Western United States has drastically altered the historically fire-adapated ecology in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Fire suppression is understood to have increased the forest cover, as well as the stem density, canopy cover and water demand of montane forests, reducing resilience of the forests to drought, and increasing the risk of catastrophic fire by drying the landscape and increasing fuel loads. The potential to reverse these trends by re-introducing fire into the Sierra Nevada is highly promising, but the likely effects on vegetation structure and water balance are poorly quantified. The Illilouette Creek Basin in Yosemite National Park represents a unique experiment in the Sierra Nevada, in which managers have moved from fire suppression to allowing a near-natural fire regime to prevail since 1972. Changes in vegetation structure in the Illilouette since the restoration of natural burning provides a unique opportunity to examine how frequent, mixed severity fires can reshape the Sierra Nevada landscape. We characterize these changes from 1969 to the present using a combination of Landsat products and high-resolution aerial imagery. We describe how the landscape structure has changed in terms of vegetation composition and its spatial organization, and explore the drivers of different post-fire vegetation type transitions (e.g. forest to shrubland vs. forest to meadow). By upscaling field data using vegetation maps and Landsat wetness indices, we explore how these vegetation transitions have impacted the water balance of the Illilouette Creek Basin, potentially increasing its resilience in the face of drought, climate change, and catastrophic fire. In a region that is adapted to frequent disturbance from fire, this work helps us understand how allowing such natural disturbances to take place can increase the sustainability of diverse landscapes in the long term.

The drivers of wildfire enlargement do not exhibit scale thresholds in southeastern Australian forests.

PubMed

Price, Owen F; Penman, Trent; Bradstock, Ross; Borah, Rittick

2016-10-01

Wildfires are complex adaptive systems, and have been hypothesized to exhibit scale-dependent transitions in the drivers of fire spread. Among other things, this makes the prediction of final fire size from conditions at the ignition difficult. We test this hypothesis by conducting a multi-scale statistical modelling of the factors determining whether fires reached 10 ha, then 100 ha then 1000 ha and the final size of fires >1000 ha. At each stage, the predictors were measures of weather, fuels, topography and fire suppression. The objectives were to identify differences among the models indicative of scale transitions, assess the accuracy of the multi-step method for predicting fire size (compared to predicting final size from initial conditions) and to quantify the importance of the predictors. The data were 1116 fires that occurred in the eucalypt forests of New South Wales between 1985 and 2010. The models were similar at the different scales, though there were subtle differences. For example, the presence of roads affected whether fires reached 10 ha but not larger scales. Weather was the most important predictor overall, though fuel load, topography and ease of suppression all showed effects. Overall, there was no evidence that fires have scale-dependent transitions in behaviour. The models had a predictive accuracy of 73%, 66%, 72% and 53% accuracy at 10 ha, 100 ha, 1000 ha and final size scales. When these steps were combined, the overall accuracy for predicting the size of fires was 62%, while the accuracy of the one step model was only 20%. Thus, the multi-scale approach was an improvement on the single scale approach, even though the predictive accuracy was probably insufficient for use as an operational tool. The analysis has also provided further evidence of the important role of weather, compared to fuel, suppression and topography in driving fire behaviour. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pairing broadband noise with cortical stimulation induces extensive suppression of ascending sensory activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markovitz, Craig D.; Hogan, Patrick S.; Wesen, Kyle A.; Lim, Hubert H.

2015-04-01

Objective. The corticofugal system can alter coding along the ascending sensory pathway. Within the auditory system, electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex (AC) paired with a pure tone can cause egocentric shifts in the tuning of auditory neurons, making them more sensitive to the pure tone frequency. Since tinnitus has been linked with hyperactivity across auditory neurons, we sought to develop a new neuromodulation approach that could suppress a wide range of neurons rather than enhance specific frequency-tuned neurons. Approach. We performed experiments in the guinea pig to assess the effects of cortical stimulation paired with broadband noise (PN-Stim) on ascending auditory activity within the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CNIC), a widely studied region for AC stimulation paradigms. Main results. All eight stimulated AC subregions induced extensive suppression of activity across the CNIC that was not possible with noise stimulation alone. This suppression built up over time and remained after the PN-Stim paradigm. Significance. We propose that the corticofugal system is designed to decrease the brain’s input gain to irrelevant stimuli and PN-Stim is able to artificially amplify this effect to suppress neural firing across the auditory system. The PN-Stim concept may have potential for treating tinnitus and other neurological disorders.

Using tree recruitment patterns and fire history to guide restoration of an unlogged ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir landscape in the southern Rocky Mountains after a century of fire suppression

Treesearch

Merrill R. Kaufmann; Laurie S. Huckaby; Paula J. Fornwalt; Jason M. Stoker; William H. Romme

2003-01-01

Tree age and fire history were studied in an unlogged ponderosa pine/Douglas-fir (Pinus ponderosa/Pseudotsuga menziesii) landscape in the Colorado Front Range mountains. These data were analysed to understand tree survival during fire and post-fire recruitment patterns after fire, as a basis for understanding the characteristics of, and restoration needs for, an...

Fire decreases arthropod abundance but increases diversity: early and late season prescribed fire effects in a Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forest

Treesearch

Scott M. Ferrenberg; Dylan W. Schwilk; Eric E. Knapp; Eric Groth; Jon E. Keeley

2006-01-01

Prior to fire suppression in the 20th century, the mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California, U.S.A., historically burned in frequent fires that typically occurred during the late summer and early fall. Fire managers have been attempting to restore natural ecosystem processes through prescription burning, and have often favored burning during the fall in...

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; environmental consequences fact sheet 06: wildland fire use: the "other" treatment option

Treesearch

Anne Black

2004-01-01

Fire suppression has reduced acres burned to an average of 2 million acres a year. An unfortunate result of this has been the accumulation of even more above-normal fuel loads in many areas. This paper discusses (1) the important ecological role of fire, (2) using fire as a fuels treatment, and (2) the benefits and risks of fire.

Bucklands Crossing firefighter burnover-a case study of fire behaviour and firefighter safety implications

Treesearch

H. Grant Pearce

2007-01-01

On March 24, 1998, a crew of eight rural firefighters were burned over while attempting to suppress a backburning sector of the Bucklands Crossing Fire in North Otago, New Zealand. The fire demonstrates how factors typical of the New Zealand fire environment – steep slopes, highly flammable shrub fuels, and a strong foehn wind effect – combined to produce extreme fire...

Effectiveness of Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for reducing fires on oil palm concessions in Indonesia from 2012 to 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cattau, Megan E.; Marlier, Miriam E.; DeFries, Ruth

2016-10-01

Fire is a common tool for land conversion and management associated with oil palm production. Fires can cause biodiversity and carbon losses, emit pollutants that deteriorate air quality and harm human health, and damage property. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) prohibits the use of fire on certified concessions. However, efforts to suppress fires are more difficult during El Niño conditions and on peatlands. In this paper, we address the following questions for oil palm concessions developed prior to 2012 in Sumatra and Kalimantan, the leading producers of oil palm both within Indonesia and globally: (1) for the period 2012-2015, did RSPO-certified concessions have a lower density of fire detections, fire ignitions, or ‘escaped’ fires compared with those concessions that are not certified? and (2) did this pattern change with increasing likelihood of fires in concessions located on peatland and in dry years? These questions are particularly critical in fuel-rich peatlands, of which approximately 46% of the area was designated as oil palm concession as of 2010. We conducted propensity scoring to balance covariate distributions between certified and non-certified concessions, and we compare the density of fires in certified and non-certified concessions using Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests based on moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer Active Fire Detections from 2012-2015 clustered into unique fire events. We find that fire activity is significantly lower on RSPO certified concessions than non-RSPO certified concessions when the likelihood of fire is low (i.e., on non-peatlands in wetter years), but not when the likelihood of fire is high (i.e., on non-peatlands in dry years or on peatlands). Our results provide evidence that RSPO has the potential to reduce fires, though it is currently only effective when fire likelihood is relatively low. These results imply that, in order for this mechanism to reduce fire, additional strategies will be needed to control fires in oil palm plantations in dry years and on peatlands.

Pyric-carnivory: Raptor use of prescribed fires.

PubMed

Hovick, Torre J; McGranahan, Devan A; Elmore, R Dwayne; Weir, John R; Fuhlendorf, Samuel D

2017-11-01

Fire is a process that shaped and maintained most terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Changes in land use and patterns of human settlement have altered fire regimes and led to fire suppression resulting in numerous undesirable consequences spanning individual species and entire ecosystems. Many obvious and direct consequences of fire suppression have been well studied, but several, albeit less obvious, costs of alteration to fire regimes on wildlife are unknown. One such phenomenon is the response of carnivores to fire events-something we refer to as pyric-carnivory. To investigate the prevalence of pyric-carnivory in raptors, we monitored 25 prescribed fires occurring during two different seasons and across two different locations in tallgrass prairie of the central United States. We used paired point counts occurring before and during prescribed fires to quantify the use of fires by raptors. We found a strong attraction to fires with average maximum abundance nearly seven times greater during fires than prior to ignitions (before: x¯ = 2.90, SE  = 0.42; during: x¯ = 20.20; SE  = 3.29) and an average difference between fire events and immediately before fires of 15.2 (±2.69) raptors. This result was driven by Swainson's hawks ( Buteo swainsoni ), which were the most abundant ( n  = 346) of the nine species we observed using fires. Our results illustrate the importance of fire as integral disturbance process that effects wildlife behavior through multiple mechanisms that are often overshadowed by the predominant view of fire as a tool used for vegetation management.

Wildfire Prevention and Suppression plans enhancing: a first overview on strength and weakness in Italian stakeholders experiences and perception.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonora, Laura; Conese, Claudio; Barbati, Anna

2014-05-01

Fires and wildfires represent an element of vulnerability for forests, considering that have now reached a level beyond which further burning would seriously endanger the ecosystem services and their sustainable management. It is fundamental to support fire-fighting Centres by giving them tools, useful to faces future trends; in this sense the first step is to examine technical and operative procedures to evaluate their strong and weak aspects, in collaboration with personnel responsible of risk management, suppression coordination and patrol responsible of direct attack. The aims this work is to identify present elements of strength ad problematic aspects to tuning the wildfire suppression actions to future changes; this is a crucial challenge both for policy and territory planners and managers. Historical investigation lines on forest fire covered the basilar and fundamental dynamics which understanding was necessary to confine and fight the wildfire phenomenon. At the present all the competences, knowledge and connections acquired are translating and including in the Plans, sharing innovative strategies -with the "direct involved actors"- trying to decrease the fire trend. Stakeholders underlined that collaboration between research and territorial Institutions are producing positive results, showing the conceptual rightness and the well-run of the in-progress implementations. The Italian framework of wildfire prevention plans is very peculiar because the Plans related to prevention and active intervention procedure are coincident. Normative, procedural, economic and logistic aspects are considered and handled in the same general document; each year the local structures, designed by the Regions, have in charge the draft of the operative plan, defining and managing the means and patrols distribution and turnover. In the present work 3 Italian Regions (Tuscany, Puglia and Sardinia, with different territorial and vegetation characteristics and affected by different fire regimes and incidence) have been selected to investigate, by questionnaire and meetings, stakeholders perception on present strength and weakness in the adopted plans. The results of the answers analysis show some main deficit aspects covering prevalently carthographic and procedural implementations: • Plans shall include a risk and vulnerability map; dangerous seasons are to be determined and have to be updated with current weather conditions. • Standardization of terminology and classifications in the plans. • Plans shall include a specific section for firefighting in RUI, socially being the most important areas to protect and where most complications during firefighting are found. • Protocols shall be adapted to the real on site situation. A single control center in the event of fire should be identified. This is particularly important if third-party resources are involved in the operations. • Use of new technologies, i.e. fire simulators, LIDAR, for fuel amount and availability determination, wind simulation, CO2 emissions, vegetation structure. In the same time some active proposals are supplyed by the operators, directly derived and linked with the wekness above mentioned: • Use of new technological tools for analysis (simulators, etc.) and for driving the operative aspects during the suppression. • Standardization of communication protocols in the plans and during the field operations. • Increase use of fire for landscape management in certain areas. • Investments shall be made in land resources rather than in air means, generally already sufficient. This analysis represents a first effort to collect and schematize the effective applicability level of the indications included in the Plans. It is the base for possible tuning of the research and policy lines and also to tuning the present documents; the indications supplied prove that the efforts done in research are been acquired by the operative sectors and that the active involvement of stakeholder is the future challenge to enhance the plans efficacy.

Is there a morphological or physiological explanation for the dramatic increase in hybridization between loblolly and shortleaf pine?

Treesearch

Rodney E. Will; Curtis J. Lilly; John F. Stewart; C. Dana Nelson; Charles G. Taue

2015-01-01

Hybrids between shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) and loblolly pine (P. taeda L.) have dramatically increased since the 1950s (Stewart and others 2012). Fire suppression, planting nonnative seed sources, and other anthropogenic activities have the potential to break down ecological barriers that previously kept these species from interbreeding (Tauer and others...

Geographic variation in mixed-conifer forest fire regimes in California

Treesearch

Beaty R. Matthew; Taylor Alan H.

2008-01-01

This paper reviews recent research from California on geographic variability in mixed conifer(MC) forest fire regimes. MC forests are typically described as having experienced primarilyfrequent, low to moderate severity burns prior to fire suppression that created a mosaic ofvegetation patches with variable structure. Research...

Biomass and fuel characteristics of chaparral in southern California

Treesearch

J.C. Regelbrugge; S.G. Conard

2002-01-01

Knowledge of biomass components and fuel characteristics of southern California chaparral plant communities is important for planning prescribed fires, suppressing wildfires, managing the fire regime, and understanding the ecological interactions between fire and chaparral community development and succession. To improve our understanding of the relationship between...

The effect of low frequency stimulation of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus on basal ganglia in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Park, Eunkyoung; Song, Inho; Jang, Dong Pyo; Kim, In Young

2014-08-08

The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) has recently been introduced as an alternative target to the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or globus pallidus internus (GPi) for the treatment of advanced Parkinson's disease with severe and medically intractable axial symptoms such as gait and postural impairment. However, it is little known about how electrical stimulation of the PPN affects control of neuronal activities between the PPN and basal ganglia. We examined how low frequency stimulation of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) affects control of neuronal activities between the PPN and basal ganglia in 6-OHDA lesioned rats. In order to identify the effect of low frequency stimulation on the PPTg, neuronal activity in both the STN and substantia nigra par reticulata (SNr) were recorded and subjected to quantitative analysis, including analysis of firing rates and firing patterns. In this study, we found that the firing rates of the STN and SNr were suppressed during low frequency stimulation of the PPTg. However, the firing pattern, in contrast to the firing rate, did not exhibit significant changes in either the STN or SNr of 6-OHDA lesioned rats during low frequency stimulation of the PPTg. In addition, we also found that the firing rate of STN and SNr neurons displaying burst and random pattern were decreased by low frequency stimulation of PPTg, while the neurons displaying regular pattern were not affected. These results indicate that low frequency stimulation of the PPTg affects neuronal activity in both the STN and SNr, and may represent electrophysiological efficacy of low frequency PPN stimulation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Baseline intrinsic flammability of Earth’s ecosystems estimated from paleoatmospheric oxygen over the past 350 million years

PubMed Central

Belcher, Claire M.; Yearsley, Jonathan M.; Hadden, Rory M.; McElwain, Jennifer C.; Rein, Guillermo

2010-01-01

Atmospheric oxygen (O2) is estimated to have varied greatly throughout Earth’s history and has been capable of influencing wildfire activity wherever fuel and ignition sources were present. Fires consume huge quantities of biomass in all ecosystems and play an important role in biogeochemical cycles. This means that understanding the influence of O2 on past fire activity has far-reaching consequences for the evolution of life and Earth’s biodiversity over geological timescales. We have used a strong electrical ignition source to ignite smoldering fires, and we measured their self-sustaining propagation in atmospheres of different oxygen concentrations. These data have been used to build a model that we use to estimate the baseline intrinsic flammability of Earth’s ecosystems according to variations in O2 over the past 350 million years (Ma). Our aim is to highlight times in Earth’s history when fire has been capable of influencing the Earth system. We reveal that fire activity would be greatly suppressed below 18.5% O2, entirely switched off below 16% O2, and rapidly enhanced between 19–22% O2. We show that fire activity and, therefore, its influence on the Earth system would have been high during the Carboniferous (350–300 Ma) and Cretaceous (145–65 Ma) periods; intermediate in the Permian (299–251 Ma), Late Triassic (285–201 Ma), and Jurassic (201–145 Ma) periods; and surprisingly low to lacking in the Early–Middle Triassic period between 250–240 Ma. These baseline variations in Earth’s flammability must be factored into our understanding of past vegetation, biodiversity, evolution, and biogeochemical cycles. PMID:21149686

Long-term impacts of prescribed fire on stand structure, growth, mortality, and individual tree vigor in Pinus resinosa forests

Treesearch

Sawyer S. Scherer; Anthony W. D' Amato; Christel C. Kern; Brian J. Palik; Matthew B. Russell

2016-01-01

Prescribed fire is increasingly being viewed as a valuable tool for mitigating the ecological consequences of long-term fire suppression within fire-adapted forest ecosystems. While the use of burning treatments in northern temperate conifer forests has at times received considerable attention, the long-term (>10 years) effects on forest structure and...

Allocating resources to large wildland fires: a model with stochastic production rates

Treesearch

Romain Mees; David Strauss

1992-01-01

Wildland fires that grow out of the initial attack phase are responsible for most of the damage and burned area. We model the allocation of fire suppression resources (ground crews, engines, bulldozers, and airdrops) to these large fires. The fireline at a given future time is partitioned into homogeneous segments on the basis of fuel type, available resources, risk,...

Estimating ladder fuels: a new approach combining field photography with LiDAR

Treesearch

Heather Kramer; Brandon Collins; Frank Lake; Marek Jakubowski; Scott Stephens; Maggi Kelly

2016-01-01

Forests historically associated with frequent fire have changed dramatically due to fire suppression and past harvesting over the last century. The buildup of ladder fuels, which carry fire from the surface of the forest floor to tree crowns, is one of the critical changes, and it has contributed to uncharacteristically large and severe fires. The abundance of ladder...

Exploring information needs for wildland fire and fuels management

Treesearch

Carol Miller; Peter Landres

2004-01-01

We report the results of a questionnaire and workshop that sought to gain a better and deeper understanding of the contemporary information needs of wildland fire and fuels managers. Results from the questionnaire indicated that the decision to suppress a wildland fire was most often influenced by factors related to safety and that the decision to allow a fire to burn...

Proceedings of the large wildland fires conference; May 19-23, 2014; Missoula, MT

Treesearch

Robert E. Keane; Matt Jolly; Russell Parsons; Karin Riley

2015-01-01

Large fires or "megafires" have been a major topic in wildland fire research and management for over a decade. There is great debate regarding the impacts of large fires. Many believe that they (1) are occurring too frequently, (2) are burning abnormally large areas, (3) cause uncharacteristically adverse ecological harm, and (4) must be suppressed at all...

Tested by fire: the cone fire and the lessons of an accidental experiment

Treesearch

Sussanne Maleki; Carl Featured: Skinner; Martin Ritchie

2007-01-01

Catastrophic wildfires burn every year in the forests of the Western United States. In the past, low-intensity wildfires were common and played an important ecological role that benefited these forests. But fire suppression policies over the last century have interrupted natural fire regimes. As a result, forests that were once characterized by an open structure and...

The national fire-danger rating system: basic equations

Treesearch

Jack D. Cohen; John E. Deeming

1985-01-01

Updating the National Fire-Danger Rating System (NFDRS) was completed in 1977, and operational use of it was begun the next year. The System provides a guide to wildfire control and suppression by its indexes that measure the relative potential of initiating fires. Such fires do not behave erratically–they spread without spotting through continuous ground fuels....

Death and rebirth of neural activity in sparse inhibitory networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angulo-Garcia, David; Luccioli, Stefano; Olmi, Simona; Torcini, Alessandro

2017-05-01

Inhibition is a key aspect of neural dynamics playing a fundamental role for the emergence of neural rhythms and the implementation of various information coding strategies. Inhibitory populations are present in several brain structures, and the comprehension of their dynamics is strategical for the understanding of neural processing. In this paper, we clarify the mechanisms underlying a general phenomenon present in pulse-coupled heterogeneous inhibitory networks: inhibition can induce not only suppression of neural activity, as expected, but can also promote neural re-activation. In particular, for globally coupled systems, the number of firing neurons monotonically reduces upon increasing the strength of inhibition (neuronal death). However, the random pruning of connections is able to reverse the action of inhibition, i.e. in a random sparse network a sufficiently strong synaptic strength can surprisingly promote, rather than depress, the activity of neurons (neuronal rebirth). Thus, the number of firing neurons reaches a minimum value at some intermediate synaptic strength. We show that this minimum signals a transition from a regime dominated by neurons with a higher firing activity to a phase where all neurons are effectively sub-threshold and their irregular firing is driven by current fluctuations. We explain the origin of the transition by deriving a mean field formulation of the problem able to provide the fraction of active neurons as well as the first two moments of their firing statistics. The introduction of a synaptic time scale does not modify the main aspects of the reported phenomenon. However, for sufficiently slow synapses the transition becomes dramatic, and the system passes from a perfectly regular evolution to irregular bursting dynamics. In this latter regime the model provides predictions consistent with experimental findings for a specific class of neurons, namely the medium spiny neurons in the striatum.

The Big Burn: C Emissions from the Northern Rockies 1910 Fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, E.; Hudiburg, T. W.

2017-12-01

The forest fires in August of 1910 were one of the greatest fire events in modern U.S. history. The Big Burn of northern Idaho and northwest Montana overwhelmed the burgeoning U.S. Forest Service suppression efforts and would ultimately harden the policy of fire suppression in the United States that prevails today. The fire burned 12k km2 (approximately the size of Connecticut) in two days with an estimated loss of 8 billion board feet of timber valued at $329 million (2016 dollars). Though one of the greatest natural events in U.S. history, little research has focused on the effect of the fires on CO2 emissions and forest successional pathways of this region. Based on fire extents and timber mortality reports, we estimate the fire resulted in 11 Mg/ha in dead woody biomass and potentially as much as 52 Tg C (191 Tg CO2) released as direct emissions. This is 58%-116% above the average yearly direct carbon emissions due to fire during 2002-2012 in the CONUS. We modeled the subsequent fires and change in species composition providing a measure of the observed shift from white pine (Pinus monticola), western larch (Larix occidentalis) and fir (Abies spp.) to lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). These models can provide biogeochemical and forest successional pathway context for future changes in forest composition and fire severity/extent due to climate change.

Summer moisture of forest fire fuels in Oregon and Washington in 1948 and previous years.

Treesearch

William G. Morris

1948-01-01

The forest fire season of 1948 in Oregon and Washington was regarded by fire suppression agencies as the most favorable for many years. The number of fires started and area burned were, in general, less than for many years. On the national forests the number of fires was the least since 1912 and the acreage burned was the least ever recorded. Was this primarily due to...

Sanford Prescribed Fire Review

Treesearch

Scott Conroy; Jim Saveland; Mark Beighley; John Shive; Joni Ward; Marcus Trujillo; Paul Keller

2003-01-01

The Dixie National Forest has a long-standing history of successfully implementing prescribed fire and suppression programs. The Forest's safety record has been exemplary. The Forest is known Region-wide for its aggressive and innovative prescribed fire program. In particular, the Dixie National Forest is recognized for its leadership in introducing landscape-...

Fire and birds in the southwestern United States

Treesearch

Carl E. Bock; William M. Block

2005-01-01

Fire is an important ecological force in many southwestern ecosystems, but frequencies, sizes, and intensities of fire have been altered historically by grazing, logging, exotic vegetation, and suppression. Prescribed burning should be applied widely, but under experimental conditions that facilitate studying its impacts on birds and other components of biodiversity....

Modeling vegetation mosaics in sub-alpine Tasmania under various fire regimes

Treesearch

Gabriel I. Yospin; Samuel W. Wood; Andres Holz; David M. J. S. Bowman; Robert E. Keane; Cathy Whitlock

2015-01-01

Western Tasmania, Australia contains some of the highest levels of biological endemism of any temperate region in the world, including vegetation types that are conservation priorities: fire-sensitive rainforest dominated by endemic conifer species in the genus Athrotaxis; and firetolerant buttongrass moorlands. Current management focuses on fire suppression,...

Current research on restoring ridgetop pine communities with stand replacement fire

Treesearch

Thomas A. Waldrop; Nicole Turrill Welch; Patrick H. Brose; [and others

2000-01-01

Ridgetop pine communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains historically have been maintained by lightning- and human-caused fires. With fire suppression for several decades, characteristic stands are entering later seral stages. They typically have an overstory of Table Mountain (Pinus pungens)and/or pitch pine (P. rigida), a...

Safe Passage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Razwick, Jeff

2007-01-01

Many schools are almost entirely reliant on alarms and sprinklers for their fire protection. As these devices need to be triggered and supplied with power or water to work properly, they are vulnerable to errors. To provide adequate safety, a good fire-protection program must have three primary elements: fire protection and suppression, and…

41 CFR 102-80.135 - Who is a qualified fire protection engineer?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... protection engineer? 102-80.135 Section 102-80.135 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property... qualified fire protection engineer? A qualified fire protection engineer is defined as an individual with a..., spread, and suppression, meeting one of the following criteria: (a) An engineer having an undergraduate...

41 CFR 102-80.135 - Who is a qualified fire protection engineer?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... protection engineer? 102-80.135 Section 102-80.135 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property... qualified fire protection engineer? A qualified fire protection engineer is defined as an individual with a..., spread, and suppression, meeting one of the following criteria: (a) An engineer having an undergraduate...

41 CFR 102-80.135 - Who is a qualified fire protection engineer?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... protection engineer? 102-80.135 Section 102-80.135 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property... qualified fire protection engineer? A qualified fire protection engineer is defined as an individual with a..., spread, and suppression, meeting one of the following criteria: (a) An engineer having an undergraduate...

41 CFR 102-80.135 - Who is a qualified fire protection engineer?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... protection engineer? 102-80.135 Section 102-80.135 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property... qualified fire protection engineer? A qualified fire protection engineer is defined as an individual with a..., spread, and suppression, meeting one of the following criteria: (a) An engineer having an undergraduate...

36 CFR 1234.10 - What are the facility requirements for all records storage facilities?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the HVAC systems, fire alarm and fire protection systems. Manual switching between sources of service... elements are protected by a properly installed, properly maintained wet-pipe automatic sprinkler system, as... must provide documentation that the facility has a fire suppression system specifically designed to...

Effect of gap junctions on the firing patterns and synchrony for different external inputs in the striatal fast-spiking neuron network.

PubMed

Zhang, Mingming; Zhao, Zongya; He, Ping; Wang, Jue

2014-01-01

Gap junctions are the mechanism for striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) to interconnect with each other and play an important role in determining the physiological functioning of the FSIs. To investigate the effect of gap junctions on the firing activities and synchronization of the network for different external inputs, a simple network with least connections and a Newman-Watts small-world network were constructed. Our research shows that both properties of neural networks are related to the conductance of the gap junctions, as well as the frequency and correlation of the external inputs. The effect of gap junctions on the synchronization of network is different for inputs with different frequencies and correlations. The addition of gap junctions can promote the network synchrony in some conditions but suppress it in others, and they can inhibit the firing activities in most cases. Both the firing rate and synchronization of the network increase along with the increase of the electrical coupling strength for inputs with low frequency and high correlation. Thus, the network of coupled FSIs can act as a detector for synchronous synaptic input from cortex and thalamus.

Holocene Fire, Climate, and Geomorphic Response: Perspectives From the Past and Indications for the Future

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, G. A.; Pierce, J. L.; Frechette, J. D.; New, J.; Jull, A.

2006-12-01

Increased wildfire activity has accompanied late 20th-century to present warming across the diverse conifer forests of western North America. In ponderosa pine forests in particular, large, severe wildfires and ensuing erosion and debris flows appear unprecedented in light of tree-ring fire-scar records, and are often attributed to increased stand density following Euro-American settlement and fire suppression starting in the late 1800s. Yet, presettlement periods in fire-scar records correspond to mostly cooler Little Ice Age climates, when we expect that severe fires may be less probable. AMS 14C dating of fire-related alluvial-fan deposits provides a longer-term context for assessing links between fire, climate, erosion, and anthropogenic change. Infrequent high-severity fire is typical of cool, high-elevation Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Fire-related debris flows were common in YNP 2350-2000 cal yr BP and in Medieval time 1050-650 BP, both relatively warm periods at many sites across the Northern Hemisphere. Drier, low-elevation ponderosa forests in central Idaho also experienced severe fires and debris flows at these times, and ~25% of fan aggradation in the last 4000 yr occurred via postfire debris flows within the 400-yr Medieval period containing widespread, multidecadal droughts (Cook et al. 2004). Few fire-related deposits in YNP date to the Little Ice Age and prior cold episodes ca. 1400 and 2800 BP. At these same times, thin charcoal-bearing deposits indicate frequent low-severity fires in Idaho, where cooler, effectively wetter climates promoted growth of grass and fine fuels that promoted surface fires in the typically dry summers of this region. Initial data from varied forest types in the monsoonal (dry spring, wet summer) climate of the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico, indicate voluminous fire-related sedimentation 6000-4500 BP, consistent with a warm middle Holocene. Fire-induced debris flows were less frequent in the late Holocene, but indicate that some severe fires affected ponderosa pine-dominated forests. Therefore, modern postfire debris flows are not without precedent in any of these areas, where fire has been an important catalyst for episodic erosion. Each record indicates an increased probability of severe fire with warmer climates. As greenhouse gas increases are virtually assured over the next century, impacts on fire and erosion have likely just begun. Earlier snowmelt accompanying warming lengthens the fire season in much of the Rocky Mountains, including YNP and central Idaho (Westerling et al. 2006). In ponderosa and similar forests where surface fires were suppressed by humans, increased stand density compounds the effect of warming. Increasing temperatures may also heighten precipitation intensity, producing greater postfire erosion. Although Holocene history provides imperfect analogs for a uniquely anthropogenic future, the sensitivity of fire regimes to past warming portends future increases in severe fires and geomorphic change.

Fire management of California shrubland landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keeley, Jon E.

2002-01-01

Fire management of California shrublands has been heavily influenced by policies designed for coniferous forests, however, fire suppression has not effectively excluded fire from chaparral and coastal sage scrub landscapes and catastrophic wildfires are not the result of unnatural fuel accumulation. There is no evidence that prescribed burning in these shrublands provides any resource benefit and in some areas may negatively impact shrublands by increasing fire frequency. Therefore, fire hazard reduction is the primary justification for prescription burning, but it is doubtful that rotational burning to create landscape age mosaics is a cost effective method of controlling catastrophic wildfires. There are problems with prescription burning in this crown-fire ecosystem that are not shared by forests with a natural surface-fire regime. Prescription weather conditions preclude burning at rotation intervals sufficient to effect the control of fires ignited under severe weather conditions. Fire management should focus on strategic placement of prescription burns to both insure the most efficient fire hazard reduction and to minimize the amount of landscape exposed to unnaturally high fire frequency. A major contributor to increased fire suppression costs and increased loss of property and lives is the continued urban sprawl into wildlands naturally subjected to high intensity crown fires. Differences in shrubland fire history suggest there may be a need for different fire management tactics between central coastal and southern California. Much less is known about shrubland fire history in the Sierra Nevada foothills and interior North Coast Ranges, and thus it would be prudent to not transfer these ideas too broadly across the range of chaparral until we have a clearer understanding of the extent of regional variation in shrubland fire regimes.

Fire management of California shrubland landscapes.

PubMed

Keeley, Jon E

2002-03-01

Fire management of California shrublands has been heavily influenced by policies designed for coniferous forests, however, fire suppression has not effectively excluded fire from chaparral and coastal sage scrub landscapes and catastrophic wildfires are not the result of unnatural fuel accumulation. There is no evidence that prescribed burning in these shrublands provides any resource benefit and in some areas may negatively impact shrublands by increasing fire frequency. Therefore, fire hazard reduction is the primary justification for prescription burning, but it is doubtful that rotational burning to create landscape age mosaics is a cost effective method of controlling catastrophic wildfires. There are problems with prescription burning in this crown-fire ecosystem that are not shared by forests with a natural surface-fire regime. Prescription weather conditions preclude burning at rotation intervals sufficient to effect the control of fires ignited under severe weather conditions. Fire management should focus on strategic placement of prescription burns to both insure the most efficient fire hazard reduction and to minimize the amount of landscape exposed to unnaturally high fire frequency. A major contributor to increased fire suppression costs and increased loss of property and lives is the continued urban sprawl into wildlands naturally subjected to high intensity crown fires. Differences in shrubland fire history suggest there may be a need for different fire management tactics between central coastal and southern California. Much less is known about shrubland fire history in the Sierra Nevada foothills and interior North Coast Ranges, and thus it would be prudent to not transfer these ideas too broadly across the range of chaparral until we have a clearer understanding of the extent of regional variation in shrubland fire regimes.

Modulation of Kv7 channels and excitability in the brain.

PubMed

Greene, Derek L; Hoshi, Naoto

2017-02-01

Neuronal Kv7 channels underlie a voltage-gated non-inactivating potassium current known as the M-current. Due to its particular characteristics, Kv7 channels show pronounced control over the excitability of neurons. We will discuss various factors that have been shown to drastically alter the activity of this channel such as protein and phospholipid interactions, phosphorylation, calcium, and numerous neurotransmitters. Kv7 channels locate to key areas for the control of action potential initiation and propagation. Moreover, we will explore the dynamic surface expression of the channel modulated by neurotransmitters and neural activity. We will also focus on known principle functions of neural Kv7 channels: control of resting membrane potential and spiking threshold, setting the firing frequency, afterhyperpolarization after burst firing, theta resonance, and transient hyperexcitability from neurotransmitter-induced suppression of the M-current. Finally, we will discuss the contribution of altered Kv7 activity to pathologies such as epilepsy and cognitive deficits.