FIRE BEHAVIOR MODELING IN TASMANIAN BUTTONGRASS MOORLANDS .2. FIRE BEHAVIOR

An experimental burning program was carried out in Tasmanian buttongra ss moorlands to develop fire behaviour prediction models for improving fire management. A range of previously developed prediction models we re examined, but none provided adequate fire behaviour predictions. Em pirical models were then developed to predict rate of fire spread and flame height in flat terrain, using the variables site age, dead fuel moisture content and surface wind speed. The models should provide goo d predictions for low to moderate intensity fires and adequate predict ions for high intensity wildfires.