TESTING THE EFFECT OF FUEL CONSUMPTION ON FIRE SPREAD RATE

It has been theorized that the amount of fuel involved in a fire front can influence the rate of spread of the fire. Three data sets are exa mined in an attempt to prove this relationship. The first, a Canadian Forest Service database of over 400 experimental, wild, and prescribed fires showed a weak relationship in some fuel complexes. The second, a series of field experimental fires conducted to isolate the relation ship, showed a small effect. The final data set, from a series of 47 s mall plots (3m x 3m) burned with a variety of fuel loadings, also show a weak relationship. While a relationship was shown to exist, it is d ebatable whether it should be included in a fire behavior prediction s ystem. Inherent errors associated with predicting fuel consumption can be compounded, causing additional, more critical, errors with the der ived fire spread rate.