controls on fire in the pacific northwest: climate, fuels, and land management dave peterson &...
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![Page 1: Controls on Fire in the Pacific Northwest: Climate, Fuels, and Land Management Dave Peterson & Don McKenzie Forest Service – PNW Research Station Pacific](https://reader030.vdocuments.mx/reader030/viewer/2022032522/56649d6a5503460f94a48dae/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Controls on Fire in the Pacific Northwest: Climate, Fuels, and Land
Management
Dave Peterson & Don McKenzieForest Service – PNW Research Station
Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences LabUW College of Forest Resources
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Assumptions about fire and fuels
“Historic data show that wildfires are getting larger and becoming more intense.” – Forest Service Southwest Region web site
Assumption 1: Fires are larger and more intense than earlier in the 20th century
Assumption 2: The size and intensity of wildfires are controlled by fuel accumulations
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What causes large and severe fires?
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Annual area burned – 11 Western states
1945 decrease Effective suppression?
1975 increase Fuel build-up?
Acr
es b
urn
ed
1945 decrease Effective suppression?
1980 increase Fuel buildup?
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Annual area burned – 11 Western states
1945 decrease Effective suppression?
1975 increase Fuel build-up?
Acr
es b
urn
ed
cool warm cool warm cool?
Pacific Decadal Oscillation phase
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Years with fire area > 80,000 hectares
National Forest data, 1916-2002
Warm-phase PDO Cool-phase PDO
Idaho 14 7
Oregon 14 5
Washington 10 2
TOTAL 38 (73%) 14 (27%)
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Climatology affects wildfire in the Pacific Northwest
Extreme wildfire years are forced at least in part by antecedent drought and summer blocking in the 500-hPa height field.
From Gedalof et al. (2004), Ecological Applications in press
M ay
Septem ber
August
July
June
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Limiting factors vary by ecosystem
Fuels
Clim
ate
Boreal Subalpine Lodgepole pine Ponderosa pine (PNW) Calif. mixed conifer Ponderosa pine (SW) Oak woodland Chaparral
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Traditional perspective:pyrophobia
Revisionist perspective:pyrophilia
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But many are still in denial
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Managing fire and fuels is mostly a sociocultural challenge
Federal fire suppression cost in 2002 = $1.6 billion (~$500 per ha burned)
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Fuel structures can be complex
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Current conditions Target (historical) conditions
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Silviculture meets fire science
Scientific principles of fuel treatment:
• Raise canopy base height
• Reduce canopy bulk density
• Reduce canopy continuity
AND reduce surface fuels
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Principle #1 – Canopy base height
Dense stand with understory
-------- Canopy base height < 2 m
Treated stand after thinning from below
-------- Canopy base height > 6 m
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Principle #2 – Canopy bulk density
Dense stand with understory
Canopy BD > 0.30 kg m-3
Treated stand after thinning from below
Canopy BD < 0.10 kg m-3
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Principle #3 – Canopy continuity
Dense stand with understory
Treated stand after thinning from below
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Surface fuels must be treated following removal of trees
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Analysis of stand development assists treatment scheduling
2005 2010 2015 2020
No treatment
Thinning
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Silviculture meets fire science
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Many constraints to effective fuel treatments
Need lots of tree removal
Lack of markets for small wood
EIS, EA and other review
Litigation
Risk of escaped fire
Scheduling (~20-year cycle)
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A rational approach to fire management and fuel reduction: Focus on the wildland-urban interface
Benefits
Focus fuel treatment area
Protect high economic value
Reduce fire suppression cost
Respond to political concern
Create defensible zones
Reduce liability
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Toward science-based firemanagement and policy
Develop guidelines that quantify the effects of fuel treatments on fire behavior
Integrate scientific information and human values(ecological + cultural restoration)
Develop a rational economic approach
Educate the public on living with fire
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The restoration pathway will vary