SarahTrainorPIRandiJandtFireEcologist(seasonal)AlisonYorkCoordinatorRobert“Zeke”ZielFireAnalyst(seasonal)

FundedbythefederalJointFireScienceProgram

PartofaNa)onalNetworkforBe0erCollabora)onBetweenResearchandManagementinWildlandFire

HowdoeswildfiremanagementworkinAlaska?WhatinformaIondoagenciesneedtosupportdecisions?

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Toolik Field Station

NomeMinto Eagle

Kenai

Bethel

Nulato

Ambler

Valdez

Beaver

Tanana

Galena

Huslia

McGrath

Kotzebue

Northway

Buckland

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Nondalton

Allakaket

Unalakleet

Point Hope

Fort Yukon

Saint Michael

Pilot Station

Arctic Village

Delta Junction

Fire History(by year)

2010-Present

2000-2009

1990-19991980-1989

1970-19791960-1969

1940-1959

0 100 200Kilometers

0 100 200Miles

Map date: 3/16/2015

This map shows perimeters of known wildfires that ignited naturally (e.g., lightning) or were caused by humans (e.g., escaped campfire). For wildfires occuring before1987, emphasis was placed on mapping perimeters at least 1000 acres in size. From 1987 forward, emphasis was placed on mapping wildfires with perimeters of atleast 100 acres. Although this is a comprehensive dataset, it is not complete. Most, but not all known fire perimeters are shown on this map.

Disclaimer: This map is intended for display purposes only. No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management or the Alaska Fire Service as to the accuracy, reliability, orcompleteness of information displayed. Fire Perimeters are provided by the Alaska Fire Service itself. Other data were compiled from various public sources. This spatialinformation may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.

AbouthalfofAlaskafiresarecausedbyhumans,butmajorityofacresburninlightning-causedfires.

Interagencyagreementsince19843protecIngagenciescooperatewithjurisdicIonalagencies•  BLM-AlaskaFireService:194millionacres•  StateofAlaska:150millionacres•  USForestService:26millionacres

Tok

NomeEagle

Bethel

Juneau

Haines

TananaGalena

Barrow

McGrath

Kotzebue

Soldotna

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Ketchikan

Deadhorse

Glennallen

Fort Yukon

Sand Point

King Salmon

Arctic Village

Disclaimer: This map is intended for display purposes only. No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management or the Alaska Fire Service as to the accuracy, reliability, orcompleteness of information displayed. Fire Management Options are provided by the Alaska Fire Service itself. Other data were compiled from various public sources. This spatialinformation may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.

CRITICAL - These are the highest priority areas/sites for suppressionactions and assignment of available firefighting resources. Lands inwildland urban interface and other populated areas where there is animmediate threat to human life, primary residences, inhabited property,community-dependent infrastructure, and structural resourcesdesignated as National Historic Landmarks qualify to be considered forthis designation. This classification is applicable to an entire village ortown as well as a single inhabited structure.

FULL - This option provides for protection of cultural andpaleontological sited, developed recreational facilities, physicaldevelopments, administrative sites and cabins, uninhabited structures,high-value natural resources, and other high-value areas that do notinvolve the protection of human life and inhabited property. Structureson or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Placesand non-structural sites on the National Register are placed within thiscategory. Either broad areas or specific sites qualify to be designatedas Full.

MODIFIED - This option provides a management level between Fulland Limited. The intent is to balance acres burned with suppressioncosts and to accomplish land and resource management objectiveswhen conditions are favorable. Site-specific actions are taken aswarranted.

LIMITED - Designated for broad, landscape-scale areas where the lowdensity and wide distribution of values to be protected best allows for

fire to function in its ecological role. Sites thatwarrant higher levels of protection may occur

within the boundaries of Limited areas andactions to protect these sites will be

taken when warranted withoutcompromising the intent of this

management option.

Fire Management Options 2015

Critical Full Modified Limited

Map date: 5/4/2015

0 150 300Kilometers

0 150 300Miles

Typesofmanagementdecisions

A.Scene-of-acIondecisions

Wind?

RH?

Fuels?

Flameheight?

Rateofspread?

B.“Headquarters”decisions

RiskAnalysisResourceAllocaIonStaffingLevels

Weatherforecast?Firedangerbyregion?FuelsinventoryResourcesatrisk?

C.PlanningDecisions

FireProtec)onOp)ons

AlaskaInteragencyFireManagementPlan

Tok

NomeEagle

Bethel

Juneau

Haines

TananaGalena

Barrow

McGrath

Kotzebue

Soldotna

Fairbanks

Anchorage

Ketchikan

Deadhorse

Glennallen

Fort Yukon

Sand Point

King Salmon

Arctic Village

Disclaimer: This map is intended for display purposes only. No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management or the Alaska Fire Service as to the accuracy, reliability, orcompleteness of information displayed. Fire Management Options are provided by the Alaska Fire Service itself. Other data were compiled from various public sources. This spatialinformation may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.

CRITICAL - These are the highest priority areas/sites for suppressionactions and assignment of available firefighting resources. Lands inwildland urban interface and other populated areas where there is animmediate threat to human life, primary residences, inhabited property,community-dependent infrastructure, and structural resourcesdesignated as National Historic Landmarks qualify to be considered forthis designation. This classification is applicable to an entire village ortown as well as a single inhabited structure.

FULL - This option provides for protection of cultural andpaleontological sited, developed recreational facilities, physicaldevelopments, administrative sites and cabins, uninhabited structures,high-value natural resources, and other high-value areas that do notinvolve the protection of human life and inhabited property. Structureson or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Placesand non-structural sites on the National Register are placed within thiscategory. Either broad areas or specific sites qualify to be designatedas Full.

MODIFIED - This option provides a management level between Fulland Limited. The intent is to balance acres burned with suppressioncosts and to accomplish land and resource management objectiveswhen conditions are favorable. Site-specific actions are taken aswarranted.

LIMITED - Designated for broad, landscape-scale areas where the lowdensity and wide distribution of values to be protected best allows for

fire to function in its ecological role. Sites thatwarrant higher levels of protection may occur

within the boundaries of Limited areas andactions to protect these sites will be

taken when warranted withoutcompromising the intent of this

management option.

Fire Management Options 2015

Critical Full Modified Limited

Map date: 5/4/2015

0 150 300Kilometers

0 150 300Miles

PrescribedFireObjecIves

WhatarekeywildfireresearchissuesfromtheperspecIveof

AlaskanfireprotecIonagenciesandlandmanagers?

OutlinedinResearchNeedsList,

updatedevery2years

1.ValidaIng,Understanding,andImprovingSystemstoModelFireDanger,FireBehavior,Forecasts

andFireEffects/Emissions

FBP(Canada)andBEHAVE(US)are2modelsusedtopredictfirebehaviorundergivenfueland

weathercondiIons..

Methodology Methodology

PEmpirical. Equationsare based on fieldexperiments anddocumented wildfires.

PTheoretical. Basedon laboratoryexperiments forRothermel’s surfacefire spread model.

Canada US

Models/AlgorithmsfromCanadaforesttypesusedtoesImaterelaIvefireriskin

differentregions.

CFFDRS=CanadianForestFireDangerRaIngSystem,yields“indices”offuelmoisturefromremoteweatherstaIonreadings.

•  ManagersdesirevalidaIonofCanadianFireWeatherIndexmodelsforFireDangerraIngs...Canremotelysenseddataprovidethis?

•  andtorefinetheirrelaIonshiptomeasuredfuelmoisture:–  CanthemodelfitbeimprovedinAKecotypes?–  DoesthemodelworkonAKpermafrostsites,giventhehydrologicdifferences?

–  Doestheuseofthe“overwinteringfactor”makesenserelaIvetoobservedsoilsaturaIoninthespringinAK?

How dry is dead moss layer? Near-real-time validation?

Protection Zone Natural Fire Rotationinterior 216 yrcritical 381 yrfull 342 yrmodified 238 yrlimited 188 yr

381

188

=CriIcal

=Limited=Full=Modified

Preliminarydata:notforcita1on.

2.FireManagement:CumulaIveEffects&ClimateEffects

Whataretheeffectsofcurrentfiremanagementstrategies,andcouldchangesinmanagementmakeadifferenceonoutcomesrelatedtoC,permafrostorthresholdchanges?

ImprovedforecasIngofsmoke