short fire run - fpa australiashort fire run › calculated where the fire is running perpendicular...
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SHORT FIRE RUNASSESSING BUSH FIRE RISK FROM SMALL AREAS OF VEGETATION
John Delany and Stuart MatthewsCommunity Resilience
New South Wales Rural Fire Service
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To provide a robust methodology that identifies
the bush fire impact of lower risk bush fires
burning on the bushland interface.
Intent …
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1. the difference between a Short Fire Run (SFR) and a Fully Developed Fire (FDF)?
2. a deterministic model to ‘factor down’ APZ’s based on thelower risk provided by a partially developed bush fire.
To address the intent we need to identify …
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SHORT FIRE RUN
SFR’s are currently assessed as if they are;• large scale hazards;• have the existing vegetation downgraded to rain forest (lower fuel
load); or• by ‘expert’ judgement.
‘These practices can result in onerous bush fire protection measures and lead to inconsistent treatments’’.
Issues …
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SHORT FIRE RUNWhat is a SFR …
Aerial picture not to scale and indicative only
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SHORT FIRE RUNA SFR is …
Aerial picture not to scale and indicative only
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SHORT FIRE RUNA SFR is …
Aerial picture not to scale and indicative only
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SHORT FIRE RUNA SFR is …
Aerial picture not to scale and indicative only
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SHORT FIRE RUNA SFR is not …
Aerial picture not to scale and indicative only
Has connectivity to vegetation that will support a FDF.
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SHORT FIRE RUN
For the purposes of modelling, a SFR is …› a small low risk fire not expected to crown (usually taken as not
exceeding a fire run of 150 metres and burning perpendicular to contours and directly at an asset).
› a small low risk fire having a calculated maximum head width not exceeding 100 metres;
› on downslope not exceeding 30 degrees;› on site slope not exceeding 20 degrees;› on up slope not exceeding 15 degrees;
How is SFR assessed …
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For development application purposes a SFR is considered to be a performance evaluation and as such site specifics need to be identified to model the design fire …
1. Assess site as per requirements of AS3959 Method 2 steps 1 > 5;
2. Calculate SFR flame height using Project Vesta methodology;
3. Calculate the SFR head width;
4. Calculate SFR radiation (kWm2);
How is SFR assessed … cont’d
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5. Calculate Bush Fire Attack Level (BAL).6. Apply appropriate construction requirements to mitigate the
calculated bush fire impact.
Note:2 models have been developed;
• Forest / Woodland developed using MacArthur 1973 and Noble et al. 1980 and Project Vesta.
• Heath – developed using Byram’s equation (Heath and Shrub Model).
How is SFR assessed … cont’d
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SHORT FIRE RUNSFR fire growth …
Point of origin
Wind direction
Downslope
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SHORT FIRE RUNSFR fire growth …
Wind direction
Downslope
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SHORT FIRE RUNSFR fire growth …
Wind direction
Downslope
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SHORT FIRE RUNSFR fire growth …
Wind direction
Downslope
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SHORT FIRE RUNSFR fire growth …
Wind direction
Downslope
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SHORT FIRE RUNSFR fire growth …
Wind direction
Measuredfire run
Site slope
CalculatedHead Width
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The SFR model has the following limitations and assumptions.
› wind direction and speed is constant in the direction of fire spread;› slope is considered uniform throughout the length of the fire run;› flaming is restricted to surface, near surface and elevated fuels only
for forest & woodland vegetation;› Heath, Shrub, Mallee & Tussock Moorland formations. Average
height is determined on site and by vegetation classification;
SFR limitations and assumptions …
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› fuel load is distributed equally and is continuous for the entire fire run length;
› The fire develops from a single ignition point and does not include ignition time, fire growth or fuel moisture;
› The fire is not expected to crown;
SFR limitations and assumptions … cont’d
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SHORT FIRE RUN
› calculated where the fire is running perpendicular to contours and directly at an asset whilst also not having direct connectivity.
› limited to 150 metre fire run length (measured on the effective slope);
› limited to maximum input of 2 metres for elevated fuel (Project Vesta) in forest formations only.
SFR limitations and assumptions … cont’d
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SHORT FIRE RUNSFR development …
The size and shape of a bush fire hazard influences the behaviour of bush fire and the associated risk to the built environment.
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SHORT FIRE RUNFire shape development…
Simple elliptical fire growth model (Van Wagner 1969).
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SHORT FIRE RUNFire shape development…
RFS has adopted a wind speed of 30 kph for assessing SFR design fires
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SHORT FIRE RUNFire shape development…
Speculative Head Width= 2/3rd of ellipse breadth
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SHORT FIRE RUNBushfire fuel structure (Forest) … is presented in 3 tiers
Drawing courtesy ‘DSE Overall fuel Hazard guide’ 4th edition.
High
Medium
Low
2 metresmax. for Project Vesta
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SHORT FIRE RUNSurface, near surface & elevated fuel loads (Project Vesta) …
An additional input is required for fuel height. Those inputs represent the height value for the three fuel structure forms, surface, near surface & elevated fuels with a further sub classification of tall, medium and low being identified for each tier.
That is:Three defined fuel tiers;
• Surface (Low) = 0 - <0.9 metres;• Near surface (Medium ) = >0.9 - <1.4 metres• Elevated (Tall) = >1.4 – 2.0 metres
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• The SFR Methodology provides a more appropriate determination of the bush fire impact of lower risk vegetation located on the bushland interface.
• The SFR Methodology represents a combination of existing science and new data.
• This results in a more appropriate fire protection based on hazard.
Conclusion …
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Thank you …
QUESTIONS?