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40 Scott and Burgan Fire Behavior Fuel Models

This recently developed set of standard fire behavior fuel models contains more fuel models in every fuel type (grass, shrub, timber, slash) than does Anderson's set of 13 fuel models. The main objective in creating these new models was to increase the ability to illustrate the effects of fuel treatments using fire behavior modeling. The number of fuel models for use in areas where fire tends to burn well at relatively high dead fuel moisture content has been increased, and fuel models with an herbaceous component are now dynamic fuel models, meaning that load is dynamically shifted between live and dead (to simulate curing of the herbaceous component) rather than assumed to be constant.

The 40 Scott and Burgan Fire Behavior Fuel Model (FBFM40) layer represents distinct distributions of fuel loading found among surface fuel components (live and dead), size classes, and fuel types. The FBFM40 layer can serve as input to the FARSITE fire growth simulation model (Finney 1998), FlamMap fire potential simulator (Stratton 2004), BehavePlus fire behavior model (Andrews and others 2005), NEXUS crown fire potential model (Scott 2003), and FFE-FVS forest stand simulator (Reinhardt and Crookston 2003). Nomographs for estimating fire behavior using the new fuel models without the use of a computer are now available via Rocky Mountain Research Station Publications. Further detail about these 40 fire behavior fuel models can be found in Scott and Burgan (2005).

LF_1.1.0 (Refresh 2008) – LF_1.1.0 used LF_1.0.5 (Refresh 2001) data as a launching point to incorporate disturbance and its severity, both managed and natural, which occurred on the landscape after 2001. Specific examples of disturbance are: fire, vegetation management, weather, and insect and disease. The final disturbance data used in LF_1.1.0 are the result of several efforts that include data derived in part from remotely sensed land change methods, Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS), and the LANDFIRE Refresh events data call. Vegetation growth was modeled where both disturbance and non-disturbance occurred.

LF_1.0.5 (Refresh 2001) – Imagery used in LF_1.0.0 (LANDFIRE National) covered a span of years, and because of this, several large wildland fires are not represented in the data. LF_1.0.5 data ensure wildland fires through 2001 are represented.

Additional improvements found in LF_1.0.5 include resolving inconsistencies along the international borders and updating aspects of the following: riparian and wetlands areas, agricultural and urban vegetation types as burnable, and adjusting the extent of barren and water land cover types.

LF_1.0.2 (Improvements) – With the release of LANDFIRE National data products, several areas of improvements were identified. In 2009, leadership direction and funding were provided to implement these improvements for the conterminous states. Improvements included resolving inconsistencies along the international borders and updating aspects of the following: riparian and wetlands areas, agricultural and urban vegetation types as burnable, and adjusting the extent of barren and water land cover types. Change to the LANDFIRE data products occurred only in areas affected by the improvements listed above. Surface and canopy fuel assignments were derived for all of the new existing vegetation types using existing fuel model mapping rules. Final fuel layers were created using a hierarchical merge process, which imbedded updated pixels over the existing values.

LF_1.0.1 (Rapid Refresh) – These data were refined for western zones based upon comments obtained from fuel and fire behavior specialists. Moreover, these data were updated to reflect the effects from recent (1999 to 2007) wildland fires. (Obtain LF_1.0.1 Fire Perimeter Data.)

LF_1.0.0 (National) – FBFM40 was produced through a series of workshops held across the 48 states with fire and fuels specialists to assist the LANDFIRE team in determining surface fuel models for existing vegetation types based on rule sets developed by the existing cover and height of the vegetation. The resultant spatial arrangement of surface fuel models are known as the calibrated FBFM40 layer.

Metadata:
LF_1.1.0 (Refresh 2008)
LF_1.0.5 (Refresh 2001)
LF_1.0.2 (Improvements)
LF_1.0.1 (Rapid Refresh)
LF_1.0.0 (National)
LF_1.0.0 (National Alaska)


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Andrews, P. L., C. D. Bevins, R. C. Seli. 2005. BehavePlus fire modeling system, version 3.0: User's Guide. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-106WWW. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Ogden, UT. 142 p.

Finney, M. A. 1998. FARSITE: Fire Area Simulator-model development and evaluation. Res. Pap. RMRS-RP-4, Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 47 p.

Reinhardt, E. and N. L. Crookston, (Technical Editors). 2003. The Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator. General. Technical. Report. RMRS-GTR-116. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Ogden, UT. 209 p.

Scott, J. H. 2003. Canopy fuel treatment standards for the wildland-urban interface. In: " Fire, fuel treatments, and ecological restoration: conference proceedings; 2002 April 16-18; Fort Collins, CO. Omi, Philip N.; Joyce, Linda A., tech. eds. 2003. Proceedings RMRS-P-29. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, pp. 29-37.

Scott, J. H. and R. E. Burgan. 2005. Standard fire behavior fuel models: a comprehensive set for use with Rothermel’s surface fire spread model. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-153.Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 72 p.

Stratton, R. D. 2004. Assessing the Effectiveness of Landscape Fuel Treatments on Fire Growth and Behavior. Journal of Forestry 102(7): 32-40.