Description

For many years, firefighters in Alaska have been using sprinkler treatments for point protection without fully knowing the limits of effectiveness. Our results in feathermoss fuel beds in lowland spruce forests indicate that bringing the top 5 inches of duff to saturation requires 20 mm (0.8 inches) of sprinkled water. This amount was delivered in 7 hours of sprinkling, consuming 2 gallons of gasoline using a Mark 3 pump operating at a very low throttle. We estimate that treated fuels resist ignition by firebrands and surface spread for 3 days under typical summer conditions.