Description

The Canadian Forest Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System is a subsystem of the larger Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System, which also includes the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System. The FBP System provides quantitative estimates of head fire spread rate, fuel consumption, fire intensity, and fire description; with the aid of an elliptical fire growth model, it gives estimates of fire area, perimeter, perimeter growth rate, and flank and back fire behavior. The FBP System has evolved since the mid-1970s from a series of regionally developed burning indexes to an interim edition of the nationally developed FBP System issued in 1984 to the present complete edition. Sixteen discrete fuel types are included, covering most major boreal forest fuel types in Canada. Fire behavior models for spread rate and fuel consumption were derived from a database of over 400 experimental, wild, and prescribed fire observations. The FBP System is intended to supplement the experience and judgment of operational fire managers.

[This publication is referenced in the "Synthesis of knowledge of extreme fire behavior: volume I for fire managers" (Werth et al 2011).]