Document


Title

A rule of thumb for estimating a wildfire's forward spread rate
Document Type: Magazine Article
Author(s): Martin E. Alexander; Miguel G. Cruz
Publication Year: 2019

Cataloging Information

Keyword(s):
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • conifer forests
  • critical fire weather
  • crown fire
  • dead fuel moisture content
  • dead fuels
  • dry eucalypt forests
  • fine fuels
  • fire prediction
  • fire propagation
  • fire spread
  • fuel moisture content
  • fuel type
  • high intensity fires
  • model error
  • North America
  • ROS - rate of spread
  • temperate shrublands
  • wildfires
  • wind speed
  • winds
Partner Site(s):
Record Maintained By:
Record Last Modified: June 30, 2022
FRAMES Record Number: 62048

Description

We have devised a rule of thumb for obtaining a first approximation of a fire’s spread rate that wildland fire operations personnel may find valuable in certain situations. It is based on the premise that under certain conditions wind speed is the dominant factor in determining a wildfire’s forward rate of advance.

Online Link(s):
Citation:
Alexander, Martin E.; Cruz, Miguel G. 2019. A rule of thumb for estimating a wildfire's forward spread rate. Wildfire Magazine 28(5):36-39.