This page provides access to Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) reports which document the data collected and observations made while FBAT was onsite for a given wildfire incident. FBAT reports are generally 20 to 50 page long documents which present a range of information, including but not limited to vegetation/fuels, weather, suppression activity, fire behavior observations and measurements, fire effects, along with a description of the methods used. These reports are assembled quickly, with analysis and narrative mostly completed onsite, before departing an incident.
FBAT Report by Incident
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The Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) collected prefire data on eight plots, and post-fire data on three of those plots that burned during the Walker Fire.
The Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) sampled fuels, vegetation, fire behavior, and fire effects on 5 plots in the Plummer Creek drainage on the Klamath National Forest on the eastern side of the 2020 Red Salmon Complex.
The Summer Fire, along with other fires in the River Complex (i.e., the Haypress and Cronan Fires), were ignited by lightning on July 30th, 2021. The Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) started active monitoring on the Complex on August 8th, focusing on the Summer Fire.
The Mosquito Fire ignited on September 6th, 2022, southeast of Foresthill, California. The eastern edge of the fire was actively burning towards the Placer County Big Trees Grove, the northernmost and smallest grove of giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum).
The Six Rivers Lightning Complex fires ignited on August 5th, 2022. Among the fires in the Complex, the Ammon Fire burned fully within the Willow Creek Study Area (WCSA) where northern spotted owl populations have been monitored for more than three decades.
The Lookout Fire ignited by lightning on August 5th, 2023, on the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) within the Willamette National Forest in Oregon.
The Mosquito Fire ignited on Thursday August 17th, 2023, and, with other nearby fires, was managed as the 2023 Six Rivers Lightning Complex. The Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) started monitoring on the Mosquito Fire on Wednesday September 27th, 2023.
This report contains the results of a one week assessment of fire behavior, vegetation and fuel loading and consumption, and fire effects to vegetation and soil resources for Division Z on the Lion Wildfire.
This report contains the results of a one week assessment of fire behavior, vegetation and fuel loading and consumption, and fire effects to vegetation and soil resources for Division D that evolved to be Division F on the Aspen fire.
This report contains the results of a one week assessment of fire behavior, vegetation, fuel loading, consumption, and fire effects to vegetation and soil resources for areas within the French Fire.
This report contains the results of a one and a half week assessment of fire behavior, vegetation and fuel loading, consumption, and fire effects for the King Fire. The King fire started on September 13th, 2014 due to arson. The fire started near Pollock Pines, CA and grew to over 97,000 acres.
This report contains the results of a one week assessment of fire behavior, vegetation and fuel loading and consumption, and fire effects to vegetation and soil resources for two areas on the Rim Fire. The Rim Fire started by an escaped campfire on Aug.
This report contains the results of a two week assessment of fire behavior, vegetation and fuel loading, consumption, and fire effects for the 2015 Rough Fire. The lightning-caused fire started on July 31st, 2015 on the north side of the Kings river, at about 5 miles North of Hume Lake and 2
Fire Beahvior Assessment Team (FBAT) Summary Report for the 2015 Willow Fire, located on the Sierra National Forest, including measurements and observations of fuels, vegetation, weather, fire behavior, and fire effects.
This report contains the results of the assessment of fire behavior in relation to fuels, weather and topography, and fire effects to resources in relation to fire behavior on the 2007 Wheeler Fire of the Antelope Complex.
This report contains the results of the assessment of fire behavior in relation to fuels, weather and topography, and fire effects to resources in relation to fire behavior for the Bake and Oven fires, part of the Bar Complex.
This report contains the results of the assessment of fire behavior in relation to fuels, weather and topography, and fire effects to resources in relation to fire behavior for the Orleans Complex, which occured on the Six Rivers National Forest in 2006. The team met with the Fores
This report contains the results of the assessment of fire behavior in relation to fuels, weather, and topography, and fire effects to resources in relation to fire behavior for the Ralston Fire, which occured on the Tahoe National Forest in 2006.
Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) Summary Report for the 2006 Warm Fire, located on the Kaibab National Forest, including measurements and observations of fuels, vegetation, weather, fire behavior, and fire effects.
This report contains the preliminary findings from data collected on the 2007 Wheeler Fire, which was part of the Antelope Complex that occured on the Plumas National Forest. A more thorough version of this report is available, "Antelope Complex, Fire Behavior Assessment Report (Fites
This report summarizes the results of the assessment of fire behavior in relation to fuels, weather and topography, and fire effects to resources in relation to fire behavior for the Big Turnaround Complex and Georgia Bay Complex (Sweatfarm Branch) fire incidents in Georgia during 2007. Fire
This report presents preliminary information on data and observations of fire effects resulting from 2007 Bugaboo Fire.
Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) Summary Report for the 2007 Antelope Fire Complex, located on the Plumas National Forest, including measurements and observations of fuels, vegetation, weather, fire behavior, fire suppression actions, fuel treatments, and fire effects.
This report contains an evaluation of the use and effectiveness of these fuel treatments and the resultant fire behavior that occurred in both treated and untreated areas during the May 2007 Ham Lake Fire on the Superior National Forest, located in northern Minnesota.
This report describes various aspects of the Chips Fire which occured in 2012 on the Plumas National Forest, including elements of the fire environment, and observations of fire behavior and fire effects.
This study explores the influences of two previous fires on 2015 Cabin Fire operations and vegetation burn severity. The Cabin Fire’s northern extent overlapped with a portion of the southern extent of the 2011 Lion Fire.
In July 2016, the USFS PSW Region Fire and Aviation Management (FAM) tasked the Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) to help in assessing the effects of an upsurge in tree mortality on fire behavior in the southern Sierra Nevada.
Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) Summary Report for the 2017 Pier Fire, located on the Sequioa National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, including measurements and observations of fuels, vegetation, weather, fire behavior, and fire effects in relation to elevated tre
Fire Behavior Assessment Team (FBAT) Summary Report for the 2017 Schaeffer Fire, located on the Sequoia National Forest, including measurements and observations of fuels, vegetation, weather, fire behavior, and fire effects.
This report documents information gathered via Terrestrial Lidar Scans (TLS), and fire behavior observations made on the 2018 Ferguson Fire. Due to limited resources, the standard FBAT plot setup was not possible for data collection. The Ferguson Fire started on the evening of July 13th
This report contains the results of a one and a half week assessment of fire behavior, vegetation and fuel loading, consumption, and fire effects for the Beaver Fire. The Beaver fire started by lightning on July 30th, 2014 at approximately 1700.
This report contains the results of the assessment of fire behavior in relation to fuels, weather, topography, and fire effects to resources in relation to fire behavior for the Clover Wildland Fire Use Fire on the Sequoia National Forest on the Kern Plateau in the South Sierra Wilderness. F
FBAT-Related Publications
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The objective of this report is to provide land managers with information for a better understanding of first order fire effects resulting from the 2019 Caples Fire. Data was collected at 46 plots previously established by the USFS Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5) Ecology Program to
This study explored the interactions of the 2011 Lion Fire with other recent wildfires using field data and remote sensing data focusing on fire effects and impacts to resources. The Lion Fire was ignited by lightning on July 8, 2011 and reached a final size of 20,674 acres.
This is a poster presented at the 2014 IAWF/AFE Large Wildfire Conference. The poster displays the goals and methods and products of the Fire Behavior Assessment Team.
This report documents the modeling of potential fire acceleration in a canyon setting using the Viegas canyon blow-up model.
This paper is a combined report for three Wildland Fire Use (WFU) fires on the Stanislaus and Sequoia National Forest. We combined them because we felt there was greater applicability by combining the information. There were slightly two different scopes for the individual projects.
From the text ... 'A research team collected data during actual wildfires, a unique study on fire behavior. ...Team members gathered data by measuring fuel conditions and fire behavior as fire passed through landscapes with different treatment histories and fuel configurations.
Inventories of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from wildfire provide essential information to the state of California, USA, and other governments that have enacted emission reductions.
Positive feedbacks between wildfire emissions and climate are expected to increase in strength in the future; however, fires not only release carbon (C) from terrestrial to atmospheric pools, they also produce pyrogenic C (PyC) which contributes to longer-term C stability.
The purpose of this brief literature review is to outline and make available current research and case studies on fire behavior in forests with bark beetle-caused tree mortality to supplement field observations and measurements.
This file is a powerpoint presentation reporting on FBAT's methods and results from gathering data and observations on several fires which burned in areas of high tree mortality.
This report documents the following objectives carried out on the Sequoia National Forest in November 2018: 1) assessing fire effects on giant sequoia in the Wishon Grove of the Alder Fire, 2) assessing fire behavior utilizing new prototype equipment, and 3) documenting 1-year post-fir
Ali Reiner and Carol Ewell presented a webinar on June 10, 2014. Fire behavior and effects models are frequently used to inform fire and land management decisions despite a lack of testing against field measurements.
This is a poster displayed at a fire ecology conference in 2013 which presents the goals, methods, and products of the Fire Behavior Assessment Team.
Wildland fire use (WFU) is a tool that has been utilized by managers in the Forest Service since the 1970s to reintroduce fire as a natural ecosystem process.
While still not perfect, advancements in technology have made it possible to gather fire behavior data on actively burning wildland fires (Butler and others 2010, Jimenez and others 2007).
AMSET Reports
FBAT was an Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team (AMSET) project from its inception through 2019. Though not FBAT reports, these reports are archived here for posterity.
Fuel Treatment Assessments
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This document reports on a study of the 2007 Moonlight Fire on the Plumas National Forest, using direct observation and immediate post-fire assessment of fire behavior evidence from satellites and field plots to evaluate effectiveness of fuel treatments and fire behavior in protected ha
The objective of this report is to provide land managers with information for a better understanding of the effectiveness of hazardous fuel reduction treatments and forest restoration efforts carried out as part of the Spooner Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management U
This annual report contains a summary of the objectives, design, protocol, results to date (2001-2003), and preliminary adaptive management implications. The design is based upon collection of data before and after prescribed fire or mechanical application treatments.
This annual report contains a summary of the objectives, design, protocol, results to date (2001-2003), and preliminary adaptive management implications. The design is based upon collection of data before and after prescribed fire or mechanical application treatments.
This report contains a summary of the objectives, design, protocol, results to date, and adaptive management implications of fuel treatment effectiveness and effects monitoring in the Pacific Southwest Region from 1999 to 2006.
This report describes how fuel treatments and previous fires affected fire behavior and suppression effectiveness during the Day and Zaca Fires which occured on the Day and Zaca Fires on the Los Padres National Forest in 2006 and 2007, respectively.
This paper proposes a protocol for evaluating the “success” of fuels treatments on smaller initial attack fires. The ability to capture these successes is critical for upward reporting on the progress the agency is making to manage hazardous fuel conditions.
This report describes the conditions of an area where hazardous fuels were treated with mastication, followed by broadcast prescribed burn. Fire behavior during the prescribed burn is reported.
The primary goal of this report is to assess the effectiveness of Forest Service fuel treatments in reducing fire behavior or improving the efficacy of fire suppression efforts near communities and maintaining vegetation where fire effects on natural resources are restored and help maintain ecosy
The purpose of this study was to provide land managers with information on potential wildfire behavior and tree mortality associated with mastication and masticated/fire treatments in a plantation.
Due to increases in tree density and hazardous fuel loading in Sierra Nevadan forests, land management is focusing on fuel reduction treatments to moderate the risk of catastrophic fires.
Despite the increasing use of mastication to treat hazardous fuels, little information exists on masticated fuel loadings and associated fire behavior. It is thought that mastication reduces fire flame lengths and rates of spread, however, fire intensity and residence time may be increased.
Effective fire suppression and land use practices over the last century have altered forest structure and increased fuel loads in many forests in the United States, increasing the occurrence of catastrophic wildland fires.
In many parts of California, past timber harvesting, livestock grazing practices, and fire exclusion have changed the fire regime from low to mixed severity to a high severity regime with an increase in active crown fire.
Longevity of fuel treatment effectiveness to alter potential fire behavior is a critical question for managers preparing plans for fuel hazard reduction, prescribed burning, fire management, forest thinning, and other land management activities.
Due to increases in tree density and hazardous fuel loading in Sierra Nevada forests, land management is focusing on fuel reduction treatments to moderate the risk of catastrophic fire.
Fuels/Fire Management
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Washington Office Fire and Aviation Management Staff of the U.S.
In 2007, the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) organized a task group to: 1) Develop a monitoring plan for implementing a directive from the National Fire Plan’s 10-Year Implementation Strategy, and 2) Respond to the Healthy Forest Restoration Act requirement of monitoring a representative
This document reports on measurements and observations of factors influencing fuels and wildfire behavior on the San Bernardino National Forest in 2003.
This document reports on measurements and observations of factors influencing fuels and wildfire behavior on the San Bernardino National Forest in 2004. This report is a revision of the 2003 assessment.
San Bernardino County Fire Department (BDC) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) contracted with Adaptive Management Services Enterprise Team (AMSET) to perform an evaluation of the hazardous fuels treatments program in the mountain communities of the San Bernardino range.
Fuel treatment effectiveness is often evaluated with fire behavior modeling systems that use fuel models to generate fire behavior outputs. How surface fuels are assigned, either using one of the 53 stylized fuel models or developing custom fuel models, can affect predicted fire behavior.
To better understand the impact of prescribed fire on carbon stocks, we quantified aboveground and belowground carbon stocks within five pools (live trees and coarse roots, dead trees and coarse roots, live understory vegetation, down woody debris, and litter and duff) and potential carbon emissi