Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Missoula Fire Sciences LaboratorySystems for Environmental Management

Learning to Use FOFEM 5

Volume I: Basic Lesson

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

In the Basic Lesson…

• Background information• Discussion of FOFEM modules, inputs and

outputs• Step-by-step exercises• Saving a FOFEM project and FOFEM outputs

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

In the Advanced Lesson…

• Advanced use of soil heating and Burnup modules

• Batch mode: making many runs at once• Linking FOFEM to GIS

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

What is a “first-order” effect?

• “First-order fire effects” are the immediate consequences of a fire, whether direct or indirect.

• FOFEM 5 predicts:– Fuel consumption– Smoke production– Tree mortality– Soil heating

• Second-order effects?– Longer term effects and effects involving interaction with

other agents, like erosion, vegetation dynamics, insect-caused mortality, and climate change.

– Modeled with VDDT, LANDSUM, SIMPPLE, TELSA, FFE-FVS and other models

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

How FOFEM works

• FOFEM 5 is a compendium of models for predicting fire effects

• FOFEM 5 helps the user generate inputs for those models from– Detailed fuel and stand inventory data– General forest type information– A combination of these two sources

• FOFEM 5 automatically uses the best available equation or model

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

FOFEM 5 modules

• Mortality• Fuel consumption• Smoke• Soil heating

These modules have similar inputs

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Tree mortality: inputs

Set fire severityChoose region

Define tree list

Set fire intensity

Select “mortality”

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Tree mortality: outputs

• Chart and text report of % mortality over a range of “fire intensity” for each tree in the list

Mortality Graph

0 0

2 8

4 23

6 42

8 64

10 89

12 116

14 146

16 177

18 210

20 245

Flame Len.Scorch Hgt.

0

20

40

60

80

100% Mortality

P I N P O N 2 0

P I N P O N 1 0

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Tree mortality: exercise

• In Windows Explorer, open the file FOFEM5tutorials.chm

• Navigate to the Tree Mortality exercise

• Use Alt-Tab or the task bar to switch between the tutorial and FOFEM as needed

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: inputs

• Fuel load by size class and component– Direct input

Select “Fuel”OR,

Direct input of load by size class

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: inputs

• Fuel load by size class and component– Based on fuel or vegetation type classification (SAF/SRM,

NVCS, FCC), fuel or cover type, region, fuel type (natural, slash or piles), and adjustment. Select

classifica-tion and regionSelect

cover type

Select fuel category

Set fuel load adjustments

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: inputs

• Fuel load by size class and component– In both cases,

Set percent 3”+ load that is rotten

Set log loading distribution

Set percent crown fuel burned

Set season of burn

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: inputs

• Fuel load by size class and component– Log loading distribution

even Left right ends center

FOFEM 5 default

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: inputs

• Fuel moisture– Moisture condition (very dry, dry, moderate, wet)Choose

moisture conditionOR,

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: inputs

• Fuel moisture– Direct input (10-hr, 1000-hr, duff moisture)

Direct input of moisture content

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: inputs

• Duff moisture method– entire duff profile, lower duff only, NFDR, Adjusted

NFDR

Set duff moisture method

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: outputs

• Chart and report of pre-burn and post-burn fuel load and fuel consumption by size class and component.

Fuel Graph

Preburn Load Consumed Load Remaing Load

0

20

10

30+

tons

Litter 0-1/4 1/4-1 1-3 3+ Duff Herb Shrub Foliage Branch

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Fuel Consumption: exercise

• In Windows Explorer, open the file FOFEM5tutorials.chm

• Navigate to the Fuel Consumption exercise

• Use Alt-Tab or the task bar to switch between the tutorial and FOFEM as needed

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Smoke emissions: inputs

• Smoke inputs are the same as fuel consumption

Select “Smoke”

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Smoke emissions: outputs

• Graph and tabular report of smoke production by component.

Select an output to

plot on the graph

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Smoke emissions: outputs

• Can save emissions and intensity history for use in smoke dispersion model (NFS-PUFF, SASEM, SIS).

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Smoke emissions: exercise

• In Windows Explorer, open the file FOFEM5tutorials.chm

• Navigate to the Smoke Emissions exercise

• Use Alt-Tab or the task bar to switch between the tutorial and FOFEM as needed

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Soil heating: inputs

• Soil heating inputs are the same as fuel consumption, with two additions…

Select “Soil”

Choose soil texture

Set soil moisture content (percent)

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Soil heating: outputs

• Graph and tabular report of soil heating by depth.

25

50

75

100

0

Temperature

(C)50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500minutes

Max Tmp: 61(c) Post Fire Duff Depth: 1.31(in) Soil Moist:10.00% Type:Coarse-LoamLines represent temperatures at 1 centimeter intervals, starting at soil surface.

Soil Heating

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Soil heating: exercise

• In Windows Explorer, open the file FOFEM5tutorials.chm

• Navigate to the Soil Heating exercise

• Use Alt-Tab or the task bar to switch between the tutorial and FOFEM as needed

Oct-03 Learning to Use FOFEM 5:Basic Lesson

Basic lesson: conclusion

• FOFEM 5 combines well-tested physical and empirical models with expert knowledge to predict the immediate effects of fire on– Tree mortality– Fuel consumption– Smoke emissions– Soil heating

• FOFEM 5 creates reports, graphs and data tables that can be incorporated into other documents