Task 2.3 Fire Risk Protocol

Project funded by the Common borders. Common solutions.

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GROUP OF ACTIVITIES 2

Task 2.3

Fire Risk protocol

Prepared by

Dr. Ioannis Mitsopoulos,

Ass. Prof. Sergiy Zibtsev,

Dr. Omer Kucuk,

Dr. Bulent Saglam


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Table of Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Software installation 3

3. Generate Landscape File (.LCP) 3

4. Create a new run 6

5. Inputs tab 6

6. Fire behavior tab 11

7. Generate fire risk maps 13

Further Reading 14


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1. Introduction

This section describes procedures for generating fire risk maps using the specialized

software FlamMap version 5.

2. Software Installation

FlamMap 5.0 is a Windows based program and can only be installed on a computer running

Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server Enterprise, Vista, or Windows 7. Both 32-bit

and 64- bit Operating System (OS) versions are available. Typically, the 64-bit version of the

program should only be installed on computers running Windows XP64, Windows Server

Enterprise, Vista or Windows 7, while the 32-bit version can be installed on Windows 2000

or Windows XP. Prior to loading the program ensure you are installing the correct version of

FlamMap 5.0 for the operating system type running on your computer. The 32-bit

installation file is called FlamMap5.msi and the 64-bit version is FlamMap5x64.msi. Once

downloaded, double clicking on the appropriate msi file will start the Windows installation

wizard. Some users may require administrative rights to install the program.

The download web page can be found here:

http://www.firemodels.org/index.php/flammap-software/flammap-downloads

The FlamMap 5.0 install includes sample data as well as a Help File. At this time, the Help

File has not been updated to reflect all the changes and enhancements made to FlamMap

5.0. These detailed release notes are an interim solution.

3. Generate a Landscape file (.LCP)

The Landscape File has the extension .LCP and contains all the rasterized data themes

imported from a GIS to run FlamMap. These must include 5 basic themes; elevation, slope,

aspect, fuel model, canopy cover. An Landscape (.LCP) File is a binary file comprised of a

header and a body of short integers for each of the themes it contains. The header contains

information on the bounds of the area, the resolution of the cells, and the units of the

themes.


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You can generate a Landscape (.LCP) File in FlamMap using the File > Create Landscape (.LCP)

File... command which requires you to specify each of the ASCII grid files and their units

These five themes must have the exact same cell size and spatial extent. In many cases a

fuel model layer does not exist and it is necessary to derive the fuel model and maybe

canopy cover themes from a vegetation cover shapefile or grid. Slope and aspect can be

derived from the elevation grid. The steps below can be used for creating the five required

raster files from an elevation grid and a vegetation cover polygon shapefile that includes

canopy cover.

To create the five required grid themes in ArcView you will need the following data and

software:

A fuel model coverage either as a grid file or a polygon (shapefile) or, if you don’t

have one of those, then a vegetation grid or polygon that can be converted to a fuel

model coverage,

canopy cover information that exists or the ability to derive canopy cover from the

vegetation coverage,

elevation grid (or a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) that can be converted to an

ArcView elevation grid),

ArcView and the Spatial Analyst extension.

Overview of Steps

1. Load the elevation grid.

2. Create an aspect grid from the elevation grid.

3. Create a slope grid from the elevation grid.

4. Create a fuel model number attribute for each of the vegetation types in a

vegetation polygon coverage.

5. Create a fuel model grid from the fuel model polygon coverage. (This has been

done during the 2.2 task)

6. Create a canopy cover grid from the vegetation polygon coverage.


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7. Convert and save each of the grids above (elevation, aspect, slope, fuel model and

canopy cover) as ASCII raster files.

If your units are something other than listed for that theme, you will have to reclassify or

recompute values for that theme in a GIS before loading the theme. The Fuel Model theme

also requires you to select if custom fuel models are present and/or if fuel model

conversions will be needed.

A grid file or constant for elevation, slope, aspect, fuel model, and canopy cover, must be

selected before the specified Landscape (.LCP) File can be created. A Landscape (.LCP) File

cannot be generated without having a entry for all five required themes.

You can insert the developed Landscape file by selecting Theme File > Landscape (.LCP) File


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4. Create a new run

A new run is initiated by right-clicking the ¨Runs item in the "Tree" panel and selecting the

New Run command from the short cut menu. Or select the Analysis Area > New Run

command from the menu bar. The "Run:" dialog box opens showing the Inputs tab. You

should first name your run to avoid too many New Run items in your "Tree" pane.

Run information is saved when you close the "Run:" dialog box regardless of the run status.

For example if your Inputs tab is incomplete, just the information you have entered is saved.

If you have a completed run with output grids, then those are saved with the project.

5. Inputs tab

The Inputs tab in the "Run:" dialog box is where you define or setup your FlamMap run.

Here you enter the non-spatial inputs and control how the fire behavior characteristics are

calculated.


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Fuel Moisture File

An initial fuel moisture file (.FMS) can now be created in FlamMap 5.0 based upon existing

fuel models as read from the LCP header file. This capability allows for the setting of default

values for live and dead fuels for fuel models in the LCP. Fuel moisture files can still be

loaded from existing files or created in FlamMap using a text editor.

Clicking on the button in the Fuel Moisture area of the Run > Inputs tab allows the user

to create an initial fuel moisture file (.FMS). After clicking the button the Set Default Fuel

Moistures dialog box will open allowing the user to set the default fuel moisture values for

the fuel models in the LCP. These default values will be applied to the fuel size class and

types of every fuel model identified within the LCP. Once set, clicking the OK button will

open the fuel moisture file in a text editor. If variable fuel moistures by fuel model and type

are required the user can make the necessary adjustments here prior to saving the FMS file.

As in previous versions of FlamMap, changes to the saved FMS file can also be made outside


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FlamMap in a text editor (e.g., Notepad) or within the FlamMap project by loading the FMS

file then clicking on the button.

This method also adds a fuel model 0 to the first line of the fuel moisture file. For any fuel

model not included the moisture values associated with fuel model 0 will be used in the

simulation. While this may allow the user to run a simulation without an error the values

here may not be valid for the missing fuel model. The user should ALWAYS check and verify

the list of fuel models and their values prior to running a simulation.

For all partners the following fuel moisture values should be assigned to each fuel model

of the area:

1hr: 8

10hr: 10

100hr:12

Live herb: 100

Live woody: 120


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FlamMap 5.0 also allows for a single line fuel moisture file (.FMS). This option is useful if the

same initial dead and live fuel moisture values are to be applied to every fuel model, size

class, and fuel type on the landscape. The required file format is the same, but only 1 line of

fuel moisture information is required rather than a line for every fuel model in the LCP,

including any custom fuel models.

Fuel Model File

Fuel Model File (FMD) This is an optional ASCII text file for utilizing custom fuel models in

FlamMap. Fuel models other than the standard 13 NFFL Fire Behavior models must be

supplied in a Custom Fuel Model (.FMD) File.

FlamMap allow custom fuel model inputs in English or metric units. The units are selected

by inserting the word ENGLISH or METRIC as the first line of the Custom Fuel Model (.FMD)

File. If no option is found English units are assumed.

Each Custom Fuel Model (.FMD) File must contain data in the space delimited ASCII format

specified below. A generic text editing application such as Notepad or WordPad, a

spreadsheet, or the FlamMap Editors can be used to create or edit the Custom Fuel Model

(.FMD) File. The Custom Fuel Model (.FMD) File must be in the following space delimited

format, and have fuel model numbers between 1 and 256 not assigned to a standard fuel

model. Although FlamMap will permit any custom fuel model number between 1 and 256

not assigned to a standard fuel model it is best to limit custom model numbers to the range

14-89 to limit conflicts with future standard models. #

All partners should create a fuel model file which its values corresponds to the fuel

parameters created from the field fuel sampling during the task 2.1


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Custom Fuel Model (.FMD) File Format

Field Name Data

Type Metric Units

FMNum Fuel Model

Number integer number 14-89

FMCode Fuel Model Code string user defined up to 7 characters

1H, 10H, 100H,

LiveH, LiveW Fuel Loading decimal metric tonnes/hectare

FMType Fuel Model Type string "static" or "dynamic"

1HSAV,

LiveHSAV,

LiveWSAV

Surface to Volume

Ratio integer 1/cm

Depth Fuel Bed Depth decimal cm

XtMoist Moisture of

Extinction integer percent

DHt, LHt Heat Content, live

& dead fuels integer J/Kg

FMName Fuel Model Name string user defined up to 256 characters


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Wind Inputs

All partners should assign only 2 values:

1) The dominant wind direction in the pilot study during the summer months according to

historical weather data.

2) The maximum (95% percentile) wind speed in the pilot study during the summer

months according to historical weather data.

Select the Wind Blowing Uphill radio button which utilizes the upslope direction from the

aspect theme of the Landscape (.LCP) File for each grid cell to calculate the fire behavior

characteristics. Selecting a 20 foot wind speed in the Wind Speed (MPH@20') spin box

completes the inputs for this option. This option would be appropriate for modeling the

fire behavior with simple diurnal upslope winds.

Select the Wind Direction radio button uses the same wind direction for every cell in the

analysis area. Select a specified wind direction with the Azimuth (Degrees) spin box and a

20 foot wind speed in the Wind Speed (MPH@20') spin box. The Wind Blowing Uphill

option will calculate the fire behavior characteristics using the same wind speed and the

upslope direction for each grid cell.

6. Fire behavior tab

The Fire Behavior Outputs Tab of the "Run:" dialog box controls the output products for a

basic fire behavior FlamMap run.

Select only the two following parameters:

1) Rate of spread (m/min)

2) Fireline Intensity (kW/m)


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Press the Apply and then the Launch buttons.

Wait for some seconds for simulation to be run.

Save the outputs grids found in the tree panel as separate files in your hard disc of your

PC.


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7. Generate fire risk maps

Open the outputs grids in your GIS software (e.g. ArcGIS) and perform a simple spatial

analysis based on the following table:

Fireline Intensity

kw /m Fire Risk Factor Values

< 350 Low 5

250 – 1700 Moderate 10

1700 – 3500 High 15

> 3500 Very High 20

Rate of spread

m/min Fire Risk

< 2 Low 5

2 – 15 Moderate 10

15 – 30 High 15

> 30 Very High 20

The final fire risk map will be resulted by the overlay of the two interim layers based on

the proposed factor values.


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Further Reading

Finney, M.A. 2001. Design of regular landscape level fuel treatment patterns for modifying

fire growth and behavior. For. Sci. 47(2):219-228.

Finney, M.A. 2002. Fire growth using minimum travel time methods. Can. J. For. Res.

32(8):1420-1424.

Finney, M.A. 2004. Chapter 9, Landscape fire simulation and fuel treatment optimization. IN:

J.L. Hayes, A.A. Ager, J.R. Barbour (tech. eds). Methods for integrated modeling of landscape

change: Interior Northwest Landscape Analysis System. PNW-GTR-610. p 117-131.

Finney, M.A. 2006. An overview of FlamMap modeling capabilities. In: P.L. Andrews, B.W.

Butler (comps.). Fuels Management – How to measure success: Conference Proceedings.

RMRS-P-41. p 213-219.

Finney, M.A. 2007. A computational method for optimizing fuel treatment locations. Intl. J. Wildl.

Fire. 16:702-711.

Finney, M.A., R.C. Seli, C.W. McHugh, A.A. Ager, B.Bahro, and J.K. Agee. 2007. Simulation of

long-term landscape-level fuel treatment effects on large wildfires. Intl. J. Wildl. Fire.

16:712-727.

Stratton, Rick D. Assessing the Effectiveness of Landscape Fuel Treatments on Fire Growth and

Behavior. Journal of Forestry. Pp 32-40. 2004

Stratton, Rick D. Guidance on Spatial Wildland Fire Analysis: Models, Tools, and Techniques. USDA

Forest Service Gen.Tech.Rep RMRS-GTR-183. 2006

Documents

Task 2.3 Fire Risk Protocol