SarahTrainorPIRandiJandtFireEcologist(seasonal)AlisonYorkCoordinatorRobert“Zeke”ZielFireAnalyst(seasonal)
FundedbythefederalJointFireScienceProgram
PartofaNa)onalNetworkforBe0erCollabora)onBetweenResearchandManagementinWildlandFire
HowdoeswildfiremanagementworkinAlaska?WhatinformaIondoagenciesneedtosupportdecisions?
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Toolik Field Station
NomeMinto Eagle
Kenai
Bethel
Nulato
Ambler
Valdez
Beaver
Tanana
Galena
Huslia
McGrath
Kotzebue
Northway
Buckland
Fairbanks
Anchorage
Nondalton
Allakaket
Unalakleet
Point Hope
Fort Yukon
Saint Michael
Pilot Station
Arctic Village
Delta Junction
Fire History(by year)
2010-Present
2000-2009
1990-19991980-1989
1970-19791960-1969
1940-1959
0 100 200Kilometers
0 100 200Miles
Map date: 3/16/2015
This map shows perimeters of known wildfires that ignited naturally (e.g., lightning) or were caused by humans (e.g., escaped campfire). For wildfires occuring before1987, emphasis was placed on mapping perimeters at least 1000 acres in size. From 1987 forward, emphasis was placed on mapping wildfires with perimeters of atleast 100 acres. Although this is a comprehensive dataset, it is not complete. Most, but not all known fire perimeters are shown on this map.
Disclaimer: This map is intended for display purposes only. No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management or the Alaska Fire Service as to the accuracy, reliability, orcompleteness of information displayed. Fire Perimeters are provided by the Alaska Fire Service itself. Other data were compiled from various public sources. This spatialinformation may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.
AbouthalfofAlaskafiresarecausedbyhumans,butmajorityofacresburninlightning-causedfires.
Interagencyagreementsince19843protecIngagenciescooperatewithjurisdicIonalagencies• BLM-AlaskaFireService:194millionacres• StateofAlaska:150millionacres• USForestService:26millionacres
Tok
NomeEagle
Bethel
Juneau
Haines
TananaGalena
Barrow
McGrath
Kotzebue
Soldotna
Fairbanks
Anchorage
Ketchikan
Deadhorse
Glennallen
Fort Yukon
Sand Point
King Salmon
Arctic Village
Disclaimer: This map is intended for display purposes only. No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management or the Alaska Fire Service as to the accuracy, reliability, orcompleteness of information displayed. Fire Management Options are provided by the Alaska Fire Service itself. Other data were compiled from various public sources. This spatialinformation may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.
CRITICAL - These are the highest priority areas/sites for suppressionactions and assignment of available firefighting resources. Lands inwildland urban interface and other populated areas where there is animmediate threat to human life, primary residences, inhabited property,community-dependent infrastructure, and structural resourcesdesignated as National Historic Landmarks qualify to be considered forthis designation. This classification is applicable to an entire village ortown as well as a single inhabited structure.
FULL - This option provides for protection of cultural andpaleontological sited, developed recreational facilities, physicaldevelopments, administrative sites and cabins, uninhabited structures,high-value natural resources, and other high-value areas that do notinvolve the protection of human life and inhabited property. Structureson or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Placesand non-structural sites on the National Register are placed within thiscategory. Either broad areas or specific sites qualify to be designatedas Full.
MODIFIED - This option provides a management level between Fulland Limited. The intent is to balance acres burned with suppressioncosts and to accomplish land and resource management objectiveswhen conditions are favorable. Site-specific actions are taken aswarranted.
LIMITED - Designated for broad, landscape-scale areas where the lowdensity and wide distribution of values to be protected best allows for
fire to function in its ecological role. Sites thatwarrant higher levels of protection may occur
within the boundaries of Limited areas andactions to protect these sites will be
taken when warranted withoutcompromising the intent of this
management option.
Fire Management Options 2015
Critical Full Modified Limited
Map date: 5/4/2015
0 150 300Kilometers
0 150 300Miles
Typesofmanagementdecisions
A.Scene-of-acIondecisions
Wind?
RH?
Fuels?
Flameheight?
Rateofspread?
B.“Headquarters”decisions
RiskAnalysisResourceAllocaIonStaffingLevels
Weatherforecast?Firedangerbyregion?FuelsinventoryResourcesatrisk?
C.PlanningDecisions
FireProtec)onOp)ons
AlaskaInteragencyFireManagementPlan
Tok
NomeEagle
Bethel
Juneau
Haines
TananaGalena
Barrow
McGrath
Kotzebue
Soldotna
Fairbanks
Anchorage
Ketchikan
Deadhorse
Glennallen
Fort Yukon
Sand Point
King Salmon
Arctic Village
Disclaimer: This map is intended for display purposes only. No warranty is made by the Bureau of Land Management or the Alaska Fire Service as to the accuracy, reliability, orcompleteness of information displayed. Fire Management Options are provided by the Alaska Fire Service itself. Other data were compiled from various public sources. This spatialinformation may not meet National Map Accuracy Standards. This product was developed through digital means and may be updated without notification.
CRITICAL - These are the highest priority areas/sites for suppressionactions and assignment of available firefighting resources. Lands inwildland urban interface and other populated areas where there is animmediate threat to human life, primary residences, inhabited property,community-dependent infrastructure, and structural resourcesdesignated as National Historic Landmarks qualify to be considered forthis designation. This classification is applicable to an entire village ortown as well as a single inhabited structure.
FULL - This option provides for protection of cultural andpaleontological sited, developed recreational facilities, physicaldevelopments, administrative sites and cabins, uninhabited structures,high-value natural resources, and other high-value areas that do notinvolve the protection of human life and inhabited property. Structureson or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Placesand non-structural sites on the National Register are placed within thiscategory. Either broad areas or specific sites qualify to be designatedas Full.
MODIFIED - This option provides a management level between Fulland Limited. The intent is to balance acres burned with suppressioncosts and to accomplish land and resource management objectiveswhen conditions are favorable. Site-specific actions are taken aswarranted.
LIMITED - Designated for broad, landscape-scale areas where the lowdensity and wide distribution of values to be protected best allows for
fire to function in its ecological role. Sites thatwarrant higher levels of protection may occur
within the boundaries of Limited areas andactions to protect these sites will be
taken when warranted withoutcompromising the intent of this
management option.
Fire Management Options 2015
Critical Full Modified Limited
Map date: 5/4/2015
0 150 300Kilometers
0 150 300Miles
PrescribedFireObjecIves
WhatarekeywildfireresearchissuesfromtheperspecIveof
AlaskanfireprotecIonagenciesandlandmanagers?
OutlinedinResearchNeedsList,
updatedevery2years
1.ValidaIng,Understanding,andImprovingSystemstoModelFireDanger,FireBehavior,Forecasts
andFireEffects/Emissions
FBP(Canada)andBEHAVE(US)are2modelsusedtopredictfirebehaviorundergivenfueland
weathercondiIons..
Methodology Methodology
PEmpirical. Equationsare based on fieldexperiments anddocumented wildfires.
PTheoretical. Basedon laboratoryexperiments forRothermel’s surfacefire spread model.
Canada US
Models/AlgorithmsfromCanadaforesttypesusedtoesImaterelaIvefireriskin
differentregions.
CFFDRS=CanadianForestFireDangerRaIngSystem,yields“indices”offuelmoisturefromremoteweatherstaIonreadings.
• ManagersdesirevalidaIonofCanadianFireWeatherIndexmodelsforFireDangerraIngs...Canremotelysenseddataprovidethis?
• andtorefinetheirrelaIonshiptomeasuredfuelmoisture:– CanthemodelfitbeimprovedinAKecotypes?– DoesthemodelworkonAKpermafrostsites,giventhehydrologicdifferences?
– Doestheuseofthe“overwinteringfactor”makesenserelaIvetoobservedsoilsaturaIoninthespringinAK?
How dry is dead moss layer? Near-real-time validation?
Protection Zone Natural Fire Rotationinterior 216 yrcritical 381 yrfull 342 yrmodified 238 yrlimited 188 yr
381
188
=CriIcal
=Limited=Full=Modified
Preliminarydata:notforcita1on.
2.FireManagement:CumulaIveEffects&ClimateEffects
Whataretheeffectsofcurrentfiremanagementstrategies,andcouldchangesinmanagementmakeadifferenceonoutcomesrelatedtoC,permafrostorthresholdchanges?
ImprovedforecasIngofsmoke