Criteria-Based Identification of Important Fuels for Wildland Fire Emission Research

Adam C Watts,Vera Samburova,Hans Moosmüller

doi:10.3390/atmos11060640

Adam C Watts, Vera Samburova + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos11060640

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Abstract

Studies of the emissions from wildland fires are important for understanding the role of these events in the production, transport, and fate of emitted gases and particulate matter, and, consequently, their impact on atmospheric and ecological processes, and on human health and wellbeing. Wildland fire emission research provides the quantitative information needed for the understanding and management of wildland fire emissions impacts based on human needs. Recent work to characterize emissions from specific fuel types, or those from specific areas, has implicitly been driven by the recognition of the importance of those fuel types in the context of wildland fire science; however, the importance of specific fuels in driving investigations of biomass-burning emissions has not been made explicit thus far. Here, we make a first attempt to discuss the development and application of criteria to answer the question, “What are the most important fuels for biomass-burning emissions investigations to inform wildland fire science and management?” Four criteria for fuel selection are proposed: “(1) total emissions, (2) impacts, (3) availability and uncertainty, and (4) potential for future importance.” Attempting to develop and apply these criteria, we propose a list of several such fuels, based on prior investigations and the body of wildland-fire emission research.

Highlights

These and other biomass-burning emissions are of great importance to atmospheric sciences and public health, here, we concern ourselves with the relatively uncontrolled wildland fires that represent the dominant influence on ecosystems, the atmosphere, and people
A later, more complex scheme created and incorporated 40 fuel types [8]. All these systems have the goal of improving model predictions of fire behavior, fire spread; they are based on fuel characteristics, such as arrangement, rate of drying, and other factors that contribute to the ignition and spread of fires across fuel beds [9]
Improvements to technology and ever-growing datasets will enable greater exploration of factors influencing emissions; this work will include such fine-scale factors as those above, but it will allow for work on fuel assemblages

Summary

Introduction

Structures, if any, are widely scattered.” and with “wildland fire” referring to “Any non-structure fire that occurs in the wildland” This terminology indicates a distinction between wildland fires and the use of open fires to burn agriculture waste or refuse. A later, more complex scheme created and incorporated 40 fuel types [8] All these systems have the goal of improving model predictions of fire behavior, fire spread; they are based on fuel characteristics, such as arrangement, rate of drying, and other factors that contribute to the ignition and spread of fires across fuel beds [9]. A few fuel components, e.g., “Southern Rough” (e.g., “Southern Rough”; [7])

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