Novel nomographs for fire behaviour prediction in Mediterranean and submediterranean vegetation types

Abstract

Summary Nomographs (computational graphics) that calculate the fire spread rate, fireline intensity and flamelength of fires burning in Mediterranean wildlands were created, by using the BEHAVE fire behaviour prediction system. BEHAVE simulated fires spreading, under a wide range of environmental parameters, in fuel models representative of dominant Mediterranean vegetation types: two for broadleaved-evergreen shrublands (maquis), one for Kermes oak shrublands, two for phrygana (garigue), one for grasslands and two for the litter of pine and oak forests. Eight nomographs were produced covering a wide and diversified range of potential fire behaviour. These nomographs present the novelty that their fire predictions are dependent on fluctuations of the windspeed rather than live fuel moisture, taking into consideration that wind is the dominant factor affecting fire behaviour in Mediterranean climates. Additionally, they calculate fireline intensity, a parameter directly related to fire severity. Nomographs can be useful in fire management by providing fast and reliable fire behaviour predictions in prevention planning or in decision-making during actual fire suppression.