Fire Response Research Articles

Assembling fire: beyond engineering solutions

PurposeFires have the potential to destroy, resulting in the loss of property and livelihoods, as well as injury, death and repeated trauma for those who are already vulnerable. However, fire as a hazard has been treated rigidly and un-critically, a model that has influenced how it is perceived by policy makers, first responders, engineers and academics and subsequently approaches to implementing and better understanding fire prevention, mitigation, response and recovery from the impacts of fire.Design/methodology/approachThis article deals with fire, arguing that its case can help imagine what liberation might mean within and for disaster studies. The study argues against dogmatic, outdated, technological and solution-focused perspectives that have constrained how fire and its effects are understood and discuss what disciplinary liberation could mean for the study of fire and its integration within DRR. The study’s approach is based on the DRR Assemblage Theory, which points to fire as an issue at a societal level.FindingsThe study explores the themes of fire and liberation through contributions and insights that have emerged through the authors' professional experience in research and practice. It offers an original and timely engagement with disaster studies through the lens of fire, an increasingly pertinent phenomenon for disaster scholars and practitioners alike.Originality/valueBy drawing on the example of fire as a socio-technical-environmental phenomenon, this paper contributes a novel perspective on the intellectual and practical possibilities that can emerge from disciplinary liberation.

Investigation on performance of prestressed hollow core slabs exposed to elevated temperatures

PurposeThis study focused on identifying critical factors governing the fire response of prestressed hollow-core slabs. The hollow-core slabs used as flooring units can be subjected to elevated temperatures during a fire. The fire response of prestressed hollow-core slabs is required to develop slabs with greater fire endurance. The present study aims to determine the extent to which the hollow-core slab can sustain load during a fire without undergoing progressive collapse under extreme fire and heating scenarios.Design/methodology/approachA finite element model was generated to predict the fire response of prestressed hollow core slabs under elevated temperatures. The accuracy of the model was predicted by examining thermal and structural responses through coupled temperature displacement analysis. A sensitivity analysis was performed to study the effects of concrete properties on prediction of system response. A parametric study was conducted by varying the thickness of the slab, fire and heating scenarios.FindingsThermal conductivity and specific heat of concrete were determined as sensitive parameters. The thickness of the slab was identified as a critical factor at a higher load level. Asymmetric heating of the slab resulted in higher fire resistance compared with symmetric heating.Originality/valueThis is the first study focused on studying the effect of modeling uncertainties on the system response by sensitivity analysis under elevated temperatures. The developed model with a parametric study helps in identifying critical factors for design purposes.

Full-scale experimental study of the characteristics of electric vehicle fires process and response measures

Fire accidents are a source of concern for electric vehicles (EV). The spread of fire caused by thermal runaway (TR) in a scenario with a high concentration of EVs can result in a serious disaster. In this study, a full-scale EV fire experiment was conducted using thermal abuse to investigate response strategies to EV fires caused by TR. The pattern of TR fires spreading in EV was also investigated. The suppression capabilities of fire blankets, water spray, and compressed air foam on EV fires in the early stages were analyzed. During the test, the temperature distributions inside and outside the vehicle were measured. The maximum temperature recorded in the passenger compartment near the roof was 919.7 °C. The length of the jet flow was estimated from the images, with the longest being approximately 2.56 m. The fire suppression test demonstrated that the fire blankets effectively extinguished flames, and the temperature inside the car gradually decreased. A water mist device can reduce temperature and put out flames. The compressed air foam effectively extinguished the fire, with an average cooling rate of −9.8 °C/s. These results provide information on EV fire response strategies.

Short-interval, high-severity wildfires cause declines in soil seed bank diversity in montane forests of south-eastern Australia

Wildfires in forested ecosystems are increasing in severity and extent. The adaptations many plants have acquired in response to their natural fire regime may not be sufficient to allow some species to persist. This could impact the forest understorey and its seed bank, which are vital reservoirs of biodiversity, and forest resilience in the face of global change. We present a case study of the montane forests of south-eastern Australia, an area subjected to an increase in frequency and severity of fires. We utilise field surveys and a soil seed bank germination study to investigate if short-interval, high-severity wildfires affect the understorey diversity in montane forests, and if the extant vegetation and the soil seed bank exhibit contrasting responses. We consider species diversity and plant functional traits to explore plant diversity in long unburned sites, and sites with one, two or three short-interval, high-severity fires in the past 25 years. With increasing fire frequency, we found a decrease in total species richness, Shannon’s diversity, and the richness of resprouters in the soil seed bank, contrasting a lack of response in the extant vegetation. Increased fire frequency shifted the species composition and the frequency of plant functional groups of both extant vegetation and soil seed bank towards a decrease in clonal resprouters and increase in grasses and other upright herbs. The frequency of wind-dispersed perennials and short-lived seeders and exotics increased sharply following single high severity burn, particularly in the soil seed bank, and remained elevated relative to long unburnt with subsequent fire. The combined species (extant vegetation plus soil seed bank) pool mirrored shifts in the frequency of functional groups in extant vegetation and soil seed bank. These findings highlight the importance of considering the soil seed bank when examining the effects of fire on fire-prone forests. Although a lack of response in the extant vegetation may be a buffering effect of the soil seed bank, the shift in the frequency of plant functional groups in the combined species pool suggests this cannot be maintained indefinitely. The increase in frequency and abundance of species characteristic of early successional states has implications for increased flammability and potential positive feedbacks between past fire and future fire, especially in a warming and drying climate. These shifts were independent of the fire response strategy of eucalypt canopy species raising significant questions of whether artificial re-seeding programs should extend beyond the current focus on obligate seeding forests and an obligate seeding tree.

Using PODs to integrate fire and fuels planning

Background Potential Wildfire Operational Delineations (PODs) were developed as a pre-season planning tool to promote safe and effective fire response. Past research on PODs has identified uses in an incident management context. There has been little research on how PODs are being utilised in non-incident management contexts to align forest and wildfire planning objectives. Aims We sought to understand how actors are adopting and adapting the PODs framework to inform non-incident management, and to identify facilitators, barriers and recommendations. Methods We investigated three cases, the San Juan National Forest, the San Isabel National Forest and the Washington Department of Natural Resources, through 13 semi-structured, key informant interviews. Key results We found that PODs were helpful for validating fuels treatment plans and supporting communication among agency staff, and with private landowners and collaborators. Challenges included lack of technical knowledge and skills, unclear leadership direction, potential misalignment with other forest management goals and community and agency buy-in to using PODs. Conclusions We offer insights into how PODs are being utilised within our case studies and align these findings with diffusion of innovation literature. Implications This preliminary research is important given increased funding for PODs in recent legislation and the possibility of broader adoption for fuels treatment planning in the future.

Differential response of fire on the community dynamics of five insect taxa in a tropical mountaintop forest archipelago.

The Earth's most diverse group of organisms is facing an imminent crisis, as recent investigations suggest a remarkable decline in insect diversity. Within this context, altimontane forest islands might emerge as important refuges holding an invaluable diversity of species that would be doomed to disappear. Here, we aimed to examine the impact of fire on the temporal variation of ant, bee, butterfly, dung beetle, and wasp communities in natural and highly threatened altimontane forest islands. We predicted that fire incidence would increase the natural variation in the structure of these insects' communities over time. Furthermore, we predicted that each taxon would respond accordingly to their ability to move between forest islands (i.e., vagility). We sampled these five bioindicator taxa in the rainy seasons of 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2020 within 14 forest islands in southeast Brazil. We assessed the incidence (presence/absence) of fire occurrence on each forest island toward the end of the dry season in each sampling year. We found an influence of fire incidence on the species composition changes over time (temporal β-diversity) in the less vagile insect groups: ants, and dung beetles. Nevertheless, we found no influence of fire incidence on shifts in species composition of highly vagile insects: bees, butterflies, and wasps. Importantly, species turnover was the primary component of temporal β-diversity driving the interannual variation of all insect taxa examined in this study. Our results highlight the distinct responses of more-or-less vagile insect groups to fire in forested ecosystems and shed light on the drivers of vulnerability and resilience of these groups to this critical anthropogenic pressure. By understanding and elucidating the intricate responses of distinct insect communities to global stressors, we can strengthen our capacity to predict future trends in biodiversity decline and provide valuable insights for conservation efforts and environmental management strategies.

화재대응 모의훈련평가시스템 개발에 관한 연구

This study developed a simulated fire response training evaluation system based on the Internet of Things to acquire training participants' initial response skills through realistic and practical fire response training, and continuously improve the response activities of training participants based on a quantitative and objective training evaluation system. With the goal of minimizing the scale of fire damage through rapid and accurate response in the event of an unexpected fire accident by establishing a research process for this purpose, developing a fire response training evaluation system based on the overall technical investigation required for research After the operation test, the evaluation system was installed in the test place, and fire response simulation training was conducted for 20 occupants. Prior to training, the evaluation system smartphone app was used to input the training date and time, and after explaining how to use the evaluation system device to the participants, the training was conducted and the results were analyzed.
 As a result, the fire response simulation training evaluation system developed in this study can produce the behavior of fire smoke and measure the time required for each response step of training participants through the system device as a quantified value, enabling quantitative training evaluation. was derived.
 Through this system development and operation experiment, 1) it is possible to implement a fire training situation similar to an actual fire situation using the fire initial response training evaluation system, and 2), it is possible to evaluate fire training quantitatively by response stage, based on the results As a result, future training feedback and continuous improvement activities are possible, and 3) training participants can learn accurate response behaviors, and evaluation can be objectively and quantitatively measured.

A self-healable and highly flame retardant TiO2@MXene/P, N-containing polyimine nanocomposite for dual-mode fire sensing

Scalable early fire warning sensors that integrate passive flame-retardant strategies and active fire alarm sensing are highly requirable in diverse areas. However, the single-mode fire response and performance degradation or even malfunction under mechanical damages remain key challenges for current early fire warning sensors. Herein, a self-healable and flame retardant TiO2@MXene/P, N-containing polyimine nanocomposite (TMPNP) is designed as repeatable dual-mode fire warning sensors. On the one hand, the TMPNP exhibits a high temperature coefficient of resistance of −2.21 %/℃, which endows nanocomposite with an extraordinarily sensitive non-contacting fire warning performance; on the other hand, the TMPNP demonstrates outstanding fire contact warning features of responsive time being less than 1 s and repeatable alarming response, as well as excellent flame-retardant functionality of LOI reaching up to 32.0 %. Moreover, the TMPNP can be effectively recovered after 30 cutting-and-healing cycles with a healing efficiency of 89.3 % via dynamic imine bonds. Particularly, its flame retardancy and fire warning properties in contact/non-contact mode are well maintained after self-healing. These merits support the scalable assembly TMPNP onto cotton textile to develop a wireless household fire early warning sensor linked to the Internet of Things, contributing to construct fire-safety smart buildings. This work provides a scalable strategy for preparing healable sensitive fire warning sensors, opening up a new opportunity for the practical application of eliminating indoor fire hazards.

Study on the Influence of Ventilation Speed on Smoke and Temperature Characteristics of Complex Underground Spaces

This study explores the intricate behaviors of smoke flow, temperature distribution, carbon monoxide (CO) levels, and visibility dynamics within complex underground spaces during fire incidents. A key revelation is the profound impact of ventilation speed, with the identification of a critical range between 2 and 3 m/s that consistently proves to be instrumental in curbing smoke-related hazards and ensuring the safe evacuation of personnel. Furthermore, this paper underscores the influence of accelerated longitudinal winds on temperature profiles, particularly under high HRR conditions, underscoring the importance of accounting for wind effects in comprehensive fire response strategies. Regarding CO concentration, which is a critical safety concern, this study demonstrates that higher ventilation speeds effectively reduce hazardous gas levels, thereby fortifying overall safety measures. The visibility is analyzed, with the findings indicating that elevated ventilation speeds enhance visibility, albeit with considerations about potential drawbacks on personnel evacuation due to excessive wind speed. In conclusion, this paper offers a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal role played by ventilation speed in underground space safety by encompassing smoke control and temperature management.

Granule cells perform frequency-dependent pattern separation in a computational model of the dentate gyrus.

Mnemonic discrimination (MD) may be dependent on oscillatory perforant path input frequencies to the hippocampus in a "U"-shaped fashion, where some studies show that slow and fast input frequencies support MD, while other studies show that intermediate frequencies disrupt MD. We hypothesize that pattern separation (PS) underlies frequency-dependent MD performance. We aim to study, in a computational model of the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), the network and cellular mechanisms governing this putative "U"-shaped PS relationship. We implemented a biophysical model of the DG that produces the hypothesized "U"-shaped input frequency-PS relationship, and its associated oscillatory electrophysiological signatures. We subsequently evaluated the network's PS ability using an adapted spatiotemporal task. We undertook systematic lesion studies to identify the network-level mechanisms driving the "U"-shaped input frequency-PS relationship. A minimal circuit of a single granule cell (GC) stimulated with oscillatory inputs was also used to study potential cellular-level mechanisms. Lesioning synapses onto GCs did not impact the "U"-shaped input frequency-PS relationship. Furthermore, GC inhibition limits PS performance for fast frequency inputs, while enhancing PS for slow frequency inputs. GC interspike interval was found to be input frequency dependent in a "U"-shaped fashion, paralleling frequency-dependent PS observed at the network level. Additionally, GCs showed an attenuated firing response for fast frequency inputs. We conclude that independent of network-level inhibition, GCs may intrinsically be capable of producing a "U"-shaped input frequency-PS relationship. GCs may preferentially decorrelate slow and fast inputs via spike timing reorganization and high frequency filtering.

Simple Visual Aids for Predicting Fire Response of RC Columns: Nomograms via Machine Learning

Assessing the ability of reinforced concrete (RC) columns to withstand the effects of fire is a multifaceted and intricate problem due to the various factors that influence their fire response. As such, engineers may find it challenging to precisely predict such fire resistance. While some codal provisions exist and fire testing/advanced modeling can be adopted, the same methods may suffer from poor predictivity and can be costly and/or complex. In this paper, we shift focus toward machine learning techniques (by means of Nomograms) that can produce simple visual aids to assess the fire resistance of RC columns. Our analysis shows that Nomograms can be accurate, account for a series of factors currently absent from our domain knowledge and provisions, and outperform existing methods adopted in building codes. Our analysis also infers that such Nomograms could be possible candidates for adoption in standardized settings, given their simplicity, ease of use, and lack of multi-stepped procedures.

High fire safety thermal protective composite aerogel with efficient thermal insulation and reversible fire warning performance for firefighting clothing

High fire safety thermal protective aerogels serve as a thermal insulation barrier in firefighting clothing are urgently needed to improve personal protective technology. However, fabricating fire protection aerogels that can simultaneously hold efficient insulation and early fire warning capabilities to provide high fire safety for firefighters still remains grand challenging. Herein, a novel lightweight and high fire safety smart thermal protective composite aerogel (APFP) composed of aramid nanofibers (ANFs), polyethylene glycol (PEG), Fe3O4 NWs, and polyaniline (PANI) was fabricated via freeze-drying and a chemical in-situ polymerization method. The resultant APFP achieved an efficient thermal buffer performance in response to high temperature with a latent heat of 162.5 J/g due to the absorption and storage thermal capability of PEG.Furthermore, based on the resistance change of Fe3O4 NWs under high temperature and flame, adding 25 wt% Fe3O4 NWs to ANFs-based aerogel, APFP aerogel can achieve resistance sensitive transition from an electrically insulated state to a highly conductive state. Under a flame attack, the APFP demonstrated an ultrasensitive and repeatable fire warning response (1.3 s), which contributes to acquiring active fire protection for APFP before the thermal barrier layer malfunctions in fire. In addition, the APFP exhibited impressive flexibility, heat insulation, lightweight, and flame retardancy, which self-extinguished within 1.5 s after exposure to fire for 10 s. This work proposed an ingenious strategy for the construction of high fire safety and thermal insulation fireproof aerogels, which revealed enticing prospects as thermal insulation barrier in the field of firefighting clothing.

A Fire Prevention Measure for Disaster Prevention Planning Based on Resident Conditions and Community Characteristics in Preserved Historic Districts/Village in Japan

ABSTRACT Many historic districts/villages in East Asia are densely built with traditional wooden structures that are not resistant to disasters, making them vulnerable to fire and at high risk of large-scale fires. Particularly in Japan, the types of historic districts/villages vary in terms of how they were formed based on where they are located. In addition to the high risk of fire, in recent years, with the aging of the population, there has been a rise in the number of vacant houses and households with only elderly residents, which has led to an increase in the risk of delayed fire detection and reduced fire response capabilities. In this study, we focus on preserved commercial and waving industrial historic districts and a historic mountain village in Japan. Through multiple questionnaires and interview surveys with residents, we examine the use of a fire signal sharing system to control fire damage by sharing fire signals with neighbors to detect and discover fires at a very early stage and extinguish fires early by mutual assistance among residents. As a result, in the surveyed historic districts/village, based on the understanding of the actual living situations and use of buildings, it is revealed that it is difficult to discover and respond to fires at an early stage during certain time periods due to a decline in population in the district/village and changes in building use. Then, through analyzing resident questionnaire results on neighborhood relations and resident awareness of mutual assistance in the event of a disaster, residents’ degree of neighborhood interaction and level of cooperation perception, it is clarified that residents with close neighborhood relations and high degrees of neighborhood interaction tend to have high levels of cooperation perception and will take various cooperative response actions to the extent of initial fire extinguishing. Based on the analysis of the survey results conducted in the preserved historic districts where a fire signal sharing system has already been installed as a fire prevention measure, it is found that the residents who actually took mutual-aid actions related to early fire response when the system was triggered had high degrees of interaction, and especially the resident cooperation during an early stage fire in Takayama Sanmachi is considered to be effective in controlling fire damage.

Peningkatan Pengetahuan Tanggap Bencana Kebakaran Melalui VBE

Knowledge of fire disaster response is very necessary to avoid the risk of fire hazards that can occur such as loss of property, injury and even loss of life. The results of the preliminary assessment found that most of the education staff and cleaning service had not received information related to fire disaster response including independent evacuation, around 37 participants (59.5%) were less responsive to fire. Therefore, the community service team conducted fire disaster response counseling through Video Based Education (VBE) to increase the knowledge of educational staff and cleaning service at the Siti Walidah building, University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY). This method of implementing community service activities is carried out by providing education through video media which contains fire prevention in the building and self-evacuation. The results of the implementation of community service activities showed an increase in knowledge about fire disasters among education staff and cleaning service from a less level of knowledge 54%, moderate 46% and high 6% to a high level of knowledge 44%, moderate 39% and less 17%. Through the implementation of community service activities with education using VBE, it can improve knowledge of fire disaster response for education staff and cleaning service at the Siti Walidah UMY building.Keywords:, Disaster Response, Education, Fire, Knowledge Video Based Education

An Analysis of Related Laws and Literatures to Identify Fire Risk Factors for Factories in Industrial Complexes

Owing to recent factory fires in industrial complexes, fire safety measures are being prepared nationally. Accordingly, this study conducted an analysis of related laws and literatures to identify fire risk factors for factories in industrial complexes as part of the development of fire prediction, control, and response technologies. Through this, the definition and classification system for industrial complexes, application of fire safety measures, fire risk factor identification methods and processes, and fire characteristics and protection measures for factories in industrial complexes were examined. The review results confirmed that the buildings corresponding to factories in industrial complexes were large, and the facilities were of Type 3. Based on this, the scale and scope of buildings located in fire risk blind spots in factories within industrial complexes were set to be less than 5,000 m<sup>2</sup> in total floor area and no more than 10 stories (less than 33 m in height). In addition, in & exterior of protection and risk (IEPR) analysis using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats (SWOT) analysis was proposed to select fire risk factors for factories in industrial complexes. In conclusion, the following four fire risk factor selection models were proposed through matrix creation: fire risk, life safety, fire spread, and fire protection.

Fire-mediated biomass loss of woody species seedlings causing demographic bottleneck in the Terai Forests of Central Nepal

Forest fire produces varying ecological effects determining vegetation patterns in ecosystems. Plant community assemblages in forests are altered by fire influencing growth and development. Some plant communities are suppressed and some are encouraged to develop due to fire. Little empirical evidence exists revealing the condition of fire-mediated loss of small-sized individuals, and response of fire to demographic structure of woody plant species in Nepal. The aim of this research, therefore, is to quantify fire-mediated biomass loss of small-sized individuals of woody species (seedlings), and investigate the associated impacts on the demographic structure of plants in the Terai forests of central Nepal. Impacts on small-sized individuals of woody plant species were evaluated based on evidence from 25 sites with 50, 1 m × 1 m subplots for seedlings nested in 10 m × 10 m plots (n = 50) for saplings and adults. Of the 50 sampling plots, 25 represented fire-affected and the remaining 25 represented control plots. Mean density of resprouting and newly grown seedlings developed in one year after the surface fire was 46,800 ± 4071 inds. ha−1. Shorea robusta Gaertn. was the most abundant species regenerated with seedlings in the control forest sites. The estimated average yearly loss of above ground biomass (AGB) for woody plant seedlings in the forest due to surface fire was 1,651.5 ± 360.2 kg ha−1. Of the total fire-affected AGB of S. robusta, 700.0 kg ha−1 was the immediate burnt loss and 322.5 kg ha−1 was dead AGB left unburnt. Similarly, among the other most abundant species, higher proportion of immediate fresh AGB loss was observed for Mallotus philippensis (Lam.) Müll.-Arg. and Casearia graveolens Dalzell. compared to dead AGB left unburnt. The Weibull probability density function shows the existence of saplings recruitment bottleneck in the fire-prone forest sites, i.e., growth of seedlings to saplings was restricted. Surface fire impacted the development of DBH class > 0–5 cm saplings. Surface fires are one of the potential environmental filters of the plant species regeneration and composition in the forests of lowland Terai Nepal. These demographic variations and bottlenecks should be considered while formulating management actions to conserve vegetation assemblages in fire-mediated ecosystems.

Establishment of the Fire Response Guideline for Electric Vehicleson Underground Roads

Establishment of the Fire Response Guideline for Electric Vehicleson Underground Roads

Fighting Anthropogenic Forest Fires: Implications from Forest Fires in the Mediterranean Region

This study aims to reveal the variables affecting forest fire response management, identify the difficulties encountered, and develop solutions. In the study, semi-structured interview technique, which is a qualitative research method, was used. The data obtained within the scope of the study were analysed by thematic analysis method. A purposeful sampling method was used within the scope of the study, and in-depth interviews were conducted with eleven firefighters who responded to the Mediterranean region fires in 2021. In the analyses made within the study's scope, four themes were revealed: coordination, source and spread factors, response reactions, and institutional roles. As a result of the study, it was seen that the participants often associated their past forest fire response experiences with the concepts of helplessness and inexperience due to a lack of training, equipment, and personnel. As a result of the analysis showed that the most common cause of forest fires in the region was the human factor, and the most serious problem encountered in the intervention was the lack of coordination. Within the scope of the study, it is recommended that professionals make the coordination the awareness of the local people, which constitutes the majority of the volunteer capacity, about forest fire precautions, and the voluntary firefighting system should be activated and included in the response system, especially in areas with high fire risk.

Evaluation of Fire Blight Resistance of Eleven Apple Rootstocks Grown in Kazakhstani Fields

Clonal rootstocks of apple trees are one of the main components of intensive horticulture, and they play an important role in regulating tree growth, yield, fruit quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. In the two-year monitoring survey reported here, eleven rootstocks mainly used for cultivar grafting in Kazakhstan were assessed for fire blight resistance, taking genetic background into consideration. The loci FB_F7 on LG7 and FB_MR5 and RLP1 on LG3 were analyzed on the basis of SCAR and SNP markers. The rootstocks ‘Geneva 41’, ‘62-396’, and ‘Geneva16’, bearing resistant alleles for five markers (AH0JFXM, AH21B92, AH4AAGA, AH5I8MI, and AH6R6SQ), four markers (AH0JFXM, AH21B92, AH4AAGA, and AH5I8MI), and one (AH4AAGA) SNP marker, respectively, were not infected during the monitoring period despite weather conditions in 2022 being favorable for the development and spread of Erwinia amylovora. No connection was identified between the presence of a resistant allele for the AE10-375 marker and fire blight resistance responses. This is the first study to evaluate the fire blight resistance of foreign and local rootstocks grown in the Kazakhstan southern region.

Fire‐regime variability and ecosystem resilience over four millennia in a Rocky Mountain subalpine watershed

Abstract Wildfires strongly influence forest ecosystem processes, including carbon and nutrient cycling, and vegetation dynamics. As fire activity increases under changing climate conditions, the ecological and biogeochemical resilience of many forest ecosystems remains unknown. To investigate the resilience of forest ecosystems to changing climate and wildfire activity over decades to millennia, we developed a 4800‐year high‐resolution lake‐sediment record from Silver Lake, Montana, USA (47.360° N, 115.566° W). Charcoal particles, pollen grains, element concentrations and stable isotopes of C and N serve as proxies of past changes in fire, vegetation and ecosystem processes such as nitrogen cycling and soil erosion, within a small subalpine forest watershed. A published lake‐level history from Silver Lake provides a local record of palaeohydrology. A trend towards increased effective moisture over the late Holocene coincided with a distinct shift in the pollen assemblage c. 1900 yr BP, resulting from increased subalpine conifer abundance. Fire activity, inferred from peaks in macroscopic charcoal, decreased significantly after 1900 yr BP, from one fire event every 126 yr (83–184 yr, 95% CI) from 4800 to 1900 yr BP, to one event every 223 yr (175–280 yr) from 1900 yr BP to present. Across the record, individual fire events were followed by two distinct decadal‐scale biogeochemical responses, reflecting differences in ecosystem impacts of fires on watershed processes. These distinct biogeochemical responses were interpreted as reflecting fire severity, highlighting (i) erosion, likely from large or high‐severity fires, and (ii) nutrient transfers and enhanced within‐lake productivity, likely from lower severity or patchier fires. Biogeochemical and vegetation proxies returned to pre‐fire values within decades regardless of the nature of fire effects. Synthesis. Palaeorecords of fire and ecosystem responses provide a novel view revealing past variability in fire effects, analogous to spatial variability in fire severity observed within contemporary wildfires. Overall, the palaeorecord highlights ecosystem resilience to fire across long‐term variability in climate and fire activity. Higher fire frequencies in past millennia relative to the 20th and 21st century suggest that northern Rocky Mountain subalpine ecosystems could remain resilient to future increases in fire activity, provided continued ecosystem recovery within decades.