Local Fire Research Articles

Wildfire risk awareness and prevention by predominantly Māori rural residents, Karikari Peninsula, Aotearoa New Zealand

Worldwide, people use fire for a variety of purposes. Although researchers have learned how fire is used in many parts of the globe, relatively little is known about wildfire risk awareness and prevention activities by fire users. This paper presents results of a qualitative study in the Far North, Aotearoa New Zealand, where fire is used by residents primarily for burning vegetation on rural properties and household rubbish. Semistructured interviews and a focus group were completed with 25 predominantly Indigenous Māori residents to examine residents’ wildfire risk awareness, fire use and wildfire prevention. Participants’ high level of awareness of the local wildfire risk was due to their understanding of the local environment, past wildfires, attachments to land, information passed down within Māori whānau (extended families), and the local rural fire force. Awareness of the local wildfire risk, attachments to land, and efforts by the local fire force and residents encouraged participants to use fire safely, and abide by and carry out wildfire prevention initiatives. However, there was evidence of fire use contravening fire prevention regulations, including burning during restricted seasons without a permit and in prohibited seasons. Recommendations are provided to encourage safe fire use in Northland and beyond.

Features of civil protection implementationin the context of the local self-government reforming in Ukraine

The purpose of the paper is to study theoretical, legislative and normative principles of civil protection implementation in the context of local self-government reforming in Ukraine. Analyzing and generalizing the scientific work of many scholars, implementation of legal acts, the main functions of local self-government bodies in civil protection implementation for the population have been researched. A detailed assessment of the legal and regulatory framework of civil protection for the population has been carried out. Pressing issues in the system of public management for civil protection of the population in territorial communities have been investigated, as well as the main functional powers of local self-government bodies have been determined. Based on results of the study, the structure of the territorial subsystem of the unified state civil defense system, where the superintendent is the head of the united territorial community, has been proposed. The organizational structure of civil defense of the united territorial community, which includes the head of the united territorial community, a structural unit for civil protection, a local fire and rescue unit, voluntary fire brigades, specialized civil protection services, has been developed. The comparative analysis of the ratio of the firefighters' number to the number of population in countries of the world has been carried out. In Ukraine, the number of firefighters taken from the total population amount is 0.10% (compared with 3.96% in Austria, 3.45% in the Czech Republic, 2.81% in Sweden). The estimated need for firefighters in Ukraine is 300,000, which requires recruitment of local fire brigades (extra 1860 teams, 24 thousand people) and the development of the movement for voluntary fire brigades. The vistas for the further research in this field are the analysis, systematization and generalization of information materials for the operation of civil protection systems at the local level in different countries of the world.

Establishing a Standardized Response System for Organic Linkage of On-Scene Disaster Management System

재난 발생 시 재난관리 주체 간 원활하고 유기적인 연계를 이루는 것은 재난대응에서 무엇보다 중요하다. 그러나 재난의 유형별로 재난관리 주관기관이 존재하는 우리나라의 현실에서 협력적 재난대응이 이루어지기에 많은 한계점이 있다. 표준화된 재난대응절차는 통합적 재난관리체계를 구축하고 운영하는데 있어 중요한 요인이기 때문이다. 본 연구는 이러한 한계점을 개선하기 위해 국내 주요재난관리 주관기관의 재난대응체계와 미국 현장지휘체계의 조직과 기능을 비교·분석하고 표준화된 재난현장 대응체계를 정책적 대안으로 제시하였다. 한국형통합 현장 지휘체계를 제시하기 위해 소방,해경, 경찰, 군, 지자체의 재난대응조직을 비교분석하였다. 이를 통해 명칭은 상이하지만, 기능이 유사한 조직들을 통합하여 표준화 방안을 마련하였다. 표준현장지휘체계 내 주요 기능은 공보, 연락, 상황총괄, 현장대응, 자원지원, 대민지원 등으로 구성하였다.It is most critical to secure organic linkage and cooperation among disaster-related organizations for successful disaster management. However, cooperative disaster management has been limited in Korea because different organizations take roles and responsibilities for different types of disasters according to the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety. Standardized disaster response procedures are key success factors to build and operate the integrated disaster management system. For this reason this study suggests a standardized on-scene disaster response systems as the policy alternative, by analyzing and comparing the major disaster on-scene response systems(Central & Local governments, Fire fighters, Coast guard, and Army etc) in Korea with the Incident Command System (ICS) in United States. In addition, it suggests the core functions of on-scene disaster management system in Korea.

Automatic fire-extinguishing system for inhabited pressurized compartments of manned spacecraft

There is an innovational fire-extinguishing technology implemented via equipage of inhabited pressurized modules of the space station "Mir" and compartments of the Russian segment of International space station by automatic fire extinguishing systems in an orbital flight.Fire-safety in inhabited pressurized compartments of spacecraft (further – InPC SC) became one of the most dangerous factors during an orbital flight after a number of fire-hazardous situations occurred in different countries during preparation and execution of spaceflights [1,2].High fire-risk in InPC of manned SC is determined by the following specific peculiarities of a arrangement and usage conditions of these items:– atmosphere of inhabited compartments is considerably enriched with oxygen – up to 25–40%;– there are many structural non-metal materials (here and after – materials) in order to lower the weight of InPC SC, most part of these materials is combustible under a given concentration of oxygen (here and after – Coх ) in the atmosphere of InPC SC;– ventilation flow (here and after – Vvf ) under normal operation of ventilation means in InPC SC considerably increases a possibility of fast fire-spread in InPC.– inhabited pressurized compartments of SC are filled with electrical equipment, which elements during failures even in low-current circuits became fire sources in oxygen-rich atmosphere;– indoor spaces of inhabited pressurized compartments of SC, as a rule, have complicated figuration with isolated for usage of local fire extinguishing zones with elements of electrical devices.

Synergistic vulnerabilities: climate variability and fire management policy increase farming challenges in southeastern Mexico

Agricultural fire for land preparation is central in the livelihoods of subsistence farmers practicing shifting cultivation. Achieving a good agricultural burn, one in which the biomass is thoroughly consumed within the chosen area, depends on specific weather conditions. Fire use decisions are also shaped by institutions that define the timing and rules for fire use but also constrain the alternatives and shape adaptive capacities. Global and regional climate changes interact with the institutional framing of fire management affecting local fire use and burn outcomes. These effects are documented and analyzed to suggest adaptations to existing governance systems. We examined subsistence farmers’ socio-ecological vulnerability in the Calakmul municipality, located in southeastern Mexico. Using interviews with farmers and government agents, as well as participatory mapping and observation of agricultural burns, we studied fire management knowledge, practices and burn outcomes. Our results describe a continuum of burn outcomes covering good agricultural burns, uncontrolled burns leading to wildfires and “malquemados” literally poorly burned areas. Malquemados represent unsuccessful combustion associated with excess moisture that results in scorched vegetation. We discuss how unexpected early rains trigger effects that cascade through space and the ecological, economic and cultural domains. We argue that fire management has been historically approached from a conservation standpoint yet agricultural fire use and wildfire prevention should also be addressed from a rural development perspective. This shift in fire management would lead to the proper inclusion of the entire array of burn outcomes in studies and policies addressing farmers’ vulnerability amplified by synergistic effects between climate variability and institutional change.

Becoming-a-firefighter – on the intra-active relationship between firefighters and their tools

ABSTRACTThis article focuses on the relationship between the members of a local fire brigade in Sweden and their tools, as well as the organisational dynamics that forge this relation. Drawing on the work of Karen Barad [2007. Meeting the universe halfway. Quantum physics and the entanglement of matter and meaning. Durham: Duke University Press], and particularly her notion of intra-action, the intention is to unpick the strong material and symbolic relationship between men, masculinity and tools seen in this profession. While Barad’s work has been useful within feminist theories, few attempts have been made to investigate how her work can benefit critical studies of men and masculinities, one exception being Ulf Mellström [2016. From a hegemonic politics of masculinity to an ontological politics of intimacy and vulnerability? Ways of imagining through Karen Barad's work. Rhizomes, 30. Retrieved from http://www.rhizomes.net/issue30/mellstrom.html] who explores how intimacy may be productive in developing more nuanced understandings of masculinities. Inspired by this approach, this article explores how using Barad’s notion of intra-action as an analytical tool can facilitate a deeper exploration of men’s intimate relationships with technologies. The intra-action between the members of the local fire brigade and their firefighting tools is not a one-off encounter, but takes place continuously. Hence, while a tool – in a specific situation – becomes an integral part of the body and the identity of a group of people, it requires constant maintenance in order to accomplish successful fire extinctions.

Early stage fire sensing based on audible sound pressure spectra with multi-tone frequencies

An early stage fire-sensing technique based on audible sound pressure spectra with multi-tone frequencies in a security space is proposed. The sound pressure spectra, which are formed by a sound source in a confined security space, are measured from microphones installed within the space. Because the sound velocity depends on the air temperature, changes in the sound pressure spectra are induced by changes in the air temperature around the fire within the space. These changes in the sound pressure spectra can be used for the early stage of a fire-sensing system. The sound-pressure levels (SPLs) in multi-tone sound frequencies with and without local fire generation were measured and analyzed. Various case studies were conducted using a finite element method simulation in echoic spaces, and the experimental results from an echoic cube space and an office room were analyzed. The proposed method for monitoring the audible sound pressure spectra with multi-tone frequencies was shown to be a good solution for an early fire-sensing system within various types of security spaces.

Evidence for bark thickness as a fire-resistance trait from desert to savanna in fire-prone inland Australia

Although bark thickness and fire-activity are correlated in many ecosystems worldwide, substantial data-gaps remain, especially for dryland biomes, preventing generalisation of this relationship at the global scale. We examined bark thickness trends in trees and shrubs across a large-scale fire-rainfall gradient from desert to dry savanna in northern Australia. Bark thickness increased with local fire activity but was unrelated to mean annual rainfall or the mean normalised difference vegetation index (surrogates of resource-productivity). In high-fire regions, thin-barked trees were restricted to localised low-fire patches. Thicker bark was associated with sites characterised by flammable Triodia hummock grassland (spinifex). Within this flora, bark thickness reflected a trade-off in trait allocation to fire resistance versus fire resilience. For trees, thicker bark (fire resistance) was strongly associated with epicormic resprouters. In contrast, fire-resilient species that were either basal resprouters or reseeders had thinner bark. With increasing aridity there was a shift in dominance from epicormic resprouters to thinner-barked shrub and mallee species that either basally resprout or are killed by fire. Pairwise congeneric species comparisons showed a consistent relationship of thicker bark under high fire activity. This same pattern also emerged from a multi-species comparison within the dominant tree genus Eucalyptus. Overall, for this system, species with thick bark at the sapling stage dominate where fire is frequent. Thus, we confirm that fire can be a major driver of plant traits in fire-prone drylands.

How Important is the Time Factor? Saving Lives Using Fire and Rescue Services

The shorter the response time of emergency services the more lives are saved. But, how important in fact is the time factor for saving lives? The objective of this study is to analyse the relation between response time and fatalities, to be able to measure how many lives could be saved with a shorter response time. The study uses data from reports from the fire and rescue services in Sweden for 2005–2013 for residential fires. The time variable used is continuous and the statistical methods are non-linear regression techniques. It is found that the risk of fatality is a non-linear function of response time. For a given change of response time, the increase in risk of fatality is large for a short response time, then decreases, and eventually seems to approach zero. If it was possible to decrease the median response time by 1 min 0.00035 lives could be saved for every turn-out on average. For all turn-outs to residential homes that means that about two lives, or 3%, could be saved per year. The response time is most important for blocks of flats, nursing homes and semi-detached/terraced houses. The response time is more important for fires due to smoking, children playing or started intentionally (arson). The results can be used to evaluate the performance of local fire and rescue services. The method is easy to use for other emergency services, such as ambulances.

Challenges During a Chlorine Gas Emergency Response.

A chlorine gas release occurred at a poultry processing plant as a result of an accidental mixing of sodium hypochlorite and an acidic antimicrobial treatment. We evaluated the public health and emergency medical services response and developed and disseminated public health recommendations to limit the impact of future incidents. We conducted key informant interviews with the state health department; local fire, emergency medical services, and police departments; county emergency management; and representatives from area hospitals to understand the response mechanisms employed for this incident. After being exposed to an estimated 40-pound chlorine gas release, 170 workers were triaged on the scene and sent to 5 area hospitals. Each hospital redistributed staff or called in extra staff (eg, physicians, nurses, and respiratory therapists) in response to the event. Interviews with hospital staff emphasized the need for improved communication with responders at the scene of a chemical incident. While responding, hospitals handled the patient surge without outside assistance because of effective planning, training, and drilling. The investigation highlighted that greater interagency communication can play an important role in ensuring that chemical incident patients are managed and treated in a timely manner. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:553-556).

Development of a Prehospital Tranexamic Acid Administration Protocol

Objective: Early administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality and death secondary to trauma. Our objective was to develop a collaborative prehospital TXA administration protocol between a ground EMS and academic medical center. Methods: Physicians, pharmacists, and EMS and fire department personnel developed a prehospital TXA administration protocol between a local fire and EMS center with a Midwest tertiary care health system based on results from the CRASH-2 Trial. The protocol was initiated March 27, 2013 and the first dose of TXA was administered in September 2013. Results: Since September 2013, nineteen trauma patients received TXA. Survival rate was 89% (17/19); 2 patients expired immediately following arrival to the trauma bay. Seven patients did not receive the in-hospital maintenance dose due to the following: 3/7 (43%) due to miscommunication of pre-TXA administration; 2/7 (29%) did not meet inclusion criteria for TXA protocol; 1/7 (14%) due to protocol noncompliance; 1/7 (14%) due to a chaotic situation with an unstable patient. Conclusions: Prehospital TXA protocol based on the CRASH-2 trial is safe and feasible. The first dose of TXA administered under this protocol marks the first ground EMS administration in the USA. Conceivably, this will pose as a model to other trauma centers that receive patients from outlying areas without immediate access to care. Large multi-institutional analyses need to be performed to evaluate survival benefits of prehospital TXA administration protocol.

Experimental study and analysis on the collapse behavior of an interior column in a steel structure under local fire

This article describes the experimental and analytical results of tests on two medium-scale steel frames to investigate the collapse behavior of a heated interior column in steel-framed structures and the fire-induced collapse mechanism of the structures. Because the heated column in the structure was under realistic inelastic end constraints (inelastic effects from the surrounding cool structures) as opposed to an idealized column in a furnace, the tests were designed to investigate the effect of inelastic end constraints and different load ratios. The interior column subjected to fire in the first story was connected with a force-measuring bearing, which was developed to measure the axial force in the heated column. This article presents the observations and analysis results of structural fire behavior, including the temperature distribution of the column, the development of deflection and axial forces, and the column failure modes. The results show that the effect of realistic inelastic end constraint is not significant for the column behavior during the pre-buckling stage, compared with the elastic constraint, but it is significant during the post-buckling stage. An analytical model was adopted to analyze the behavior of the column with inelastic end constraint under fire. Comparison of the theoretical and experimental results shows that the simplified analytical model can be used to predict the collapse behavior of the interior column in steel-framed structures under fire.

CONTRIBUTION OF NON-STRUCTURAL CONCRETE WALLS TO THE FIRE RESISTANCE OF UNPROTECTED STEEL FRAMES

In the scope of a new industrial building, an R60 fire resistance criterion was requested by the local fire brigade for the steel structure supporting non-structural EI60 concrete walls. On the basis of an investigation conducted after an actual fire in 2008, it was presumed possible to satisfy this R60 criterion using this type of unprotected steel frame. A 2D thermo-plastic model was set up, taking into account the thermal contribution of concrete walls, to limit excessive steel temperatures of the bearing elements. A void was considered between the concrete and the web of the middle columns to simulate real construction works as much as possible. The nominal ISO-834 fire was applied separately in each bay on the exposed parts of the elements. By using fixed column bases in case of fire, the structure can withstand up to 120 minutes of ISO fire i.e. far beyond the collapse of the primary structure subjected to fire. To avoid discussions about the local impact of a real fire, the investigation was extended to columns subjected to a local fire.

PERFORMANCE BASED COUPLED CFD-FEM ANALYSIS OF 3-BAY HIGH INDUSTRIAL HALL UNDER NATURAL FIRE

In this paper, the main emphasis is put into showing differences between standard fire design of structural elements and performance based approach, that takes into account analysis of structure under natural fire. The exemplary structure is a 3-bay 65,0x110,0 m in plane and 22,0 m high industrial hall with heavy cranes. Because of the significant volume with respect to fire load, there is a low probability that the fully developed fire can occur, nonetheless regarding technological process, a significant local fire could take place and affect the neighbour structure. The most complex approach used in this work is based on coupled CFD-FEM analysis of influence of local fire onto structure.Fire exposure of structural elements is calculated by the coupling scripts, taking into account real heat exposure of section by using adiabatic surface temperature approach.

Local Ecological Knowledge and Fire Management: What Does the Public Understand?

Local Ecological Knowledge and Fire Management: What Does the Public Understand?

Signature of tropical fires in the diurnal cycle of tropospheric CO as seen from Metop-A/IASI

Abstract. Five years (July 2007 to June 2012) of CO tropospheric columns derived from the hyperspectral Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) on-board Metop-A are used to study the impact of fires on the concentrations of CO in the troposphere. Following Chédin et al. (2005, 2008), who found a quantitative relation between the daily tropospheric excess of CO2 and fire emissions, we show that tropospheric CO also displays a diurnal signal with a seasonality that agrees well with the seasonal evolution of fires given by Global Fire Emission Database version 3 (GFED3.1) and Global Fire Assimilation System version 1 (GFAS1.0) emissions and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 5 burned area product. Unlike day- or night-time CO fields, which mix local emissions with nearby emissions transported to the region of study, the day–night difference of CO allows to highlight the CO signal due to local fire emissions. A linear relationship between CO fire emissions from the GFED3.1 and GFAS1.0 inventories and the diurnal difference of IASI CO was found over various regions in the tropics, with a better agreement with GFAS1.0 (correlation coefficient of R2 ∼ 0.7) than GFED3.1 (R2 ∼ 0.6). Based on the specificity of the two main phases of the combustion (flaming vs. smoldering) and on the vertical sensitivity of the sounder to CO, the following mechanism is proposed to explain such a CO diurnal signal: at night, after the passing of IASI at 21:30 local time (LT), a large amount of CO emissions from the smoldering phase is trapped in the boundary layer before being uplifted the next morning by natural and pyroconvection up to the free troposphere, where it is seen by IASI at 09:30 LT. The results presented here highlight the need to take into account the specificity of both the flaming and smoldering phases of fire emissions in order to fully take advantage of CO observations.

Quantitative risk assessment of fire accidents of large-scale oil tanks triggered by lightning

Abstract Severe fire accidents may be triggered by lightning strikes in large-scale oil tank areas. A methodology was proposed to quantitatively assess the fire risk. Based on previous relevant fire cases, three categories of fire accident scenarios are summarized: (A) fire accidents at the rim seal, (B) fire accidents above the floating roof and (C) fire accidents by perforation of the float pan. A generic event tree was built to present the process of fire development of oil tanks with the protection of a fire extinguishing system and a fire brigade. The probability models were proposed to calculate the probabilities of lightning strike, tank wall and floating roof damage/perforation, failure of the fire protection system and timely response of fire brigade. The application of the methodology to a case study provided the probabilities of different forms of accidents for three categories. According to the results of the case study, the probabilities of rim seal fire, local pool fire and full surface fire of large-scale oil tanks are 1.10 × 10 − 2 , 10 − 8 –10 − 6 and 2.17 × 10 − 9 , respectively, for Categories A and C, and the probabilities of rim seal fire, local pool fire and full surface fire of large-scale oil tanks are 4.99 × 10 − 2 , 10 − 8 –10 − 5 and 9.85 × 10 − 8 , respectively, for Category B. The fire risk by lightning for Category B is relatively higher, which could be reduced by improving the design of the float pan and enhancing the reliability of the components. Compared with the hazard of local pool fire and full surface fire, the risk of rim seal fire is unacceptable; in this case, an inert gas protection system can be introduced to reduce the risk.

A Finsler geodesic spray paradigm for wildfire spread modelling

One of the finest and most powerful assets of Finsler geometry is its ability to model, describe, and analyse in precise geometric terms an abundance of physical phenomena that are genuinely asymmetric, see e.g. Antonelli et al. (1993, 2003), Yajima and Nagahama (2009), Bao et al. (2004), Cvetič and Gibbons (2012), Gibbons et al. (2007), Astola and Florack (2011), Caponio et al. (2011), Yajima and Nagahama (2015). In this paper we show how wildfires can be naturally included into this family. Specifically we show how the celebrated and much applied Richards’ equations for the large scale elliptic wildfire spreads have a rather simple Finsler-geometric formulation. The general Finsler framework can be explicitly ‘integrated’ to provide detailed–and curvature sensitive–geodesic solutions to the wildfire spread problem. The methods presented here stem directly from first principles of 2-dimensional Finsler geometry, and they can be readily extracted from the seminal monographs Shen (2001) and Bao et al. (2000), but we will take special care to introduce and exemplify the necessary framework for the implementation of the geometric machinery into this new application — not least in order to facilitate and support the dialog between geometers and the wildfire modelling community. The ‘integration’ part alluded to above is obtained via the geodesics of the ensuing Finsler metric which represents the local fire templates. The ‘paradigm’ part of the present proposal is thus concerned with the corresponding shift of attention from the actual fire-lines to consider instead the geodesic spray–the ‘fire-particles’–which together, side by side, mould the fire-lines at each instant of time and thence eventually constitute the local and global structure of the wildfire spread.

Mobilizing Voluntary Organizations in Taiwanese Emergency Response: Citizen Engagement and Local Fire Branch Heads

This article assesses factors that affect the ability of local fire branch heads in Taiwan to mobilize volunteer organizations in local emergency responses. Data from a survey of local fire branch heads in Taiwan is analyzed by using an OLS model to test three hypotheses regarding the relationship between the dependent variable, perceived ability to mobilize volunteer organizations in emergency response, and three explanatory variables: organizational capacity, quality of communication, and the quality of citizen engagement ex-ante to emergency response. The model indicates a positive relationship between the ability to mobilize volunteer organizations in emergency response, the quality of communications, and the quality of citizen engagement in preparedness. The research suggests that local fire branch heads and volunteer organizations should begin the process of emergency response mobilization in the preparedness stage. The quality of the citizen engagement in preparedness stages should increase the ability of local fire branch managers to mobilize external resources in emergency response.

Black carbon concentrations in snow at Tronsen Meadow in Central Washington from 2012 to 2013: Temporal and spatial variations and the role of local forest fire activity

AbstractCharacterizing black carbon (BC) concentrations in the seasonal snowpack is of interest because BC deposition on snow can reduce albedo and accelerate melt. In Washington State, USA snowmelt from the seasonal snowpack provides an important source of water resources, but minimal work has been done characterizing BC concentrations in snow in this region. BC concentrations in snow were monitored over two winters (2012 and 2013) at Tronsen Meadow, located near Blewett Pass in the eastern Cascade Mountains in Central Washington, to characterize spatial and temporal variations in BC concentrations, and the processes affecting BC concentrations in the snowpack. BC concentrations were measured using a Single Particle Soot Photometer. Snowpit BC concentrations at spatial scales ranging from centimeter to 100 m scales were fairly homogenous during the accumulation season, with greater spatial variability during the melt season due to variable melt patterns. BC concentrations in snow increased in late winter‐spring due to an increase in atmospheric BC concentrations and trapping of BC on the snow surface during melt. However, during a period of intense melt in 2013 BC concentrations decreased, likely caused by meltwater scavenging. In summer 2012 the Table Mountain forest fire burned adjacent to the study site, and BC concentrations in the snowpack in 2013 were far higher than in previous years, with charred trees postfire the likely source of the elevated BC.