QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF PRESCRIBED BURNING.

Compendium of two studies concerning measurements of fuel properties, flame characteristics and weather conditions at three range-improvement prescribed burns and an analytical model for steady state flame propagation through a thermally thin, porous fuel bed. The aim is to quantitatively describe flame spread in prescribed burns so that fire behavior may be accurately predicted. Measurements are reported for the following fuel and terrain parameters: fuel loading, density, size, surface to volume ratio, moisture content, ground slope, air temperature, humidity, and wind velocity. Flame propagation rate, geometry, height and temperature are also included. Energy transfer mechanisms are considered. The effects of ambient flow, fuel moisture, fuel bed stope and endothermic porolysis are included. A nondimensional flame spread velocity is obtained as a function of nondimensional fuel, flame and ambient flow properties.