Browsing by Author "Fernandes P.M."

Filter results by typing the first few letters
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Scopus
    Fuel modelling and potential fire behavior in Turkey
    (2015-01-01) Kucuk O.; Bilgili E.; Fernandes P.M.
    Description of fuel characteristics is an essential input to fire behavior models that can provide decision-support for fire management. Fuel models describe fuel characteristics for fire modeling systems based on Rothermel's fire spread model. In this study, fire behavior data collected in field experiments in different fuel complexes in Turkey is used in the process of fuel model development. Nine fuel models were built for low and tall maquis, Anatolian black pine (P. nigra J.F. Arnold subsp. nigra var. caramanica (Loudon) Rehder), litter, and slash variable in age and load. BehavePlus simulations of fire rate of spread, flame length and fireline intensity for typical summer weather conditions highlight the quite different fire potential between the studied fuel types. The difficulty in dealing with fuel complexes dominated by live fuels was evident from the simulations. On the contrary, the model correctly predicted the observed temporal decrease of fire behavior in slash. This study shows the crucial importance of experimental fire data to parameterize fuel models.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Scopus
    Rates of surface fire spread in a young calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) plantation
    (2012-01-01) Kucuk O.; Bilgili E.; Bulut S.; Fernandes P.M.
    Fire behaviour data and models are essential in modern fire management. Thirty five experimental line-ignited fires were carried out in a young calabrian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) stand with the objective of modelling the rate of surface fire spread. Relationships between rate of fire spread, and fuel, weather and topographical conditions were established by correlation and regression analyses. Dead fine fuel loading ranged from 0.19 to 0.68 kg m-2. Rate of fire spread varied from 0.3 to 3.75 m min-1 and flame length ranged from 5 cm to 55 cm. Rate of fire spread equations were generated that described the relationships of spread rate with fuel and weather conditions, using linear regression models. Wind speed had a dominant effect on rate of surface fire spread and explained 72% (P < 0.01) of the observed variation.