Intermediate

Intermediate Wildland
Wildland Fire
Fire
Behavior
Behavior (S-290)
(S-290)

UNIT
UNIT 88
Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture
 Unit 8: Fuel Moisture
Objectives:
X Name the five stages of vegetative
X
development of live fuels, and give the
average percent moisture content of each.
X Describe the relationships among relative
X
humidity, wind, and moisture content of fine
and large fuels.
X Explain how the amount and duration of
X
precipitation and soil moisture affect
moisture content of fine and large fuels.
 Unit 8: Fuel Moisture
Objectives (cont ’d) :
(cont’d)
X Define the fuel moisture timelag concept and
X
its value to firefighters and fire managers.
X Describe how fuel moisture is determined for
X
dead fuels in each of the four timelag
timelag
categories.
X Define moisture of extinction, how it varies in
X
natural fuel complexes, and how it affects
wildland fire ignition and spread.
 Unit 8: Fuel Moisture
Objectives (cont ’d) :
(cont’d)
X Determine fuel moisture contents for
X for dead
dead 11--
hour
hour timelag
timelag fuels
fuels from
from fuel
fuel moisture
moisture tables
tables
during daylight conditions.
Natural Fuel Situations
 Fuel Moisture Content

Amount
Amount of
of water
water in
in aa fuel,
fuel,
expressed
expressed as
as aa percent
percent ofof the
the
oven
oven dry
dry weight
weight of
of that
that fuel
fuel
 Living Fuels

ANNUALS
HERBACEOUS
LIVE
LIVE
LIVE FUELS PERENNIALS &&
DEAD
DEAD
WOODY CONIFEROUS
FUELS
FUELS
DECIDUOUS
Annual Tread of Jack Pine Foliar
Moisture
300

250

200

150

100

50

0
March April May June July August Sept Oct

New Foliage Old Foliage

Live Fuel Moisture Content

Stage of vegetative development moisture content

Percent

Fresh foliage, annuals developing, early in growing cycle. 300

Maturing foliage, still developing with full turgor. 200

Mature foliage, new growth complete and comparable to

100
older perennial foliage.

Entering dormancy, coloration starting, some leaves may

50
have dropped from stem.

Completely cured. Treat as 30 

dead fuel
 Moisture Content Changes in
Cheatgrass
MOISTURE CONTENT (%) 250

200
LIVING
GREEN
150

100

TRANSITION PURPLE
50
30
DEAD STRAW
0
SPRING SUMMER
 Live Fuel Moisture (Sagebrush)
Muskrat Springs -- Salt Lake District
Year
1996 1997 1998 1999

250

200

150

100

50

0
2/14 3/21 4/18 5/16 6/13 7/11 8/8 9/5 10/3 10/31 12/11
1/17 3/7 4/4 5/2 5/30 6/27 7/25 8/22 9/19 10/17 11/14

Two-Week Period Ending

 Live Fuel Moisture (Juniper)
Muskrat Springs -- Salt Lake District
Year
1996 1997 1998 1999

150

120

90

60

30

0
2/14 3/21 4/18 5/16 6/13 7/11 8/8 9/5 10/3 10/31 12/11
1/17 3/7 4/4 5/2 5/30 6/27 7/25 8/22 9/19 10/17 11/14

Two-Week Period Ending

Moisture Exchange in Wildland
Fuels

RELATIVE HUMIDITY

PRECIPITATION & DEW EVAPORATION

EVAPORATION

GROUND MOISTURE
Equilibrium Moisture Content
 Environmental Factors
Influencing Fuel Moisture
NIGHT
CLOUDS
CANOPY
 Environmental Factors
Influencing Fuel Moisture
NIGHT
CLOUDS
CANOPY

ASPECT
SLOPE
 Environmental Factors
Influencing Fuel Moisture
NIGHT WIND
ELEVATION
CLOUDS
CANOPY TEMPERATURE
FUEL
SHADE RELATIVE
MOISTURE
ASPECT HUMIDITY
SLOPE
UNSHADED
SOLAR PRECIPITATION
RADIATION
Shaded vs. Unshaded Effects
on Fuel Temperatures

AIR TEMPERATURE 85º

FUEL MOISTURE
85º
3%
160º
8% 110º
SURFACE TEMP
 Aspect Affects Fuel Moisture
15
15
(%))
Content (%

EAST SLOPE
Moisture Content

10
10 NORTH SLOPE
SOUTH SLOPE
Moisture

55 WEST SLOPE

00
0000

0000

00
00

::00
::00
00::

66::

1122

1188

Time of Day
 Solar Heating Received at
Boise, Idaho
E = EQUINOX
3000
Btus/Ave Days/sq ft

2000 E
E

1000

0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
MONTH
Elevation
Elevation Affects
Affects Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture
(Daytime)
(Daytime) FUEL
FUEL
ELEVATION
ELEVATION TEMP
TEMP RH
RH MOISTURE
MOISTURE

6000
6000 FEET
FEET 69
69 ºº 39%
39% 8%
8%

5000
5000 FEET
FEET 73
73 ºº 35%
35% 7%
7%

4000
4000 FEET
FEET 76
76 ºº 31%
31% 6%
6%

3000
3000 FEET
FEET 80
80 ºº 27%
27% 5%
5%

2000
2000 FEET
FEET 83
83 ºº 25%
25% 5%
5%

1000
1000 FEET
FEET 87
87 ºº 22%
22% 4%
4%
Slope
Slope Percent
Percent Affect
Affect Solar
Solar Heating
Heating
WINDS
 Duration
Duration of
of Precipitation
Precipitation &
Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture
35
35
(%)
CONTENT (%)

30
MOISTURE CONTENT

30

25
25

20
20 1-Hour
1-Hour
FUEL MOISTURE

10-Hour
10-Hour
15
15 100-Hour
100-Hour
10
10

55
FUEL

00
00 22 44 66 88 10
10 12
12 14
14 16
16
HOURS
HOURS OF
OF CONTINUOUS
CONTINUOUS
PRECIPITATION
PRECIPITATION
Timelag
Timelag and
and Fuel
Fuel Size
Size Relationships
Relationships
Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Timelag
Timelag Categories
Categories
TIMELAG DIAMETER (inches)
1-Hour 0 to 
10-Hour  to 1
100-Hour 1 to 3
1000-Hour 3 to 8
 Reaction
Reaction Time
Time of Fuels to
MOISTURE CONTENT Wetting & Drying

12”
12” LOG
LOG

½”
½” STICKS
STICKS

DAY
DAY LAST
LAST 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
BEFORE
BEFORE DAY
DAY OF
OF
PRECIPITATION DAYS AFTER PRECIPITATION
 Daily
Daily Relationship
Relationship of
of Relative
Relative
Humidity
Humidity to
to Fine
Fine Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture
CONTENT
MOISTURE CONTENT

RELATIVE HUMIDITY
& MOISTURE
HUMIDITY &
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
PERCENT
PERCENT

MOISTURE CONTENT
RELATIVE

00
12
12 PM
PM 66 AM
AM NOON
NOON 66 PM
PM 12
12 PM
PM
Methods
Methods for
for Determining
Determining Fuel
Fuel
Moisture
Moisture Content
Content
 Determining Fuel Moisture Content
in
in Fine Dead Fuels (1-Hour Timelag)
Dry
Dry Bulb
Bulb Temperature
Temperature REFERENCE
REFERENCE FUEL
FUEL
Relative
Relative Humidity
Humidity MOISTURE
MOISTURE (RFM)
(RFM)

Month
Month FUEL
FUEL MOISTURE
MOISTURE
Shaded or Unshaded
Shaded or Unshaded CORRECTION
CORRECTION (FMC)
(FMC)
Time of Day
Time of Day
Site
Site Location
Location
Aspect
Aspect ADJUSTED
ADJUSTED FINE
FINE DEAD
DEAD
Slope
Slope FUEL
FUEL MOISTURE
MOISTURE (FDFM)
(FDFM)
 Table
Table 11
Reference
Reference Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture (Day
(Day Time
Time 0800-1959)
0800-1959)
Input
Input Line
Line 66

Go
Go to
to Tables
Tables 2,3,
2,3, or
or 44 for
for Corrections
Corrections
Fine
Fine Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture Worksheet
Worksheet
 Table
Table 22
Fine
Fine Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture Content
Content Corrections
Corrections
(Day
(Day Time
Time 0800-1959)
0800-1959) May,
May, June,
June, July
July
Input
Input Line
Line 13
13

Note:
Note: BB == 1,000
1,000 to
to 2,000
2,000 feet
feet below
below site
site
LL == ±± 1,000
1,000 feet
feet of
of site
site location
location
AA == 1,000
1,000 to
to 2,000
2,000 feet
feet above
above site
site
 Table
Table 33
Fine
Fine Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture Content
Content Corrections
Corrections
(Day
(Day Time
Time 0800-1959)
0800-1959) Feb,
Feb, March,
March, April
April // Aug,
Aug, Sept,
Sept, Oct
Oct
Input
Input Line
Line 13
13

Note:
Note: BB == 1,000
1,000 to
to 2,000
2,000 feet
feet below
below site
site
LL == ±± 1,000
1,000 feet
feet of
of site
site location
location
AA == 1,000
1,000 to
to 2,000
2,000 feet
feet above
above site
site
 Table
Table 44
Fine
Fine Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture Content
Content Corrections
Corrections
(Day
(Day Time
Time 0800-1959)
0800-1959) November,
November, December,
December, January
January
Input
Input Line
Line 13
13

Note:
Note: BB == 1,000
1,000 to
to 2,000
2,000 feet
feet below
below site
site
LL == ±± 1,000
1,000 feet
feet of
of site
site location
location
AA == 1,000
1,000 to
to 2,000
2,000 feet
feet above
above site
site
Temperature
Temperature and
and Humidity
Humidity Selection
Selection
2,000 feet

Above Site (A)

1,000 feet

Site Location (L) 0 feet

1,000 feet

Below Site (B)

2,000 feet
Solution
Solution to
to Exercise
Exercise 2,
2, Number
Number 3a
3a &
& 3b
3b
Fine
Fine Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture Worksheet
Worksheet
 Example
Example of
of B,
B, L,
L, A
A Values
Values
Fine
Fine Dead
Dead Fuel
Fuel Moisture
Moisture Worksheet
Worksheet
FIRE SEVERITY RELATED TO RELATIVE
HUMIDITY AND FUEL MOISTURE CHART
R.
R.H.
H. 1-HR
1-HR 10-
10-HR
HR Relative
Relative ease
ease of
of chance
chance ignition
ignition and
and sspotting,
potting,
(%)
(%) F.
F.M.
M. %
% F.
F.M.
M. %
% general
general burning
burning con
conditions
ditions
Very
Very little
little ignition;
ignition; some
some spotting
spotting may
may occur
occur with
with
>60
>60 >20
>20 >15
>15 winds
winds above
above 99 mphmph
Low
Low ignition
ignition hazard--campfires
hazard--campfires become
become dangerous;
dangerous;
45-60
45-60 15-19
15-19 12-15
12-15 glowing brands cause ignition when relative
glowing brands cause ignition when relative
humidity
humidity is
is <50
<50 percent
percent
Medium
Medium ignitability--matches
ignitability--matches become
become dangerous;
dangerous;
30-45
30-45 11-14
11-14 10-12
10-12 easy
easy burning
burning conditions
conditions
High
High ignition
ignition hazard--matches
hazard--matches always
always dangerous;
dangerous;
26-40
26-40 8-10
8-10 8-9
8-9 occasional
occasional crowning,
crowning, spotting
spotting caused
caused by
by gusty
gusty
winds;
winds; moderate
moderate burning
burning conditions
conditions
Quick
Quick ignition,
ignition, rapid
rapid buildup,
buildup, extensive
extensive crowning;
crowning;
any
any increase
increase inin wind
wind causes
causes increased
increased spotting,
spotting,
15-30
15-30 5-7
5-7 5-7
5-7 crowning,
crowning, loss
loss of
of control;
control; fire
fire moves
moves up
up bark
bark of
of
trees
trees igniting
igniting aerial
aerial fuels;
fuels; long
long distance
distance spotting
spotting in
in
pine
pine stands;
stands; dangerous
dangerous burning
burning conditions
conditions
All
All sources
sources of
of ignition
ignition dangerous;
dangerous; aggressive
aggressive
burning,
burning, spot
spot fires
fires occur
occur often
often and
and spread
spread rapidly,
rapidly,
<15
<15 <5
<5 <5
<5 extreme
extreme fire
fire behavior
behavior probable;
probable; critical
critical burning
burning
conditions
conditions
 Unit 8: Fuel Moisture
REVIEW
Objectives:
X Name the five stages of vegetative
X
development of live fuels, and give the
average percent moisture content of each.
X Describe the relationships among relative
X
humidity, wind, and moisture content of fine
and large fuels.
X Explain how the amount and duration of
X
precipitation and soil moisture affect
moisture content of fine and large fuels.
 Unit 8: Fuel Moisture
REVIEW
Objectives (cont ’d) :
(cont’d)
X Define the fuel moisture timelag concept and
X
its value to firefighters and fire managers.
X Describe how fuel moisture is determined for
X
dead fuels in each of the four timelag
timelag
categories.
X Define moisture of extinction, how it varies in
X
natural fuel complexes, and how it affects
wildland fire ignition and spread.
 Unit 8: Fuel Moisture
REVIEW
Objectives (cont ’d) :
(cont’d)
X Determine fuel moisture contents for
X for dead
dead 11--
hour
hour timelag
timelag fuels
fuels from
from fuel
fuel moisture
moisture tables
tables
during daylight conditions.