The International Crown

Fire Modelling Experiment:

An Overview and Summary To-date

Martin E. Alexander

Natural Resources

Canada

Canadian Forest

Service

Ressources naturelles

Canada

Service canadien

des forêts

22nd Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference

October 15-18, 2001

Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada

ICFME

Study

Site

Location

of

ICFME

Study

Area

ICFME site selected - June 1994

Fuel Complex: 13m Jack Pine Overstory/Black

Spruce Understory

Layout for

ICFME Study

Area

Main Plots

Established

in 1995

Sampling of:

• Ground Fuels

• Surface Fuels

• Ladder Fuels

• Crown Fuels

Completed in 1995-96

Conference Poster

• “Burning

Window”

defined: mid

June-early July

• Weather station

established on

site

• Weather

forecasts from

CFS

Meteorologist

Instrumentation Installation and Setup Testing of PPE clothing

NASA Smoke Sampling

Equipment Structural Ignition Testing

On-site Briefing Prior to Ignition Weighing Fuel Moisture Sticks

Terra-torch Ignition!

Depth of Burn Sampling

GNWT Fire Management Staff

Plot A - July 1, 1997 Plot 5 - July 4, 1997

Plot 6 - July 6, 1997

Plot A

Plot 6

Plot 5

1997:

3 Fires

Plot 8 - July 4, 1998

Plot 7 - July 5, 1998

Phase II 1998:

Only 2 Fires!!!

1998 certainly

tested our

Resolve

Aspen Plot - June 17, 1999 Plot I1- June 18, 1999

Plot 9 - June 19, 1999

Phase III

1999

Continued...

Plot 4 - June 20, 1999 Plot 2 - June 29, 1999

Plot S-2 - June 28, 1999

1999:

6 Fires

Plot B - East- June 13, 2000 Treated/Untreated Plot - June 14, 2000

Plot S-1 - June 16, 2000

Phase IV

2000

Continued...

Plot B - West - June

26, 2000

Plot 1 - June 17, 2000 Plot DI - June 27, 2000

Plot 3 - June 28, 2000

2000:

7 Fires +

Roof Test Siding Test

Fully Involved

House Fire

Fails to

Ignite

Forest

Plot I1 House Fire

June 25, 2000

Plot I2

Phase V - June 2001:

Only one plot remained to be burned

Fires: 0

House in clearing

Unfortunately, suitable weather conditions

never materialized

• Typical of Active Crown Fires in the Boreal Forest

• Rate of Advance: 1-5 km/h

• Fuel Consumed: 40-50 t/ha

• Fire Intensities: 20,000 - 100,000 kW/m

• Flame Front: 2-3 Times Tree Height

• Well-defined Convection Columns

• Spotting: prolific; up to 200-300 m

NO Escapes!

Characteristics of ICFME Fires

Natural Resources

Canada

Canadian Forest

Service

Ressources naturelles

Canada

Service canadien

des forêts

Over 100 people participated in ICFME for varying

lengths of time over seven summers from more than

30 organizations involving 14 countries

Lessons for the future

ICFME has provided

valuable new data sets

and insights into the nature

and characteristics of crown

fires needed by both

researchers and managers for

addressing the challenges

facing forest fire management

in devising strategies to

protect communities from

wildfire and ensuring the

safety of wildland firefighters.

Natural Resources

Canada

Canadian Forest

Service

Ressources naturelles

Canada

Service canadien

des forêts

Improvements in

the science of fire

behavior prediction

can be expected.

The knowledge and

experience acquired

during ICFME with be

critical to developing

the next generation of

fire behavior models.

Natural Resources

Canada

Canadian Forest

Service

Ressources naturelles

Canada

Service canadien

des forêts

The photographic documentation

acquired over the course of ICMFE is

proving valuable in fire management

training and public education.

ICFME has been the subject of four

separate documentaries produced by

Austria, England, Holland

and the U.S. Forest Service.

Natural Resources

Canada

Canadian Forest

Service

Ressources naturelles

Canada

Service canadien

des forêts

The International Crown Fire Modelling

Experiment (ICFME), which took place near the

community of Fort Providence in Canada's

Northwest Territories from 1995-2001 provided a

unique opportunity to bring together a diverse

group of fire research scientists and managers

from around the world to study crown fire

behavior and impacts in a highly-integrated,

interdisciplinary field setting. The results from

ICFME will contribute to a greater understanding

of the physical mechanisms and ecological

consequences associated with crown fires,

translating into improved forest fire management

practices in the future.

Natural Resources

Canada

Canadian Forest

Service

Ressources naturelles

Canada

Service canadien

des forêts

ICFME web site:

http://nofc.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/fire/frn/nwt/

THE ICFME WEBMASTER

Questions ?

THE END !