Fire behaviour in several fuel types: Methods and First results

GUIJARRO M., MARINO E., MADRIGAL J., HERNANDO C., DEFOSSÉ, G. E. ET AL.

Bruselas

Otro; Fire Paradox Scientific Reports; 2009

The European Commission - Fire Paradox Project

Executive summary A series of fire experiments are being conducted in Activity WP2.3.1 of FIRE PARADOX, Wildfire behaviour, both in laboratory and in the field, to better understand the mechanisms of fire propagation and to produce data for testing of fire behaviour models. This Deliverable presents a description of the different experimental methods, as well as the first results of the experiments conducted in this Activity. The document is divided in three main sections, taking into account the scale of the devices: (i) Indoor laboratory fires carried out in a low speed wind tunnel, in beds of Pinus pinaster, P. halepensis and P. pinea needles. Variations of rate of spread, flame height and flame angle with wind velocity (Fig. I), as well as profiles of temperatures with time were analysed in these tests. (ii) Outdoor laboratory fires conducted in a wind tunnel in shrubland fuels, to study vertical propagation of fire. In these experiments, effects of fuel vertical discontinuity, absence or presence of litter layer, wind velocity and type of ignition source were tested (Fig. II). IR imaging analysis of fire transition was also accomplished (Fig. III). (iii) Field experimental fires conducted in kermes oak garrigue in South of France (Fig. IV), and in shrubland fuels in the Chaco Region, Argentina (Fig. V). In these burns, a fuel description was carried out. During the burns, meteorological conditions were monitored, and fire behaviour descriptors were obtained.