LANDFIRE National v1.0.0

LandsLast updated on 6/27/2013 5:25:27 PM.

Introduction

WFDSS uses the aspect, slope, elevation, fuel model, canopy cover, canopy base height (CBH), canopy bulk density (CBD), and stand height layers to a create landscape file that displays fuels, topography and canopy information simultaneously. Landscape data can be viewed for any point on a map display by clicking the Info sub-tab > selecting the I Icon tool > and then clicking on the landscape. The default Landscape Data Source for incidents is the most current source available, but this can be changed for an incident on the Incident Information tab.

Landscape data in WFDSS is sourced from LANDFIRE and a multi-partner wildland fire and wildland fuel mapping project in the state of California. All values are measured with the metric system:

Variable

Unit of Measure

aspect

degrees

slope

degrees

elevation

meters

canopy base height

meters

canopy bulk density

kg/m3

canopy cover

percent

stand height

meters

The California landscape 2010 data set is an annual, multi-partner wildland fire and wildland fuel mapping project within the state of California. The California fuels data are supported by the California Fire and Resource Assessment Program (FRAP), US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Region 5 Fire and Aviation Management, the US Department of Interior (US DOI) Bureau of Land Management and DOI National Park Service. California fuel data tasks are completed by the USDA Region 5 Remote Sensing Lab.

Landscape Data

LANDFIRE National v1.0.0 was the first completed data set for the entire U.S. in 2009, including Alaska and Hawaii. All surface and canopy fuels information were based on satellite imagery dated from 1999-2003, including disturbance (large fires, beetle kill, management, etc.) as captured in the various imagery products. Calibration workshops were held from 2005 – 2009 across the country to verify and update the vegetation and fuel model selections for these data. However, in steeper areas or where shadows masked the satellite imagery, rock is not well represented. Further, in higher elevation areas, some areas that should have been rock were classified as meadows. Either the standard 13 fuel models (Anderson 1982) or 40 fire behavior fuel models (Scott and Burgan 2005) are available in LANDFIRE National v1.0.0. To understand how LANDFIRE National v1.0.0 compares to other LANDFIRE data sets, go to http://www.landfire.gov/version_comparison.php.

For canopy fuels, generally expect LANDFIRE National v1.0.0 data to have the following:

Fire Behavior Modeling Considerations

The Scott and Reinhardt (2001) crown fire method (http://www.fire.org/downloads/nexus/2.0.0/rp29.pdf) should result in more predicted active crown fire behavior. You might also observe greater rates of spread and higher flame lengths for predicted passive crown fire compared to the Finney (1998) crown fire method.

Suggestions for using LANDFIRE National v1.0.0 with the Finney (1998) crown fire method include the following:

And / Or

And / Or

See the LANDFIRE Data Products Notifications – Data Products (https://www.landfire.gov/notifications.php) for more guidance regarding these rules.

Note: Because these data can be downloaded and used in multiple places or use different fire modeling tools within WFDSS, there are other ramifications for using all the various datasets in FSPro, short-term fire behavior, near-term fire behavior, etc. Consequently, you should calibrate the final selected crown fire method to observed fire behavior and adjust it to the local area.