Fire ignition patterns to manage prescribed fire behavior: Application to Mediterranean pine forests

Climate change and the accumulation of surface fuel are leading to global changes in the occurrence of increasingly severe fires. In light of current budgetary constraints, prescribed fire can be a very cost-efficient tool for both reducing wildfire hazards and managing fire-prone landscapes. However, despite its widespread use in some countries, social and administrative constraints arise when applied at the European or larger scales. Science-based knowledge concerning fire behavior, fuel load reduction, and tree impacts is required to support the use of prescribed fire. Spatial ignition patterns can increase or decrease the spread rate, flame length, and flame residence time according to the objectives of a prescribed fire. This work aims to analyze fire behavior using different fire ignition patterns (strip-heading fire, flanking fire, and spot-heading fire) and meteorological and fuel conditions. Seventy-seven observations or sampling units using twenty-three prescribed fires were established for fire monitoring. Non-linear models based on environmental variables were fitted for the spread rate and flame length. Our study proposes a novel way of sharing scientific knowledge in relation to the most common distances between ignition lines and ignition points used in the southern Iberian Peninsula. The spread rate and flame length can be increased in strip-heading fire, by more than 3.5-fold and more than 1.95-fold, respectively, by modifying only the distance between ignition lines. Flanking fire could lead to a decrease in the spread rate by approximately half. Although spot-heading fire can reduce the spread rate by more than 78% and flame length by more than 41%, the highest distances between points could increase the flame residence time by 39-132%. This research seeks to achieve a trade-off between fire intensity and the impacts of fire on trees, soil, and surface roots.

Automated summary

Climate change and accumulation of surface fuel are causing more severe fires globally. Prescribed fire can efficiently reduce wildfire hazards and manage fire-prone landscapes, but social and administrative constraints may arise on a larger scale. Science-based knowledge on fire behavior, fuel reduction, and tree impacts is essential for supporting prescribed fire use. Different ignition patterns can affect fire behavior, with strip-heading fire increasing spread rate and flame length, while flanking fire decreases spread rate. Spot-heading fire can reduce spread rate and flame length, but increase flame residence time at higher distances between points. The study aims to balance fire intensity and its impacts on trees, soil, and surface roots.