PiroPinus: A spreadsheet application to guide prescribed burning operations in maritime pine forest

The efficient, sustainable and safe use of prescribed burning is based on quantitative application guidelines. PiroPinus was conceived for operational support to line-ignited, hazard-reduction burning in maritime pine (Pinta pinaster) forest, but can be used as a modelling tool for surface fire behaviour in general. PiroPinus rests on a sound empirical foundation and links the fire environment (fuel, weather, terrain), fire behaviour characteristics, and fire effects on fuels and trees. PiroPinus produces burn prescriptions and predictions that match site-specific treatment objectives and environmental conditions, and enables post burn assessments of treatment effectiveness and impact. Implementation in Microsoft Excel facilitates improvement, expansion and custom modification. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.