Effects of meteorological and fuel variables on fire behavior in controlled burns for land clearing
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47230/unesum-ciencias.v9.n2.2025.137-151Keywords:
Forest fires, Fire management, Fire prevention, Use of fireAbstract
Weather and fuels affect fire behavior during controlled burns. This work was carried out in the Estero Hondo site, Jipijapa canton, Manabí, Ecuador, with the objective of analyzing the effects of meteorological and fuel variables on fire behavior in controlled burns for land clearing. 15 plots of 5 m length and an average width of 1.82 m were delimited, located on rows of fuels. The variables dry weight, thickness and humidity of the combustible material were measured before and during the burn, as well as air temperature, relative humidity and wind speed. The estimated fire behavior parameters were flame height, propagation speed, linear fire intensity, lethal drying height and heat released per unit area. The average conditions during burning were: temperature of 30.93 °C, relative humidity of 54.96%, wind speed of 0.90 m.s-1, dry fuel weight of 2.19 kg.m2, thickness of 42.02 cm and moisture content of 39.55%. The average values ??of flame height, spread speed, linear fire intensity and lethal drying height were 1.20 m, 0.0223 m.s-1, 150.18 kcal.m-1.s-1 and 10.87 m, respectively. Fuel dry weight and moisture content were shown to synergistically influence linear fire intensity and heat released, confirming the need to consider these variables jointly when planning controlled burns.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Marcos Pedro Ramos-Rodríguez, Rosa Gisela Azuero-Sarango, Jandry Jair Baque-Suarez, Alexandra Claribel Mero-Santana
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