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Fuel and Fire Tools Modifier Available

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For many years, people have used the FEPS 1.0 outputs as inputs to the PC versions of VSMOKE, VSMOKE-GIS, and PC HYSPLIT atmospheric dispersion models. Many prescribed burners have found these tools helpful to examine possible downwind smoke impacts when planning and implementing prescribed fires.

Recently, Bill Jackson completed a new version of the software interface (it is now 64 bit compatible) so that a person can modify Fuel & Fire Tools (FFT) input files, complete a new FFT analysis, and the FEPS output from FFT still serves as input to the three atmospheric dispersion models. The attached User’s Guide will provide you with a full description of how the new software interface, called SmokeTools, works.

If you are interested in trying SmokeTools then please email Bill at bjackson28806@gmail.com and you will receive an invite from DropBox to download two zip files that need to be unzipped to your PC. Once unzipped, then you will be able to install the software (see Appendix A in the attached manual for all of the software that needs to be installed).

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Satellite Observations and Tools for Fire Risk, Detection, and Analysis

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Fires are a growing concern, especially in regions with longer fire seasons, expanded wildland/urban interfaces, and severe and frequent droughts. Anthropogenic fires are commonly used to clear grassland and agricultural land prior to the planting season, and forests are often cleared using fires so the land can be repurposed for other uses. Whether naturally-occurring or anthropogenic, fires produce a significant change in the structure and reflectance of vegetation and soil properties and atmospheric chemistry. Remote sensing can be used to monitor pre-, during-, and post-fire conditions; including weather and climate conditions, fuel characterization, fire risk, smoke detection, monitoring, and forecasting, fire behavior, and the post-fire landscape. This 6-part, intermediate training will provide lectures and case studies focused on the use of Earth observations for operational fire monitoring: pre-, during-, and post-event.

More information and registration here.

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IFTDSS: Short Term Fire Behavior Model Now Available

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The Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System (IFTDSS) now offers a minimum travel time fire spread (MTT), or short term fire behavior model. Uses include contingency and holding plans for prescribed fire, estimating wildfire impacts to values at risk, and potential wildfire threats to fuel breaks.

Read about MTT  here.

Access the tool on IFTDSS here.

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SFE Webinar: Overview of Fire Weather Products for Controlled Burners

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Hosts: National Weather Service, North Carolina Climate Office, the Southern Fire Exchange, North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council, the Joint Fire Science Program, and the University of Florida

Presenters:

Scott Kennedy, Meteorologist, National Weather Service Newport/Morehead City
Corey Davis, Applied Climatologist, North Carolina Climate Office

Webinar Description: This webinar will provide an overview of the National Weather Service fire weather forecast products and tools as well as the Fire Weather Intelligence Portal. Presentations will include a discussion about the intended uses and caveats for each of the products. Following the presentations there will be time for audience Q/A with the speakers.

Registration is required. Register here.

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Partner Webinar: Drought Decision-Making Tools You Can Use

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Host: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

Presenters: Rebecca Ward, North Carolina Assistant State Climatologist, Katherine Hegewisch, Research Scientist at the University of Idaho, Jeff Marti, Drought Coordinator, Washington Department of Ecology

Abstract: 

Learn about two toolkits that support drought monitoring and drought decision-making across the lower 48 states: the Integrated Water Portal and The Climate Toolbox.

The Integrated Water Portal brings together water data from several different agencies into a map-driven data exploration and visualization tool that is designed to support drought monitoring at state and basin scales. This site allows users to quickly explore regional and local water conditions with a focus on surface and near-surface supplies.

The Climate Toolbox is a set of mapping/graphing tools that can be used to explore climate/hydrology data in real-time with comparisons to the past and insight into the future (sub-seasonal to seasonal forecasts and future projections) at gridded locations.

The presentation will also feature users’ perspectives, including how the State of Washington’s Drought Coordinator uses The Climate Toolbox for state drought monitoring.

Additional information about the webinar can be found here.

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