with complete solutions
What 3 entities are necessary for combustion? - ANSWER- oxygen, heat, and fuel
3 parts to fire? - ANSWER- Photosynthesis --> Decay --> Combustion
Pre- Heating - ANSWER- Pilot source like sun raises temp of fuels
Dehydration drive extracts to the surface
Pyrolisis degrades molecules to volatiles that support combustion
Ignition - ANSWER- Humans, Lightning, Volcanoes, and possibly meteorites
Combustion - ANSWER- 1. Burning of volatile gas
2. glowing or smoldering-- low heat, burns for a long time
Extinction - ANSWER- When the heat of vaporization is greater than the
temperature of the fire
Conduction - ANSWER- The DIRECT transfer of heat from one substance to
another substance that it is touching.
Convection - ANSWER- The transfer of heat by the movement of a gas
Important for steep slopes and heavy wind events
Radiation - ANSWER- The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves
Ground Fuels - ANSWER- All combustible materials lying beneath the surface
Surface fuels - ANSWER- Fuels that are close to the surface of the ground, such
as grass, leaves, twigs, needles, small trees, logging slash, and low brush.
Aerial fuels - ANSWER- Fuels located more than 6 feet off the ground, usually part
of or attached to trees.
Timelag - ANSWER- The rate at which dead fuel gains or loses moisture
, 1 hour fuels - ANSWER- 0 - 1/4 inch diameter - 3-7%
10 hour fuels - ANSWER- 1/4 - 1 inch diameter -7-10% moisture content
100 hour fuels - ANSWER- 1 - 3 inches diameter - 10-15%
1000 hour fuels - ANSWER- 3 - 8 inches diameter -- >20%
grass - ANSWER- fast burning, good horizontal continuity
shrub - ANSWER- high intensity, good horizontal continuity
timber litter - ANSWER- low intensity
Timber-Understory - ANSWER- Provides ladder to aerial crown fuels, low
intensity, slash blowdown
Temperature - ANSWER- the angle of the sun on the hills or flatlands
preheats fuels and lowers relative humidity
amount of time the sun hits fuels
Relative Humidity - ANSWER- lowest at mid afternoon when the temps are the
highest because high temperatures can hold the most moisture
Winds - ANSWER- Higher wind promotes fire intensity
- supplies more oxygen
-transfers heat to fuels by convection
-takes away moisture
-steeper the slope the faster and moe intense a fire burns
north facing aspect - ANSWER- carries heavier fuels
higher moisture
later curing
South facing aspect - ANSWER- lighter fuels
lower moisture
earlier curing
chimney effect - ANSWER- strong updrafts in drainage
-rapid burnout and extreme intensity