S-290 Unit 1. The Fire Environment
What are the three components of the wild land fire environment? - answer Weather,
Topography, Fuels
What are the three methods of heat transfer? - answer Conduction, Convection,
Radiation
Conduction - answer Direct transfer of heat from one molecule of matter to another.
Example: Cast iron pan handle too hot to touch. (Wood is a poor conductor of heat)
Convection - answerThe transfer of heat resulting from the motion of air or fluid.
Example: Column of smoke rising through the atmosphere or fire spread from surface to
aerial fuels.
Radiation - answerTransmission of heat energy by electromagnetic waves from heat
source to absorbing material. Example: Heat from the sun or preheating of fuels ahead
of the flaming front.
What are the three methods of mass transport of firebrands on a wildland fire? -
answerConvection (Embers moved ahead of the fire by a convection column), Wind ,
Gravity (rollout/flaming logs)
What is the relationship between flame height/length and fireline intensity? - answer4x
flame height required for safety zone, if flame length exceeds flame height, go with the
bigger distance for safety zone. FLAME LENGTH is used to estimate fireline intensity.
What is fireline intensity? - answerrate of heat released per foot of fire front per second
(Btu/feet/second)
What are the primary environmental factors affecting ignition? - answerShape and size
of fuels, compactness or arrangement of fuels, fuel moisture, fuel temperature
What are the primary environmental factors affecting fire intensity? - answerFuel
loading, compactness or arrangement of fuels, fuel moisture content, rate of spread
(ROS)
What are the primary environmental factors affecting Rate of Spread? - answerWind
speed, steepness of slope, changes in fuel type (grass to timber litter or surface to
aerial fuels)
What is the relationship of wildland fires of different intensities to their environments? -
answerHigh intensity fires generally have a considerable effect on the atmosphere
What are the three components of the wild land fire environment? - answer Weather,
Topography, Fuels
What are the three methods of heat transfer? - answer Conduction, Convection,
Radiation
Conduction - answer Direct transfer of heat from one molecule of matter to another.
Example: Cast iron pan handle too hot to touch. (Wood is a poor conductor of heat)
Convection - answerThe transfer of heat resulting from the motion of air or fluid.
Example: Column of smoke rising through the atmosphere or fire spread from surface to
aerial fuels.
Radiation - answerTransmission of heat energy by electromagnetic waves from heat
source to absorbing material. Example: Heat from the sun or preheating of fuels ahead
of the flaming front.
What are the three methods of mass transport of firebrands on a wildland fire? -
answerConvection (Embers moved ahead of the fire by a convection column), Wind ,
Gravity (rollout/flaming logs)
What is the relationship between flame height/length and fireline intensity? - answer4x
flame height required for safety zone, if flame length exceeds flame height, go with the
bigger distance for safety zone. FLAME LENGTH is used to estimate fireline intensity.
What is fireline intensity? - answerrate of heat released per foot of fire front per second
(Btu/feet/second)
What are the primary environmental factors affecting ignition? - answerShape and size
of fuels, compactness or arrangement of fuels, fuel moisture, fuel temperature
What are the primary environmental factors affecting fire intensity? - answerFuel
loading, compactness or arrangement of fuels, fuel moisture content, rate of spread
(ROS)
What are the primary environmental factors affecting Rate of Spread? - answerWind
speed, steepness of slope, changes in fuel type (grass to timber litter or surface to
aerial fuels)
What is the relationship of wildland fires of different intensities to their environments? -
answerHigh intensity fires generally have a considerable effect on the atmosphere
