November 8th, 2024 at 9:30am MT / 11:30am ET
A clear understanding of wildland fuels is essential for effective forest and wildfire management. However, fuel typing and mapping remain challenging owing to the wide diversity and heterogeneity of fuel conditions. Despite widespread usage of Fire Behavior Prediction System fuel type maps in British Columbia (BC), the accuracy and applicability of these maps has not been formally assessed. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified the agreement between on-site assessments and fuel type maps in interior BC. In this presentation, we share the findings of this assessment and discuss pathways to improve future fuel characterizations across forest types.
Jen Baron is a PhD Candidate and Lecturer at the University of British Columbia, a research scientist with the Pacific Institute of Climate Solutions, and a Fire Behavior Analyst and Fire Effects Monitor in-training for prescribed fire operations. Through her research, she aims to understand how the legacies of colonization, fire suppression, and fuel accumulation have shaped fire regimes, and how the strategic application of treatments and management can restore fire-adapted landscapes.
