Wildfire Fuel Management Monitoring

We discuss wildfire fuel management + why and how Frontera supports the practice in the communities with which we work, taking a closer look at recent study data out of Whistler, BC.

Frontera staff collecting monitor data at the cemetery site

At Frontera, we are supporting our community of practice by investigating and developing a greater understanding of the potential impacts of fuel management on:

1. In-stand forest weather and subsequent wildfire behaviour/risk,

2. Forest regeneration and succession, and

3. Forest and ecosystem health.

We are participating in this research because we strive to improve our silvicultural practices and ensure that current and future forest ecosystems are healthy and sustainable.

Given changes in climate and resulting wildfire activity, we are also keenly aware of the importance of adaptive management. We are therefore monitoring changes in weather and its current and potential future impacts to forest ecosystems.

Fuel Management Programs

Fuel management (fuel reduction) programs are applied across North America and the world. Numerous studies have demonstrated their effectiveness at reducing wildfire behaviour across innumerable ecosystems.

Wildland firefighters have used fuel reduction practices (tree thinning, debris piling/burning, prescribed burning, tree pruning, etc) on firelines for decades. Generally speaking, wildfire scientists and professional foresters agree that fuel management (fuel reduction) is a viable and recommended practice for any community at risk of wildfire.

However, in order to develop community resilience to wildfire broadly, it is also agreed that fuel management needs to be done in combination with community-led programs such as FireSmart home hardening, evacuation/emergency planning, increase in training and resourcing of wildland and structural fire suppression, and importantly community-wide education of local wildfire behaviour and prevention.

Fuel Management in Coastal Ecosystems

Consulting on fuel management in wetter Coastal ecosystems such as the Sunshine Coast, or transitional Coastal/Interior forests such as Whistler, requires a different perspective on wildfire fuel management. The primary differences between Coastal and Interior fuel management are that Coastal fuel management should:

• Seek to maintain the naturally moist and cool understory environment of the forest, while
  

• Sufficiently reduce the very high levels of forest canopy, mid-story and surface fuel loads typically found in Coastal forests.

Therefore, typical fuel management projects in Coastal forests require the retention of sufficient overstory canopy to maintain moist and cool understory conditions while also reducing canopy, mid-story ladder, and surface fuel loads.

This tradeoff approach results in forest stands that are maintained as functional and healthy forests while simultaneously providing future significant resistant properties to spreading wildfires. In addition, these modified forests provide safer defensive locations for ground firefighting crews, improved access for sprinklers and hose, as well as improved locations for water bombers and retardant drops.

Examples of Fuel Management in Whistler, BC

At Frontera, we have been actively monitoring the effects of fuel management projects across multiple sites in Whistler, BC. This work has been supported and funded by Whistler. We currently have 60 permanent plots setup across 6 study areas (Figure 1).

Take an interactive 3D look at two different plots:

• Click here to see a heavier machine-led higher fuel reduction site near Lost Lake (completed in 2018)
  

• Click here to see a light machine-led higher fuel reduction site near Taluswood Bluffs (completed in 2022)

Figure 1. Map of 6 study monitor sites

We have a compilation of weather and forest inventory data for the entire 2023 fire season. We are now wrapping up our 2024 weather and forest inventory data collection and will be compiling these results to determine revised results.

Our 2023 results indicate:

• In treated sites, canopy closure reductions never exceeded 20% versus their representative untreated stands (see Photos 2 & 3 as examples).
  

• Temperatures during fire season and during fire burn hours (12-8 pm) within treated versus untreated stands was generally (+1.0°C) warmer than untreated stands,

  • Humidity (Rh) readings were generally (-3.0%) lower in treated stands;

  • Fuel moisture readings were inconsistent, with treated sites both wetter and drier than untreated,

• Predicted wildfire behaviour (Figure 2), given reductions in forest fuels and minor changes in in-stand weather, result in modelled wildfire behaviour that is MUCH lower in treated stands (EXP - Experimental) compared to untreated (CTRL - Control) stands.

Photo 2. Photo was taken from the Callaghan site - an untreated stand.

Photo 3. Photo was taken from a representative plot near Photo 2 and is a treated site.

Figure 2. Predicted wildfire behaviour for all six study sites in Whistler.

Conclusions About Wildfire Fuel Management in Whistler

Our results indicate that wildfire fuel management practices occurring in Whistler are not increasing the risk of wildfire behaviour, but are in fact greatly reducing it.

Additionally, our results indicate that forest ecosystem attributes such as canopy closure and moisture levels are being retained under the canopy and the forests are likely functioning at a high and healthy level.

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Frontera Forest Solutions is a forestry consultancy located in North Vancouver, British Columbia. With clients all around Western Canada, Frontera specializes in helping communities develop wildfire resiliency though innovative forest management an urban forestry, grant writing and training and curriculum development.

To explore how we can work with your community, reach out here.