1. Western wildfires and the fuels dilemma 7/16/2013

2. What explains fire behavior? Fuels TopographyWeather 7/16/2013 2 3. Wildland fire potential 7/16/2013 3Source: USDA Forest Service/Fire Science Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station 4. Wildland fire potential 7/16/2013 4Source: USDA Forest Service/Fire Science Laboratory, Rocky Mountain Research Station 5. Smokey Bear 7/16/2013 5Source: SmokeyBear.com 6. Many Western forests filled with more fuel 7/16/2013 6 1909 1948 1989 Source: US Forest Service 7. Condition of natural fire systems 7/16/2013 7Source: The Nature Conservancy 8. Condition of natural fire systems 7/16/2013 8Source: The Nature Conservancy 9. Fire regime: departure from historic behavior 7/16/2013 9Source: Schmidt et al. (2002) 10. Fuels treatment on federal lands 7/16/2013 10 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Millions of acres Non-WUI other Non-WUI mechanical Non-WUI fire WUI other WUI mechanical WUI fire Inside and outside the wildland-urban interface (WUI) Source: Departments of Agriculture and Interior 11. Acres burned in prescribed fires 7/16/2013 11Source: National Interagency Fire Center 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Millions Bureau of Land Management National Park Service Bureau of Indian Affairs US Fish and Wildlife Service State/Other US Forest Service 12. Wildland fire use: letting blazes burn naturally 0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Acres Bureau of Indian Affairs State/Other National Park Service Bureau of Land Management US Fish and Wildlife Service US Forest Service 7/16/2013 12Source: National Interagency Fire Center 13. ecowest.org Download more slides and other resources 7/16/2013 13