Iverson, L.R., et al. Spatial and temporal distribution of fire temperatures from prescribed fires in the mixed oak forests of southern Ohio. Pages xx in: Proceedings, 13^th Central Hardwood Forest Conference, April 1-3, 2002, Urbana, IL. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-xxx, St. Paul, MN, USDA Forest Service, North Central Research Station.

Forest managers are looking for ways to predict fire behavior. In this study, researchers installed a grid of temperature probes throughout units treated with prescribed burning and units treated with prescribed burning in combination with thinning. The probes recorded air temperature every 2 seconds for the duration of the burns.

· In the burn only sites, 29 to 68% of the sensors recorded temperatures greater than 150°C (the temperature earlier determined to cause significant mortality to saplings).

· In the thin plus burn sites, 22 to 34% of the sensors recorded temperatures greater than 150ºC.

· (Both treatments resulted in a mosaic effect on vegetation due to a range of fire intensity –I can’t say this because the authors don’t say it.)

· Fires were generally cooler with a slower rate of spread in the valleys, with hotter, faster fires on the higher ground. The thin and burn units burned cooler than the burn only units, perhaps because of the moisture content in the slash or due to disruption of the fuel layer by skid roads and other logging activity.

· Information on vegetation, fuels, topography, weather, and moisture are being used to evaluate factors associated with fire temperature.

· A web-based simulation of the fire can be viewed at the Zaleski site: http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/delaware/4153/ffs/zaleski_burn.html