Each photo series was designed to provide fuels and vegetation data from which managers can generate their own customized fuel models or types.
The 20 National Fire-Danger Rating System fuel models (Deeming et al. 1977, Burgan 1988) and the 13 fire behavior fuel models (Albini 1976) are general and broadly applied; we did not feel that it was appropriate to assign a standard fuel model to each of the photo series sites.
Scott and Burgan (2005) recently developed a new set of fuel models and based - many of which are based on data found in the Natural Fuels Photo Series.
Albini, F.A. 1976. Estimating wildfire behavior and effects. General Technical Report INT-30. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 92p.
Burgan, R.E. 1988. 1988 revisions to the 1978 National Fire-Danger Rating System. Research Paper SE-273. Asheville, N.C.: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, North Carolina. 39 p.
Deeming, J.E.; Burgan, R.E.; Cohen, J.D. 1977. The National Fire-Danger Rating System-1978. General Technical Report INT-39. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Ogden, Utah. 66 p.
Scott, J. H.; Burgan, R. E. 2005. Standard fire behavior fuel models: a comprehensive set for use with Rothermel's surface fire spread model. General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-153. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 72 p.