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An Assessment of Fuel Treatment Effects on Fire Behavior, Suppression Effectiveness, and Structure Ignition on the Angora Fire

Summary

  • Most fuel treatments worked as intended, by reducing fire intensity from a crown fire to surface fire.
  • One partially treated unit (Unit 20 where handpiles had not been burned) showed no significant fire intensity difference from the adjacent untreated stand.
  • One fuel treatment (Unit 16) was only partially effective because it was located on a steep slope which requires greater fuel reduction to achieve the same results as on flat ground.
  • Where urban lots had fuel treatments, they served as fuel breaks, allowing firefighters to safely protect structures.
  • Houses provided a large source of embers for spot fires and additional structure fires.