What modeling activities are included as the third “M” in Fire M3?
For each AVHRR hotspot location, various fire attributes are modeled with the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index System and Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System developed by the Canadian Forest Service. Fire weather indices are modeled on the basis of weather station data and include ratings for fine fuel moisture, duff moisture, drought, initial spread, buildup, and fire weather. The Forest Fire Behavior Prediction System uses information on fire weather, fuel type, topography, and foliar moisture content to predict the rate of spread, fire intensity, type of fire, and fuel consumption. This array of fire attributes can be queried for each hotspot using the i icon on the Internet map server toolbar. The Canadian Forest Service and the CCRS have begun developing a spatially explicit model to predict the quantity of greenhouse gas emissions from forest fires across Canada.
