Influence of Weather on Fire Behavior

Abstract Forest fires generate problems at various scales in all ecosystems. It is widely recognized that the more you understand about fire behavior and its response to environmental conditions, the better the decisions about fire management. The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior of fire and its correlations with environmental factors associated with climate. Controlled burnings of four plots per day, at different times and defined at random, were carried out during 80 days between 07/01/2016 and 11/30/2016. The moisture content was the most important parameter of the flammability of the fuels and the variables of the behavior of the fire. The moisture of the combustible material reflects the atmospheric conditions and can vary more quickly and directly with those of the fire behavior. The air temperature was the most correlated element with the fire intensity although it did not have any correlation with the rate of spread. The variation of the results of this with those of other studies show the importance of understanding fire behavior at the local level.