FIRE BEHAVIOR VARIABLES AND HAZARD INDICES OF FOREST FIRES

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of different fire hazard indices (FWI, FMA, FMA+, Telicyn, Nesterov, P-EVAP and EVAP/P), taking into account the fire behavior variables and the susceptibility to fire expressed by the moisture of the combustible material. For this purpose, controlled burnings were performed at different times and information was recorded in relation to the meteorological conditions, characteristics of the combustible material and fire behavior variables. In general, all the indices presented significant correlations with both the moisture of the combustible material and the behavior of the fire. However, in general, a higher linear correlation of components of the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) system was observed in predicting fire behavior and EVAP / P index in fuel moisture. The consistency of the correlations between the various indices and the analyzed variables makes the methodology possible to be used in any place, facilitating the decision making in regions where records of occurrences of forest fires are absent or unreliable.