Convergence in critical fuel moisture and fire weather thresholds associated with fire activity in the pyroregions of Mediterranean Europe

Dios, Víctor Resco de; Camprubí, Àngel Cunill; Pérez-Zañón, Núria; Peña, Juan Carlos; Castillo, Edurne Martínez del; Rodrígues, Marcos; Yao, Yi; Yebra, Marta; Vega‐García, Cristina; Boer, Matthias M.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151462

Cited by 30 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…VPD is also a key driver of plant mortality, causing declines in the moisture content of live fuels and an increase in the proportion of highly flammable dead fuels 12 . VPD-based fuel moisture thresholds have been shown to be indicative of critical increases in the cumulative area burnt in southeast Australia 13 and Mediterranean Europe 14 . VPD itself has been found to be strongly associated with fire activity in boreal 15 , temperate 4,[16][17][18][19][20][21] , Mediterranean 22 and tropical forests 23. .…”

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confidence: 99%

Forest fire threatens global carbon sinks and population centres under rising atmospheric water demand

et al. 2022

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Levels of fire activity and severity that are unprecedented in the instrumental record have recently been observed in forested regions around the world. Using a large sample of daily fire events and hourly climate data, here we show that fire activity in all global forest biomes responds strongly and predictably to exceedance of thresholds in atmospheric water demand, as measured by maximum daily vapour pressure deficit. The climatology of vapour pressure deficit can therefore be reliably used to predict forest fire risk under projected future climates. We find that climate change is projected to lead to widespread increases in risk, with at least 30 additional days above critical thresholds for fire activity in forest biomes on every continent by 2100 under rising emissions scenarios. Escalating forest fire risk threatens catastrophic carbon losses in the Amazon and major population health impacts from wildfire smoke in south Asia and east Africa.

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confidence: 99%

Forest fire threatens global carbon sinks and population centres under rising atmospheric water demand

et al. 2022

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“…This model is, however, developed for boreal forests while juniper and Sitka spruce on thin soil layers may require an adapted model. It could also be that models based on first principles, e.g., water vapor pressure deficit (VPD), could be appropriate [ 48 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Fire Revealing Coastal Norway’s Wildland–Urban Interface Challenges and Possible Low-Cost Sustainable Solutions

Log

Gjedrem

2022

IJERPH

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The Calluna vulgaris L. that dominated coastal heathlands of Western Europe were for millennia managed by regular burning cycles for improved grazing. Most places in Norway this practice has, however, been neglected over the last 5–7 decades, resulting in accumulation of above ground biomass including degenerated Calluna and successional fire-prone species, e.g., native juniper (Juniperus communis) and exotic blacklisted Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). Today, in dry periods, the heathland represents a fire threat to the increasing number of homes in the wildland–urban interface (WUI), as exemplified by the June 2021 Sotra Island WUI fire. The fire burned 700 ha of encroached heathlands, destroyed three buildings, and threatened settlements. In the present study, the Sotra fire was investigated to understand the fire development and analyse possible risk reducing measures. Photographic material obtained during the fire, weather conditions prior to and during the fire, involved fire fuel, fire spread mechanisms, firefighting response, and possible consequences under slightly changed circumstances were analysed. Compared to previous fires in coastal Norway, the Sotra fire represents a step change in fire development including, e.g., pyrocumulus-like clouds, fire whirls, and fire spread 270 m across a fjord. Preventive measures based on the local context are analysed, including engaging voluntary communities to remove fire-prone fuel, e.g., juniper and Sitka, to create defensible space. Moreover, strategic fire breaks in the terrain, e.g., well-managed heathland strengthening existing fuel breaks, e.g., lakes, cultivated fields, naked rock, and roads, are recommended. Mechanical cutting is suggested as a short-term measure while fenceless grazing may represent a long-term solution to prevent regrowth. During a period of record high energy prices, this may provide free of charge firewood and make way for future local food production, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while reducing the fire risk.

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“…A moisture content of 8% is also set to constant in all cases. This moisture content is representative of the high fire activity conditions in the Mediterranean region, where just 12% of the cumulative burned area is associated with fuel moisture contents higher than 10% for late summer and 11% for early summer fires [41]. Each pair of fuel load experiments consists of a control run with interaction between fire and atmosphere and a simulation in which the sensible and latent heat fluxes from the fire are turned off (uncoupled simulation).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards an atmosphere more favourable to firestorm development in Europe

Senande-Rivera

Insua-Costa

Míguez-Macho

2022

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Deep pyroconvection associated with the development of firestorms, can significantly alter wildfire spread, causing severe socioeconomic and environmental impacts, and even posing a threat to human's lives. However, the limited number of observations hinders our understanding of this type of events. Here, we identify the environmental conditions that favour firestorm development using a coupled fire-atmosphere numerical model. From climate model projections for the 21st century, we show that the number of days with deep pyroconvection risk will increase significantly in southern Europe, especially in the western Mediterranean region, where it will go from between 10 and 20 days per year at present to between 30 and 50 days per year by the end of the century. Our results also suggest fuel reduction as an effective landscape management strategy to mitigate firestorm risks in the future.

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Convergence in critical fuel moisture and fire weather thresholds associated with fire activity in the pyroregions of Mediterranean Europe

Cited by 30 publications

References 66 publications

Forest fire threatens global carbon sinks and population centres under rising atmospheric water demand

Forest fire threatens global carbon sinks and population centres under rising atmospheric water demand

A Fire Revealing Coastal Norway’s Wildland–Urban Interface Challenges and Possible Low-Cost Sustainable Solutions

Towards an atmosphere more favourable to firestorm development in Europe

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