In 2021, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Wildfire Management Branch identified an opportunity to evaluate new and emerging technologies to supplement and improve current wildfire response capabilities. A one-year directed research initiative was undertaken with the FPInnovations’ Wildfire Operations group to assess the efficacy of five different technologies and their utility in the wildfire domain. This report summarizes the five projects undertaken in this initiative, highlighting key outcomes and considerations.
Innovative adaptations are needed to respond to increasing wildfire risks in British Columbia. This report reviews existing and potential adaptations for resource roads using approaches that include planned fuel management, proactive actions that protect infrastructure from oncoming wildfires, emergency firefighting, and considering post-wildfire risks. Following this review a discussion summarizes adaptation knowledge gaps that include a need for greater focus on stock management in fuel break design, evaluation and testing of existing and evolving adaptations to protect crossings, considering how road data can enhance reactionary and preplanned firefighting responses, and questioning if, and how, adaptations are appropriate in post-wildfire conditions. Improved understanding of adaptations that mitigate wildfire risks to resource roads can help identify options and strategies for project prioritization to enhance resilience.
The Trident mobile high-volume water delivery system is self-contained. The main components of the system are two UTVs, a 200 hp high-volume pump, and 7000 feet (2134 m) of 4-inch hose. It can deliver 500 gpm of water at 190 psi in a wildfire operational situation. Alberta Wildfire asked FPInnovations to document three deployments in 2021 to identify opportunities for using the system and to reduce the knowledge gaps around best practices for deployment.
Forest fuel reductions treatments are conducted at a stand level in the wildland–urban interface to reduce the potential for catastrophic loss caused by wildfire. Given the considerable expense of conducting these fuel treatments, fuels managers want to better understand the productivity and cost of commonly applied fuel treatments in order to prescribe cost-effective treatment techniques. Due to the limited data available and the myriad combinations of fuel treatment options and equipment types used in a diverse range of ecosystems, cost projections for fuel treatments are difficult to forecast reliably.
This document provides background on and fundamental principles of productivity studies, and a summary of motor-manual productivity studies that have been conducted in timber silviculture operations, forest fuel reduction treatments, and other manual forestry operations.
Debris piles were scattered among a fuel-treated stand at the Jumpingpound Demonstration Forest. The existing trees were deemed as assets worth protecting while the piles required to be burned. To facilitate the protection of the trees surrounding these debris piles, the Calgary Forest Area requested the use of water-enhancer capable fire engines to protect the trees during debris pile burning.
A total of 15 debris piles of varying fuel loads were burned over two days. The use of water-enhancer capable fire engines allowed FPInnovations to document the use of suppressants (water and water-enhancer) to better understand their advantages and limitations. Qualitative observations suggested that water-enhancers were more effective at withstanding radiant heat than water when applied immediately prior to the incident heat. Its efficacy, however, was found to decline with time.
Forest fuel treatments are applied across a broad range of ecosites in Alberta and Canada, with an overarching goal of managing hazardous fuel buildup to mitigate wildfire. These treatments use various manual and mechanical processes to achieve fuel treatment objectives. Planning and application of a specific forest fuel treatment technique is often shaped by several factors, including objectives of the fuel treatment, availability of resources (personnel and equipment), and commitment to using local resources (socio-economics). In addition, site conditions in certain ecosites will favour the application of some treatment techniques over others.
With the broad nature of numerous fuel treatment techniques applied over a wide range of environmental conditions, it is difficult to document all treatments and develop comparative productivity and cost evaluations. This summary of fuel treatment studies accesses current research to present relevant findings and identify knowledge gaps in research on stand-level fuel treatment productivity.
Hügelkultur as a debris management technique in forest fuel reduction treatments. Developing a research plan to evaluate the flammability of constructed debris piles (hugels)
Disposal of woody debris and vegetative matter from forest fuel reduction treatments is a challenge and alternatives to conventional methods of pile burning and chipping are being considered. The construction of hugels is proposed as a debris management technique that would configure debris on site in a less flammable state. This research design presents considerations for development of an experimental burn site, test methods, and data collection methods that can be applied in evaluating and comparing the flammability of hugels constructed with different fuel components and construction methods.
FireSmart Vegetation Management Decision Support Research
Series Number
Wildfire 9363 2021
PROJECT NUMBER: 301012718
Language
English
Abstract
Creation of virtual tours for critical wildfire science research areas will allow for better knowledge transfer to the public and between practitioners. Separate tours will be created for several locations and user groups. The tours will incorporate various media types such as 3D models and 360 photos for an immersive experience. They will allow agencies and partners to showcase past, current, and future research projects and results.
This project is a part of the FireSmart Vegetation Management Decision Support Research initiative.
Hügelkultur as a debris management technique in forest fuel reduction treatments. A comparative productivity evaluation of a fuel reduction treatment incorporating hugels
Disposal of woody debris and vegetative matter from forest fuel reduction treatments is a challenge and alternatives to conventional methods of pile burning and chipping are being considered. The construction of hugels is proposed as a debris management technique that would configure debris on site in a less flammable state. While flammability of piled debris (hugels) is a key consideration in the viability of this debris disposal method, the cost of the operation must also be considered.
This research design presents the development of test methods and data collection methods that can be applied in evaluating the productivity of a fuel reduction treatment that incorporates construction of hugels as a debris management tool. Comparative productivity trials will evaluate these productivity results in relation to fuel treatments that apply conventional debris disposal methods.
This review explores the benefits, challenges, limitations, logistics, and cost-effectiveness of different management options to convert conifer-dominated stands to aspen-dominated stands. These alternatives can include overstory removal (harvesting, bulldozing, shear blading, prescribed burning) and site preparation (root trenching, drag scarification, broadcast burning) treatments. On sites where parent aspen trees are not present in the original stand, tree planting will be necessary albeit costly in comparison to regeneration by suckering. While extensive literature exists on the regeneration of trembling aspen through suckering, research on artificial establishment with seedlings and its requirements is still in its infancy and rapidly developing.
The National Fuels Management Reference Database was designed to collect data on wildland fuel treatment implementation and maintenance. This information is relevant to the Emergency Management Strategy in understanding where fuel treatments are located and how they were applied. FPInnovations reviewed the current status and use of the database and data depositories within wildfire management agencies. Combined with the findings of wildfire risk assessment experts’ data requirements, recommendations were provided for the integration of fuel treatment data into the Canadian Wildland Fire Information Framework.
The ongoing evolution of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPASs) with recent advances in micro-sensors and imaging software has the potential to enhance the delivery of infrared imaging services for wildfire operations. Understanding the capabilities and limitations of these aircraft will aid wildfire managers in selecting appropriate RPAS platforms as another "tool in the toolbox" for hotspot detection missions on wildfires.
Sprinklers are used to protect structures from wildfire during wildland-urban interface (WUI) events across Canada. Traditionally, standard forestry equipment has been used in conjunction with impact sprinklers. FPInnovations is reviewing common practices and equipment used during sprinkler deployments, in Canada, to determine if they are the most appropriate for community structure protection, or if alternative approaches should be considered.
This report includes a state-of-practice review of the pathways to structure ignition, a summary of the results of a national survey on the use of sprinklers in Canada, a review of standards and codes specific to the WUI that relate to the use of sprinklers, a review of commonly used equipment, the documentation of WUI case studies and observations that describe actual sprinkler deployments, and a discussion on best practices and recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of sprinkler deployments.
Sprinklers are used to protect structures from wildfire during wildland-urban interface (WUI) events across Canada. Traditionally, standard forestry equipment has been used in conjunction with impact sprinklers. Agencies are trying to determine if the standard practices and equipment used in wildfire suppression operations are the most effective for community structure protection.
The Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta has engaged with FPInnovations to conduct a state-of-practice review of water delivery systems (sprinklers) used in the wildland-urban interface. This review included the following key elements that framed FPInnovations conclusions and key messages:
1. A literature review on the pathways and mitigation of structure ignition in the wildland-urban interface
2. The development and analysis of a national survey on the use of sprinklers in Canada and a review of commonly used equipment
3. A review of standards and codes specific to the WUI that relate to the use of sprinklers
4. Observation and interviews of fire managers to identify pre-deployment and deployment best practices for sprinklers
5. The documentation of wildland-urban interface case studies that describe actual sprinkler deployments
The intent of this project is to research evaluation and rehabilitation methods that are applicable to mass timber structures following a fire. This includes addressing both fire damage and water damage from sprinkler activation and/or the use of firefighting hoses. This report provides an overview of the type of damage that might be expected following a fire and methods that might reduce potential damage (including design elements and firefighting tactics). Current and existing rehabilitation methods for wood construction will be reviewed and their applicability to mass timber structures will be discussed. This includes the ability to conduct condition assessments and repairs on building elements that can be done in place. The overall objective is to reduce uncertainty related to mass timber construction, which ultimately would allow for more accurate risk evaluation by insurance companies.
Presentation from the BC Government on the 2017 wildfire season used at the Fall Advisory Committee Meeting, November 2018. Copyright belongs to the Province of BC.
