An integrated real-time system for prescribed fire management

We have developed an inexpensive integrated real-time data acquisition and computer system for prescribed fire management. This system combines the functions of weather station, meteorological forecast, and fire behavior calculations (from the BEHAVE program) into a single instrument that continuously provides estimates of fire behavior and shows graphical trends for management of prescribed fires. Weather information is received via a radio link from up to 3 locations around the perimeter of the prescribed fire area. The equipment will show alarms on precipitous (hence dangerous) changes in humidity, air temperature or wind speed. The instrument can also be set to alarm on erratic wind direction behavior. Up to four fuel types, representing the various fuels in the prescribed fire plot, may be entered; fire behavior will be calculated simultaneously for all entered fuel types.

The instrument consists of a custom-built remotely reporting weather station, NOAA weather radio receiver, portable personal computer, various interface electronics, and software. The software on the personal computer processes the remote weather station data and produces inputs for the core BEHAVE fire prediction algorithms. The output from the BEHAVE algorithms is displayed both numerically (current fire behavior) and graphically (time history of fire behavior). Weather forecast information is received and recorded periodically on the computer for playback at the fire manager's discretion. The fire manager thus has a historical and present fire prediction, historical and present weather, alarms, and recorded voice meteorological prediction record at his disposal at all times. We believe that this system is more efficient and provides a more spatially and temporally continuous view of the fire ground than manual weather belt kits and discrete BEHAVE computer predictions.