Fuel Classifications - Wildland Fuel Fundamentals and Applications - page 107

Chapter 7
Fuel Classifications

Science is the systematic classification of experience
Philosopher George Henry Lewes

7.1 Introduction

Wildland fire scientists and managers use classifications of fuelbeds for a number
of reasons. Most importantly, classifications provide a means to easily enter fuelbed
properties into fire management software. Fire managers often have insufficient re-
sources to directly measure or sample fuel component characteristics in the field, so
using a classification to quantify fuel characteristics is an appealing option. Second,
many use classifications to communicate fuelbed characteristics to other profes-
sionals because most fuelbeds are highly complex and diverse (Chap. 2), and this
complexity often limits effective technical exchange, especially in operational fire
management planning and tactical firefighting. Third, the categories in some fuel
classifications may be used as mapping units in the development of digital fuel
maps over large areas (Chap. 9). Finally, some classifications can be used in the
field as an alternative fuel inventory and monitoring protocol for assessing fuel
loadings (Sikkink et al. 2009 ) (Chap. 8).
Classification is often defined as the process in which objects are recognized,
differentiated, and understood. In this chapter, fuel classification is defined as the
process of identifying unique fuelbeds and quantifying their component attributes.
People differentiate fuelbeds in a number of ways. Some assume vegetation serves
as an acceptable surrogate for differentiating fuelbeds, so they use vegetation
classifications as de facto fuel classifications (Keane et al. 2013 ). Others classify
fuelbeds by the way they might burn in a severe fire (Burgan 1987 ; Hornby 1935 ).
While some subjectively evaluate the representativeness of a fuelbed through field
reconnaissance (Ottmar et al. 2007 ), others use extensive field data to systemati-
cally classify fuelbeds using advanced statistical techniques (Lutes et al. 2009 ).
Fuel classifications may use any number of variables to describe and quantify fuel
component attributes, such as heat content, mineral content, and particle density,
depending on the fire software application, but the most common variable used
across fire management classifications is fuel loading (Weise and Wright 2014 ).