View fire behaviour maps on the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS).
Understanding fire behaviour is critical for managing wildland fires. It is about how:
- fuels ignite
- flames develop
- fire spreads and is extinguished
Factors such as fuel, weather and topography control:
- flame characteristics
- rate of fire spread
- direction of spread
- intensity of a wildland fire
Canadian researchers conduct experimental fires and study wildland fires under various conditions. Over decades, a system of scientific models to predict fire spread, intensity and growth across Canadian landscapes have been developed. These tools are invaluable for preparing for and responding to wildland fire.
Ignition, growth and extinguishment
After a wildland fire ignites, a front develops where flaming combustion occurs. Flame height indicates fire intensity – the amount of heat released,