Fire Weather : A Guide for Application of Meteorological Information to Forest Fire Control Operations

Weather is never static. It is always dynamic. Its interpretation is an art. The art of applying complex information about weather to the equally complex task of wildland fire control cannot be acquired easily-especially not by the mere reading of a book. The environment is in control in wildland firefighting. Free-burning fires are literally nourished by weather elements, atmospheric components, and atmospheric motion. Outguessing mother nature in order to win control is an extremely difficult task. We need to soothe her with understanding. We have attempted to present information in such a way that your daily and seasonal awareness of fire weather can begin with reliable basic knowledge. We have kept the use of technical terms to a minimum, but where it was necessary for clear and accurate presentation, we have introduced and defined the proper terms. Growing awareness of fire weather, when combined with related experience on fires, can develop into increasingly intuitive, rapid, and accurate applications. Toward this end, we have preceded each chapter with a paragraph or two on important points to look for in relating weather factors to fire-control planning and action