Fire behavior prediction and hazard fuel treatment planning is dependent on accurate fuel information. There are several needs for fuel information in Yellowstone National Park. Since the fires of 1988, fire managers have struggled to adequately model fire behavior in the extensive areas of post-fire lodgepole pine regeneration. Fuel managers are also seeking to reduce hazardous canopy fuels in crown fire prone forest types but do not possess basic figures that allow them to plan treatments.
This website provides fuel information for:
1. Early post-fire lodegpole pine forests, mostly resulting from the fires of 1988,
2. Douglas-fir and mixed conifer forests on andesitic soils in the norther part of Yellowstone, and
3. Miscellaneous information derived from NPS fire effects monitoring plots and other protocols.
The photoseries consist of images representing the forest types of interest with associated surface and canopy fuel information. Site physical features and vegetation information is also provided. The locally developed surface fuel models may be used with NEXUS, BehavePlus, or FARSITE fire behavior prediction software.