Assessing the exposure of the built environment to potential ignition sources generated from vegetative fuel

Abstract

We assessed the exposure of the built environment to potential ignition sources generated from vegetative fuel for four communities in the province of Alberta, Canada. Ignition processes generated by burning vegetation that were included in the analysis were radiant heat, short-range spotting, and longer-range spotting. Results were used to map the boundaries of the wildland–urban interface and to delineate zones within each community that identify the degree to which these areas represent potential wildfire entry-points into the wildland–urban interface. The assessment method can be used to set priorities for mitigation activities; compare conditions within and between communities and over time; and identify priority areas for time- and resource-intensive site assessments that are often completed for individual structures located in the wildland–urban interface. We compared results among the four case-study communities and demonstrated an application of the approach for evaluating community fuel treatment plans. Factors that influenced the exposure of the built environment to potential ignition sources differed among the communities, which suggested the need for community-specific mitigation strategies. Spatial patterns of areas with elevated ignition exposure reflected not only the amount of ignition-producing vegetation around the built environment, but also the size and arrangement of fuel patches in relation to the unique morphology of the community and the occurrence of occluded interface zones.