Heading and backing fire behaviours mediate the influence of fuels on wildfire energy

Background: Pre-fire fuels, topography, and weather influence wildfire behaviour and fire-driven ecosystem carbon loss. However, the pre-fire characteristics that contribute to fire behaviour and effects are often understudied for wildfires because measurements are difficult to obtain.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate the relative contribution of pre-fire conditions to fire energy and the role of fire advancement direction in fuel consumption.

Methods: Over 15 years, we measured vegetation and fuels in California mixed-conifer forests within days before and after wildfires, with co-located measurements of active fire behaviour.

Key results: Pre-fire litter and duff fuels were the most important factors in explaining fire energy and contributed similarly across severity categories. Consumption was greatest for the forest floor (litter and duff; 56.8 Mg ha⁻¹) and 1000-h fuels (36.0 Mg ha⁻¹). Heading fires consumed 13.2 Mg ha⁻¹ more litter (232%) and 24.3 Mg ha⁻¹ more duff (202%) than backing fires. Remotely sensed fire severity was weakly correlated (R² = 0.14) with fuel consumption.

Conclusions: 1000-h fuels, litter, and duff were primary drivers of fire energy, and heading fires consumed more fuel than backing fires.

Implications: Knowledge of how consumption and fire energy differ among contrasting types of fire behaviours may inform wildfire management and fuels treatments.