Blow-Up Fires—Silviculture or Weather Problems?

Abstract

Abstract "Blow-up" fires are defined as those which exhibit violent build-up in fire intensity or rate of spread sufficient to prevent direct control by efficient application of conventional fire fighting methods. Blow-ups are an increasingly important cause of large fires and can arise out of so many different situations that they may pose the most critical problem facing forest management today. Defining blow-ups and isolating possible situations which can cause them is the first step toward their understanding and control.