Risk Mitigation of Wildfire Hazards at

the Wildland Urban Interface

of Northwest Arkansas

By:

Michael E. Garner

Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER
	1.	INTRODUCTION			
		Research Objective				
		Study Area		
	2.	LITERATURE REVIEW
		Wildland Urban Interface in Arkansas			
		Wildfire in Arkansas		
		Geographic Information System					
	3	METHODOLGY
		Project Development	
			1. Identify and Inventory Components
			2. Mapping the Wildland Urban Interface
			a. Rural Residence Layer
			b. Other Layers
			3. Modeling Risk Potential in the Wildland Urban Interface
		Components of The Wildland/Urban Fire Risk	
		A. Fuel Potential Component
			1. AFC Fire District 6 Vegetation Layer
			2. Fire District 6 Fuel Layer
		B. Ignition Potential Component
		C. Response Potential Component
		D. Access Potential Component
		E. Ancillary Data Sets	
			1. Ownership Layer
			2. Political and Administrative Boundaries
		F. Risk Potential Map
		1. Threat Matrix
		2. Suppression Matrix
		3. Risk Potential Matrix
	4.	RESULTS
		Arkansas Population Growth
		Drought Impact Upon Wildfires		
		Arkansas Fire Incident Report
		AFC District 6 Fire Incident Report	
		Risk Potential Components						
		A. Ignition Potential Component					
		B. Fuel Potential Component						
		C. Access Potential Component				
		D. Response Potential Component					
		Risk Matrix Components						
		A. Threat Matrix							
		B. Suppression Matrix						
		C. Risk Potential Matrix
	5.	DISCUSSION
		Population Growth 
		Wildfire, Weather, and Fuel
		State and Local Rural Fire Organizations
		Regional Fire Regimes
		Decision Matrix
		Risk Matrix
		Threat Matrix
		Suppression Matrix
		Potential Components
		A. Ignition Potential Component
		B. Fuel(Volatility) Potential Component
		C. Access Potential Component
		D. Response Potential Component
		Conclusions

Bibliography

LIST OF TABLES
	1. Ownership Categories by Area
	2. Anderson's 13 Fuel Models Description (plus water)
	3. GAP Vegetation Classes
	4. Fire District 6 Fuel Categories
	5. Volatility Class of Anderson's Fuel Models
	6. Threat Matrix
	7. Suppression Matrix
	8. Risk Potential Matrix
	9. District 6 Rural Population and Housing Growth
	10. Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) Values
	11. Palmer Drought Severity Index Vs Number of Wildfires 92-96
	12. Palmer Drought Severity Index Vs Number of Wildfires 83-87
	13. Summary of Wildfires Statewide by Year
	14. Statewide Fire Incident Occurrence by Fuel Type (92-96)
	15. Anderson's Fuel Models in Arkansas by Area
	16. Summary of Wildfires 1992 - 1996 in AFC Fire District 6
	17. Fire District 6 Incident Occurrence by Fuel Type
	18. Anderson's Fuel Models in AFC District 6 by Area
	19. Source of Ignition in Arkansas (92 - 96)
	20. Source of Ignition in Arkansas (83 - 87)
	21. Human Activity as a Source of Ignition
	22. Residences vs. Volatility Classes
	23. Volatility Classes in AFC District 6 by Acreage
	24. Residences vs. Access Potential Component
	25. Residences vs. Response Potential Component
	26. Threat Matrix Values
	27. Threat Matrix Vs. Area and Residences
	28. Suppression Matrix Values
	29. Suppression Matrix Vs Area and Residences
	30. Risk Potential Matrix Values
	31. Risk Potential Matrix Vs Area and Residences


LIST OF FIGURES
	1. Arkansas Forestry Commission Fire District 6 
	2. Cartographic Model
	3. Arkansas PDSI Values for 1995
	4. AFC Dist 6 Fuel Map 
	5. Arkansas Fuel Map 
	6. Ignition Potential
	7. Fuel Potential
	8. Access Potential 
	9. Response Potential
	10. Threat Matrix
	11. Suppression Matrix
	12. Risk Potential Matrix