Modeling behavior of prescribed fires in Yosemite National Park

The National Fire Danger Rating System and the Fire Behavior Prediction System were tested on prescribed fires burning underneath canopies in six fuel types in Yosemite National Park, California. The mean error for rate of spread was +0.03 foot per minute for the NFDRS and -0.15 foot for the FBPS. For flame length the mean error was -0.38 foot for both systems. Regressions provided factors for correcting predicted values. Burning prescriptions based on the models have been adjusted for the variation in their predictive capability.