A study of the relationship between fire hazard and burn severity in Grand Teton National Park, USA

• Published in: International journal of applied earth observation and geoinformation 2021-06, Vol.98, p.102305, Article 102305
• Main Authors: Szpakowski, David M., Jensen, Jennifer L.R., Butler, David R., Chow, T. Edwin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Burn severity; Fire hazard; Sentinel-2
• ISSN: 1569-8432; 1872-826X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jag.2021.102305

•We modified the hybrid fire risk index (HFI) by integrating a LANDFIRE fuel model and canopy cover.•We compared fire hazard maps to MTBS burn severities to assess the relationship between the two products.•Our model provided a better prediction of ignition than the three common fire hazard models.•Our approach enhances existing fire hazard modeling. Fire hazard maps are a useful tool which help land managers with wildfire mitigation planning. These maps are used for predicting the likelihood of fire ignition, fire behavior and effects, and can be generated using different techniques. However, the relationship between fire hazard and the resulting burn severity has not been fully explored. This paper presents a new method for assessing fire hazard and examines the relationship between fire hazard and burn severity. The 2016 Berry Fire in Grand Teton National Park is used as a case study for this examination. Fire hazard was calculated using a multicriteria evaluation based on fuel type, canopy cover, moisture conditions, topography, and infrastructure. Additionally, several previously proposed fire hazard indices were generated for comparison. All fire hazard indices were compared to the burn severities for the Berry Fire to determine if a relationship existed between fire hazard and burn severity. The proposed model exhibited a moderate relationship with two of the tested burn severity categories (unburned and moderate to high) and a weak relationship with the other categories (low, moderate, high). The other fire hazard indices exhibited very weak relationships with burn severity and in some instances the relationship was the inverse of what was expected.