Definition
Fireline intensity is the rate of energy or heat release per unit time per unit length of fire front (kW/m). Numerically, it is equal to the product of the fuel low heat of combustion (kJ/kg), quantity of fuel consumed in the flaming front (kg/m2), and the linear rate of fire spread (m/s).
Introduction
In his publication surveying the scientific literature on wildland fire behavior and effects, Albini (1976) stated that perhaps no descriptor is as poorly defined or communicated as are measures of fire intensity. The term implies some measure of a rate of energy release, but it has also been applied to many measures of a wildland fire’s behavior and impacts (e.g., peak flame temperature, convection column height, maximum soil temperature, fraction of standing timber killed). In this respect, Byram (1959) introduced his concept of...
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Alexander, M.E., Cruz, M. (2019). Fireline Intensity. In: Manzello, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of Wildfires and Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51727-8_52-1
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