Synthesis on crown fire behavior in conifer forests

Mass media images of raging crown fires have affected how many people view their wildlands. Flames surge and leap dozens and even hundreds of feet into the air; planes zoom above the flames releasing streams of brightly colored retardant; and giant pyrocumulonimbus clouds tower over the landscape. No doubt, it’s dramatic lead story material. But, to many, and especially those in the wildland fire community, this is serious business. Tens of thousands of acres are severely burned in a single day; homes and lives are endangered; and ecosystems are changed dramatically for decades or longer. Crown fires demand our attention, and they demand serious study. The Joint Fire Science Program is pleased to have contributed to the set of papers appearing in this special volume of Fire Management Today reporting the results of just such a serious study. The Joint Fire Science Program commissioned a thorough synthesis of knowledge and understanding regarding crown fire behavior in coniferous forests a few years ago, and now a summary of the results of that study is presented here in Fire Management Today.