1. Outdoor Experimental Fires in Portugal Hermínio Botelho Departamento Florestal, UTAD Vila Real FIRE STAR Conclusive Symposium, March 18 2005, UNIMECA, Marseille

2. General objective of the experimental fires: to get data to validate the fire behaviour model under predefined fuel scenarios Outdoor Experimental Fires in Portugal (1) UTAD fuel scenarios with experimental burns: Erica – Chamaespartium garrigue Pinus pinaster adult pure stand

3. Outdoor Experimental Fires in Portugal (2) Pinus pinaster adult pure stand Burning conditions: No-slope weak to moderate wind speed very low moisture content Different fuel conditions

4. Outdoor Experimental Fires in Portugal (3) Different fuel conditions = different fire behaviour & severity RX13 and U RX3 and RX2

5. Erica – Chamaespartium garrigue Outdoor Experimental Fires in Portugal (4) Burning conditions: Moderate slope Weak wind speed Low moisture content Young stand dominated by live fuel Six experimental fires in May 2003

6. Outdoor Experimental Fires in Portugal (4) Fire behaviour variation dominated by wind speed, with a minor slope influence Wind @ 2 m Rate of spread