The Evaluation of Idaho Wildfire Growth Using the Haines Index

Abstract

An atmospheric index specifically designed to be related to the growth of wildland fires is evaluated for two recent Idaho fires. The index includes terms related to high midlevel lapse rates and low-level dry air. In the cases examined, the index performs well at pinpointing the time of the most explosive fire growth. Long-term season statistics also show that the index is useful for determining when the most acreage will be lost to wildland fires.