Fuel Model 6 - full description

Chaparral along the western slope of the Sierra-Nevada Mountain Range.

Photo courtesy of Sean Griffis

Low pocosin shrub field in the south

Frost-killed Gambel Oak foliage, less than 4 feet in height, in Colorado

Fires carry through the shrub layer where the foliage is more flammable than fuel model 5, but this requires moderate winds, greater than 8 mi/h (13 km/h) at midflame height. Fire will drop to the ground at low wind speeds or at openings in the stand. The shrubs are older, but not as tall as shrub types of model 4, nor do they contain as much fuel as model 4. A broad range of shrub conditions is covered by this model. Fuel situations to be considered include intermediate stands of chamise, chaparral, oak brush, low pocosin, Alaskan spruce taiga, and shrub tundra. Even hardwood slash that has cured can be considered. Pinyon-juniper shrublands may be represented but may overpredict rate of spread except at high winds, like 20 mi/h (32 km/h) at the 20-foot level.

Fuel model values for estimating fire behavior:

- Total fuel load, < 3-inch dead and live, tons/acre 6.0
- Dead fuel load, 1/4-inch, tons/acre 1.5
- Live fuel load, foliage, tons/acre 0
- Fuel bed 2.5

 
(Source: "Aids to Determining Fuel Models for Estimating Fire Behavior, Hal Anderson, National Wildfire Coordinating Group, 1982.)

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