Fire Restriction Evaluation Guidelines

When weather factors or fire suppression impacts become a concern, the following criteria will be used to determine if a Fire Restriction should be considered by area. Use weather data from weather stations in each Fire Restriction Area to make determination. When more than one station must be evaluated in an area, average the output to arrive at the following criteria.

Evaluation Guidelines for all fire restriction areas.

• 1,000-hour fuel moisture content is 12% or less
• 3-day mean energy release component (ERC) is at the 90th percentile or above 
• Fire danger rating adjective class is at very high or extreme
• Fires are impacting available suppression resources making adequate initial attack difficult
• The area is receiving a high occurrence of human-caused fires, or the human-caused risk is predicted to increase
• Adverse fire weather conditions and risks are predicted to continue
• Local fire preparedness level of 3 or above

 STAGE 1: If at least three (3) of the conditions above are met, consider initiating a stage one restriction.

STAGE II: Consider initiating a stage two restriction after a stage one restriction has been in effect and four (4) or more of the conditions above are impacted.

Additional Considerations

(Examples shown for Bailey and Lookout weather stations)

Spread Component (SC)                 > 22 = Bailey is 20 / Lookout is 10 

Ignition Component (IC)                  ≈ 65% = Bailey is 72 / Lookout is 23 

Burn Index (BI)                                  ≈ 80 = Bailey is 83 / Lookout is 50 

Energy Release Component             > 70 = Bailey is 67 / Lookout is 50
(ERC)