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http://hdl.handle.net/10397/92503
Title: | How to build a firebreak to stop smouldering peat fire : insights from a laboratory-scale study | Authors: | Lin, S Liu, Y Huang, X |
Issue Date: | 2021 | Source: | International journal of wildland fire, 2021, v. 30, no. 6, p. 454-461 | Abstract: | Smouldering wildfire is an important disturbance to peatlands worldwide; it contributes significantly to global carbon emissions and provides positive feedback to climate change. Herein, we explore the feasibility of firebreaks to control smouldering peat fires through laboratory-scale experiments. The dry-mass moisture content (MC) of peat soil was varied from 10% (air-dried) to 125%. We found that smouldering peat fire may be successfully extinguished above the mineral soil layer, even if the peat layer is not entirely removed. There are two criteria for an effective peat firebreak: (I) adding water to make the peat layer sufficiently wet (>115% MC in the present work); and (II) ensuring that the peat layer is thinner than the quenching thickness (< 5 cm). Criterion I may fail if the water table declines or the peat layer is dried by surface fires and hot weather; thus, satisfying Criterion II is more attainable. A sloping trench-shaped firebreak is recommended to guide water flow and help maintain high peat moisture content. This work provides a scientific foundation for fighting and mitigating smouldering wildfires and provides guidance about protective measures for field-scale peat fire experiments. | Keywords: | Underground fire Wildfire fighting Peatland Quenching Soil moisture profile Peat fire suppression |
Publisher: | CSIRO Publishing | Journal: | International journal of wildland fire | ISSN: | 1049-8001 | EISSN: | 1448-5516 | DOI: | 10.1071/WF20155 | Rights: | Journal compilation © IAWF 2021 This is the accepted version of the publication Lin Shaorun, Liu Yanhui, Huang Xinyan (2021) How to build a firebreak to stop smouldering peat fire: insights from a laboratory-scale study. International Journal of Wildland Fire 30, 454-461. The final published version of record is available at https://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF20155. |
Appears in Collections: | Journal/Magazine Article |
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File | Description | Size | Format | |
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74_IJWF_2021_Peat_firebreak.pdf | Pre-Published version | 1.11 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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