Climate Effect on Wildfire Burned Area in Alberta (1961-2010)

Abstract

The spread and burned areas of wildfires in Alberta, Canada during a 50 year period, from 1961 through 2010 are studied here. Meteorological factors that control the spread and burn area have been discussed for a long time. In this paper, we analyze the temperature rise that could drastically enhance the spread and average burned area of wildfires. A simple lattice model that mimics meteorological factors is also introduced to simulate the temperature effect on the spread and burned areas of wildfires. The numerical results demonstrate the temperature effects on wildfires when compared to the empirical data.