Fire Danger Index
Adjusting your behaviour
From spring until late fall, SOPFEU establishes a daily fire danger index to assess wildfire risk and guide appropriate behaviour. This index is classified into five levels:
Low
Situation: Low-intensity fire risk with limited spread potential.
Recommendation: Ideal conditions for safely lighting a campfire.
Moderate
Situation: Surface fire risk spreading at a moderate rate and generally easy to control.
Recommendation: Only small fires (maximum 1m x 1m) are recommended.
High
Situation: Moderate to high-intensity surface fire risk, presenting control challenges during firefighting.
Recommendation: Avoid lighting a fire if winds exceed 20 km/h.
Very High
Situation: High-intensity fire risk with partial or total crown ignition, exceeding the response capacity of ground crews.
Recommendation: Only use fire pits equipped with spark arresters and placed on mineral soil.
Extreme
Situation: High-intensity crown fire risk, spreading rapidly and potentially becoming uncontrollable.
Recommendation: Avoid all fires.
How the Fire Danger Index is Calculated
Indice forêt météo du 1 juin 2023
The fire danger index is determined based on several environmental and historical parameters. The Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) is the primary indicator used to assess wildfire risk. It considers:
Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC): Flammability of surface debris.
Duff Moisture Code (DMC): Moisture level in the topsoil layer.
Drought Code (DC): Dryness level of the deeper soil.
Initial Spread Index (ISI): Expected fire spread rate.
Buildup Index (BUI): Combination of DMC and DC indices.
Fire Weather Index (FWI): Combination of ISI and BUI to estimate fire control difficulty.
In northern regions, the Cladonia Index (ICLA) is used, considering the sparser vegetation and prevailing winds. This environment can lead to rapid fire spread, even after just one sunny day.