Government of New Brunswick
 
Natural Resources
Fire Weather Index Maps

The Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System

The Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System consists of six components that account for the effects of fuel moisture and wind on fire behavior. The first three components are fuel moisture codes and are numerical ratings of the moisture content of litter and other fine fuels, the average moisture content of loosely compacted organic layers of moderate depth, and the average moisture content of deep, compact organic layers. The remaining three components are fire behavior indexes which represent the rate of fire spread, the fuel available for combustion, and the frontal fire intensity; their values rise as the fire danger
increases. Calculation of the components is based on consecutive daily observations of temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and 24-hour rainfall. The six standard components provide numerical ratings of relative wildland fire potential.


Natural Resources
Disclaimer | Privacy Statement