Kanawha State Forest, WV: Wildland fire fuel load assessment and geospatial distribution

Fire has become a major concern along the wildland-urban interface (WUI), and there is increased awareness that fires could result in serious damage to people and property in residential areas occurring in forested landscapes. Part of the long-term strategy the West Virginia Division of Forestry outlined in the 2010 West Virginia Statewide Forest Resource Assessment was to conduct a comprehensive monitoring program of wildland fire fuels. In an effort to predict and prevent catastrophic fire activity, identifying areas of the WUI that are at risk for wildfire is one of the initial steps in developing mitigation plans and priority levels. In early 2013, an extensive fuel sampling inventory was performed to quantify the fuel loading in the 9,388 acre Kanawha State Forest located 7 miles south of the state capitol, Charleston, WV. Results included fuel load volumes, a spatially distributed fuel load assessment model, and effects of site and vegetation characteristics. Data from the fuel sampling will be used in forthcoming evaluations that incorporate additional elements of fire hazard into a comprehensive fire risk assessment.