WRAP-Modified AP-42 Emissions Calculation
For regional coordination purposes, emissions for all fires entered into the
FETS will be computed immediately after entry, following a modified version
of Environmental Protection Agency's
AP-42 guidelines outlined in the
2002
Fire Emission Inventory for the WRAP Region. Emission factors
are stored as a look-up table in the FETS database; fuels information
is based on FCCS 1.1 and corresponding fuel loadings provided by The
Pacific Northwest Research Station. Emissions estimates using this method
are superseded by user-provided emissions and CONSUME-derived emissions
(see below), but persist in the database and may be queried for download
by registered users.
FCCS Fuel Layer Overlay
For all incoming fire events, the FETS has the capability to
define a fuel loading following the FCCS 1.1 fuel classification
scheme. An automated GIS routine overlays each fire event,
based on latitude and longitude, onto a 1-km
FCCS map developed by the Fire
and Environmental Research Applications Team. A
GIS-derived FCCS code is derived for every fire without user-provided
fuels information. The GIS routine may not be triggered
by website users, but runs automatically every 5 minutes
to provide current information.
GIS-Interpolated Fuel Moisture Maps
Fuel moisture data are downloaded daily from the network of
Weather Information Management System
(WIMS) stations in the WRAP region and interpolated in a GIS into
surface maps. Fire events are overlayed onto these maps in the same manner
as the Fuel Layer Overlay (above) to provide 10- and 1000-hour fuel moisture
for every fire event in the FETS. These and other inputs are used to calculate
emissions using
CONSUME 3.0. For more information, see the
Resources page.
CONSUME 3.0 Emissions Calculation
Once a burn is flagged as accomplished in the FETS database,
emissions for each day of the fire are calculated via
the java-executable batch mode of
CONSUME 3.0. CONSUME
requires a FCCS fuelbed description, and is capable of
accepting more detailed information such as fuel moisture,
ignition duration, and pile dimensions. In the short-term,
derived values for information not widely reported to
the FETS--such as fuel moisture from interpolated maps (above)--are
used for emissions calculations. In the near future,
data providers will have the ability to view and edit
inputs to CONSUME to enhance the quality of emissions
estimates. CONSUME is currently scheduled to run twice
a day; this may be altered based on user needs in the
future.
Emission Reduction Techniques (ERTs)
The FETS handles the storage and application of reported use of ERTs.
A default option requires only confirmation that any ERT was used.
Estimates of emissions averted are based on the FEJFs Seasonal Suites of ERTs
based on location, fire date, and vegetation type (examples shown at left).
Optional inputs include assigning a specific ERT applied to a burn,
and/or assigning a custom reduction factor based on information provided
to an SMP by the burn manager. For more about ERTs and their application, see
the WRAP Fire Emissions Joint Forum's
bibliography and summary table on Emission Reduction Techniques.