Water efficiency in fighting forest fire
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.6008/CBPC2179-6858.2021.002.0009Keywords:
Forest protection, Intensity of burning, Techniques and forestry operationsAbstract
Economic and cultural issues, make the great part of combating forest fires in Brazil still based on the application of water as the only resource. However, the scarcity of this resource in the vicinity of the occurrences combined with the problem of periods of drought and climate change, makes it necessary the strategic use of this resource. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the effect of different volumes of water in fighting fires in production forests. The experiment was carried out on 7-year-old eucalyptus plantations, on a rural property in the municipality of São José do Calçado, south of the state of Espírito Santo. The combustible material used was dry litter deposited in the soil in a natural way, consisting of dry leaves and branches up to 5 cm in diameter. The experimental area was composed of 18 plots, with dimensions of 1 m x 3 m. Different volumes of water per square meter were used in each treatment, 0.5 L; 1L; 1.5L; 2L; 2.5L and control without water. Before starting the ignition process, the appropriate treatments were applied homogeneously in the space of 1 m2 designated for application. In total, there were five treatments with three repetitions each and a control treatment, without adding water. In the study, the height of flames, wind speed, time and intensity of burning were evaluated. The water efficiency was proven in all volumes tested, showing a significant increase in the burning time and reductions in the height of the flames and in the burning intensity. Treatment 4 was the most appropriate and indicated, being the most environmentally and economically viable. There is a directly proportional relationship between the height of the flames and the burning intensity and inversely proportional between the volumes of water applied and the flame height and burning intensity.
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