Paul Werth, fire weather meteorologist with Weather Research and Consulting Services, LLC, will provide a discussion of weather elements that promote extreme fire behavior, regional critical fire weather patterns, and forecast products that are useful in determining areas at risk for extreme fire behavior.

This presentation summarizes the existing knowledge of how weather affects extreme wildland fire behavior. It defines the concept of critical fire weather patterns and identifies the significant weather elements associated with these patterns.

Examples of critical fire weather patterns are provided through the use of national and regional wildland fire case studies. Forecast products useful in determining areas at risk for extreme fire behavior are then identified.