Pacific Northwest 

Research Station

General Technical Report 

PNW-GTR-877

June 2013

ArcFuels User Guide and 

Tutorial: for Use with 

ArcGIS 9®

Nicole M. Vaillant, Alan A. Ager, John Anderson, and 

Lauren Miller

DEPAR TMENT OF AGRICULT URE

United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service
Authors

Nicole M. Vaillant is a fire ecologist and Alan A. Ager is an operations research 

analyst, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest 

Research Station, Western Wildlands Environmental Threat Assessment Center, 

3160 NE 3rd Street, Prineville, OR 97754; John Anderson is a lead programmer, 

BalanceTech, 534 Fairview Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801; and Lauren Miller is a 

fire and fuels specialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Deschutes 

National Forest, 63095 Deschutes Market Road, Bend, OR 97701.

Cover photograph by Tom Iraci.

The Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the principle of 

multiple use management of the Nation’s forest resources for sustained yields of wood, 

water, forage, wildlife, and recreation. Through forestry research, cooperation with the 

States and private forest owners, and management of the National Forests and National 

Grasslands, it strives—as directed by Congress—to provide increasingly greater service 

to a growing Nation.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and 

activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual 

orientation, marital status, family status, status as a parent (in education and training 

programs and activities), because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any 

public assistance program, or retaliation. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs or 

activities.)

If you require this information in alternative format (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), 

contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (Voice or TDD).

If you require information about this program, activity, or facility in a language other than 

English, contact the agency office responsible for the program or activity, or any USDA 

office.

To file a complaint alleging discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call toll free, (866) 

632-9992 (Voice). TDD users can contact USDA through local relay or the Federal relay 

at (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (relay voice users). You may use USDA 

Program Discrimination Complaint Forms AD-3027 or AD-3027s (Spanish) which can be 

found at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html or upon request from a local 

Forest Service office. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 
Abstract

Vaillant, Nicole M.; Ager, Alan A.; Anderson, John; Miller, Lauren. 2013. 

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for use with ArcGIS 9. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNWGTR-877. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific 

Northwest Research Station. 256 p. 

Fuel management planning can be a complex problem that is assisted by fire 

behavior modeling and geospatial analyses. Fuel management often is a particularly 

complicated process in which the benefits and potential impacts of fuel treatments 

need to be demonstrated in the context of land management goals and public expectations. Fire intensity, likelihood, and effects can be analyzed for multiple treatment 

alternatives. Depending on the goal, the effect of treatments on wildfire impacts 

can be considered at multiple scales, from a single forest stand or planning unit to a 

watershed to a national forest to the Nation as a whole. 

The fuel treatment planning process is complicated by the lack of data assimilation among fire behavior models and by weak linkages to geographic information 

systems, corporate data, and desktop office software. ArcFuels is a streamlined 

fuel management planning and wildfire risk assessment system. ArcFuels creates a 

trans-scale (stand to large landscape) interface to apply various forest growth and 

fire behavior models within an ArcGIS® platform to design and test fuel treatment 

alternatives. It eliminates a number of tedious data transformations and repetitive 

processes that have plagued the fire operations and research communities as they 

apply the models to solve fuel management problems. 

This User Guide and Tutorial includes an overview of ArcFuels and its functionality, a tutorial highlighting all the tools within ArcFuels, and fuel treatment 

planning scenarios. There is also a section for obtaining, formatting, and setting up 

ArcFuels for use with your own data. It is assumed that the reader has basic familiarity with the Forest Vegatetion Simulator (forest growth and yield program) and 

FlamMap (landscape fire behavior model). 

Keywords: ArcGIS, fire behavior models, forest growth models, fuel treatment 

planning, wildfire hazard, wildfire risk.
Contents

Chapter 1

1 What is ArcFuels?

2 Modeling Fuel Treatments With FFE-FVS

4 Simulating Landscape Fire Behavior and Fuel Treatments

5 Burn Probability Modeling and Risk Analysis

6 Fuel Treatment Impacts on Carbon

Chapter 2

7 Getting Started

7 Purpose of the User Guide and Tutorial

7 User Guide and Tutorial Conventions

8 System Requirements

8 ArcFuels Download and Installation Instructions

10 Mt. Emily Demonstration Data

12 Setting up ArcFuels With the Mt. Emily Demonstration Data

17 Start-up Errors

17 Visual Basic editor window—

18 Missing buttons—

Chapter 3

19 ArcFuels Tool Overview

20 Stand and Select Stand

20 Set Stand Options—

23 View FVS I/O—

24 SVS—

24 Select Stand—

24 Cell Data

25 Landscape

25 Assign Prescriptions to Landscape—

27 Simulate Landscape Treatments—

31 Build FlamMap Landscape—

34 GNN to LCP Process—

36 Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD)—

37 Wildfire Models

37 Behave Calculator—

38 Modify Grid Values

39 Conversion

40 Convert Ascii to Grid—

40 Batch Convert Ascii to Grid—
42 Convert XY Text to Shapefile—

42 Batch Convert XY Text to Shapefile—

43 Copy Attributes to Spreadsheet—

44 Projects and Files

44 Manage Projects—

44 File Explorer—

44 File Janitor—

45 ArcFuels Help

Chapter 4

46 ArcFuels Tool Tutorial

46 Stand and Select Stand

46 Exercise 4-1: Running FVS and SVS for an untreated stand—

51 Exercise 4-2: Creating NEXUS input files—

55 Exercise 4-3: Running a combination treatment (thinning and 

 prescribed fire) followed by a wildfire in FVS—

59 Exercise 4-4: Using FVS to create treatment adjustment factors for 

 grid data—

60 Exercise 4-5: Fine tuning treatment prescriptions using the 

 Treatment Analysis tab—

63 Exercise 4-6: Comparing treatment prescriptions using the 

 Compare Treatments tab—

66 Exercise 4-7: Opening FVS output files—

70 Cell Data

70 Exercise 4-8: Cell data information—

70 Landscape

71 Exercise 4-9: Assigning FVS prescriptions by selecting 

 individual stands—

72 Exercise 4-10: Assign FVS prescriptions to ArcGIS-selected 

 features—

76 Exercise 4-11: Assign prescriptions with a treatment grid—

78 Exercise 4-12: Running FVS for the no-treatment alternative—

81 Exercise 4-13: Simulating landscape treatments in FVS to create an 

 ideal landscape for the TOM in FlamMap—

83 Exercise 4-14: Simulating landscape treatments in FVS only to stands 

 with prescriptions—

85 Exercise 4-15: Using the Treatment Analysis tab to vary a 

 single parameter—

89 Exercise 4-16: Comparing carbon offsets between

 treatment alternatives—

91 Exercise 4-17: Joining FVS outputs to the stand polygon—

93 Exercise 4-18: Build the no-treatment alternative LCP using 

 inventory data run through FVS—
97 Exercise 4-19: Build the WUI treatment alternative LCP using 

 inventory data run through FVS—

99 Exercise 4-20: Build the no-treatment alternative LCP using 

 grid data—

101 Exercise 4-21: Build a treatment alternative LCP using treatment 

 adjustment factors and grid data—

106 Exercise 4-22: Build an LCP using multiple grid sources—

109 Wildfire Models

110 Exercise 4-23: Using the Behave Calculator—

111 Modify Grid Values

111 Exercise 4-24: Globally update a fuel model—

113 Exercise 4-25: Globally update a fuel model and clip the extent—

115 Exercise 4-26: Update fuel models only within a recent fire—

117 Conversion

117 Exercise 4-27: Convert a single ASCII file to a grid—

119 Exercise 4-28: Batch convert ASCII files to grids—

121 Exercise 4-29: Convert a single XY file to a shapefile—

122 Exercise 4-30: Batch convert XY text files to shapefiles—

124 Exercise 4-31: Copy shapefile attributes to spreadsheet—

Chapter 5

125 Introduction to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS)

125 FVS Program Overview

126 FVS Extensions

127 FVS Variants

128 FVS Input Data

128 FVS data sources—

128 FVS database table linkages—

128 Example FVS keywords for fuel treatments—

129 Thinning keywords—

129 FFE specific keywords—

130 Other useful keywords—

130 FVS Output Description and Units

137 Using the FVS Parallel Processing Extension (PPE)

Chapter 6

139 Introduction to Fire Behavior Modeling With FlamMap3

139 FlamMap3 Overview

140 Input data—

142 Getting Started With FlamMap3

142 Opening FlamMap3—

143 Loading an LCP file—
143 Changing the display and/or units of a theme—

146 Saving a theme for further mapping and analysis in ArcGIS—

146 Creating a FlamMap3 run—

152 FlamMap3 Tutorial

153 Exercise 6-1: Running FlamMap3 to produce basic fire 

 behavior outputs—

157 Exercise 6-2: Running FlamMap3 to produce minimum travel 

 time (MTT) outputs for a single ignition—

161 Exercise 6-3: Running FlamMap3 to produce burn probability for 

 random ignitions—

164 Exercise 6-4: Running the treatment optimization model (TOM) 

 in FlamMap3—

Chapter 7

170 Fuel Treatment Planning Scenarios Using ArcFuels

171 Evaluating Wildfire Hazard

172 Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

172 Step 2: Run FlamMap3 to obtain flame length and crown 

 fire activity—

172 Step 3: Create a wildfire hazard map—

177 Step 4: Summarize wildfire hazard—

179 Wildfire Risk Assessment: Creating a Wildfire Exposure Scatter Plot

181 Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

181 Step 2: Run FlamMap3 to obtain flame length and burn probability—

182 Step 3: Summarize fire behavior values by forest type—

184 Step 4: Create the wildfire risk scatter plot—

186 Designing Landscape Level Fuel Treatment Alternatives By Using 

 Wildfire Exposure With FVS Data

186 Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

186 Step 2: Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the 

 existing conditions—

190 Step 3: Create a wildfire exposure map to design fuel 

 treatment alternatives—

204 Step 4: Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the 

 treatment alternatives—

204 Step 5: Assess the effectiveness of the fuel treatment alternatives—

206 Designing Landscape Level Fuel Treatment Alternatives By Using 

 TOM with Grid and FVS Data

206 Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

207 Step 2: Run the Treatment Optimization Model in FlamMap3—

207 Step 3: Use the TOM treatment grid and FVS/FFE-FVS to 

 develop a fuel treatment alternative in ArcFuels—
219 Step 4: Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the 

 treatment alternatives—

223 Step 5: Assess the effectiveness of the treatment alternatives—

228 Designing Landscape Level Fuel Treatment Alternatives By Using a 

 Preexisting Plan With Grid Data

229 Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

229 Step 2: “Implement” the preexisting fuel treat alternatives—

235 Step 3: Run FlamMap3 for fire behavior—

237 Step 4: Assess the effectiveness of the treatment alternatives—

Chapter 8

244 Running ArcFuels With Your Data

244 Grid Data

245 Grid data list—

246 LANDFIRE grid data—

246 Inventory Data for FVS

246 FVS-ready databases—

247 Creating your own FVS database—

248 Spatial linkage between FVS database and stands—

249 Setting Up ArcFuels With Your Data

250 Acknowledgments

250 Metric Equivalents

251 Literature Cited
1

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

What is ArcFuels?

ArcFuels is a library of ArcGIS®1 macros (programs) developed to streamline fire 

behavior modeling and spatial analyses for fuel treatment planning at the landscape 

scale. ArcFuels macros are executed via a custom toolbar in ArcMap®. ArcFuels 

was programmed in the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) development environment and incorporated into ArcMap. The macros link (1) key wildfire behavior 

models, (2) fuels and vegetation data, (3) Microsoft Office®, and (4) ArcGIS. 

ArcFuels exists as an ArcMap project file (.mxd) that is linked with a Microsoft 

Access® projects database. 

ArcFuels is used to rapidly design and test fuel treatments at the stand-tolandscape scales via linkages to forest vegetation growth and visualization models, 

stand-level fire behavior models, landscape-level fire behavior models, and fireeffects models, within a spatial interface (table 1-1). The ArcMap framework helps 

users incorporate data from a variety of sources to address project-specific issues 

that typify many fuel treatment projects. 

ArcFuels provides a logical flow from stand to landscape analyses of vegetation, 

fuel, and fire behavior, using a number of different models (table 1-1) and a simple 

user interface within ArcMap (fig. 1-1). ArcFuels was built to accommodate both 

ArcGIS grid data and forest inventory data. The specific functionality of ArcFuels 

includes: 

1. An interactive system within ArcMap to simulate fuel treatment prescriptions with the Fire and Fuels Extension to the Forest Vegetation Simulator 

(FFE-FVS) (Rebain 2010). 

2. Automated generation of Microsoft Excel® workbooks and Stand 

Visualization System (SVS) (McGaughey 1997) images showing how fuel 

treatments change wildfire behavior and stand conditions over time after 

FFE-FVS modeling. 

3. Scale-up of stand-specific treatments to simulate landscape changes in vegetation and fuel from proposed management activities. 

4. Pre- and postprocessing of files for FlamMap (Finney 2006) to simulate 

landscape-scale fire behavior and to measure fuel treatment performance in 

terms of wildfire probabilities, spread rates, and fireline intensity. 

5. The ability to easily modify and reevaluate fuel treatment scenarios.

6. Viewing and analyzing spatial fire behavior outputs in ArcMap. 

1 The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information and does not 

imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service.

Chapter 1

ArcFuels is used to 

rapidly design and 

test fuel treatments 

at the stand-tolandscape scales via 

linkages to forest 

vegetation growth 

and visualization 

models, stand-level 

fire behavior models, 

landscape-level fire 

behavior models, and 

fire-effects models, 

within a spatial 

interface.
2

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

ArcFuels can be used for both project planning and fuel management research. 

There are four major applications explained in this manual, which appear in order 

of increasing complexity: (1) modeling fuel treatments with FFE-FVS, (2) simulating landscape-level fire behavior and fuel treatments, (3) using burn probability 

modeling and risk exposure analysis to measure the performance of fuel treatments, and (4) fuel treatment impacts on carbon offsets. These individual areas are 

described below.

Modeling Fuel Treatments With FFE-FVS

ArcFuels adds a spatial context to FFE-FVS and facilitates its application for 

both stand and landscape modeling of fuel treatments. Stand-level analysis with 

FFE-FVS typically involves simulating activities like thinning, and surface fuel 

treatments such as pile burning, mastication, or broadcast burns, and examining the 

changes to fire behavior and effects such as tree mortality. At the stand level, the 

intention is that users will have access to digital orthophotos to see the vegetation in 

stands (delineated by an ArcGIS stand polygon layer) and be able to point and click 

on individual stands to run FFE-FVS and SVS. When this is completed, ArcFuels 

Table 1-1—Description of forest growth and fire behavior models linked to ArcFuels

Model Description Linkage within ArcFuels

Forest Vegetation Individual-tree, distance-independent Calls the program, creates input data,

 Simulator (FVS) growth and yield model processes output data, and allows

(Crookston and Dixon 2005) interaction in execution

Stand Visualization System Generates graphics depicting Calls the program; creates input data

 (SVS) (McGaughey 1997) stand conditions

Fire and Fuels Extension to FVS Stand-level simulations of fuel Calls the program, creates input data, 

 (FFE-FVS) (Reabin 2010) dynamics, potential fire behavior processes output data, and allows

 and fire effects over time interaction in execution

NEXUS (Scott 1999) Stand-level spreadsheet that links Calls the program; creates input data

 surface and crown fire prediction models

BehavePlus (Heinsch Stand-level fire behavior, fire effects, and Calls the program

 and Andrews 2010) fire environment modeling system

BehavePlus Stand-level fire behavior, fire effects, and Fully integrated (Behave Calculator in

 (SURFACE module) fire environment modeling system Wildfire Models tool)

FlamMap (Finney 2006) Landscape-level fire behavior mapping Calls the program; creates input data, 

 and analysis program processes output data

Fire Area Simulator Landscape-level fire spread simulator Calls the program; creates input data,

 (FARSITE) (Finney 1998) processes output data

First Order Fire Effects Stand-level first order fire effects Calls the program

 Model (FOFEM) modeling system

 (Reinhardt et al. 1997) 

Source: Adapted from table 1 in Ager et al. (2012).
3

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Inventory data 

(i.e., FSVeg)

Prescription 

development

FVS-FFE modeling

SVS visualization

ArcGIS evaluation

Modify grid values

ArcGIS grids 

(i.e., LANDFIRE)

Pre-planned 

alternatives

FlamMap 

Treatment 

Optimization 

Model (TOM)

Landscape 

Treatment 

Designer (LTD)

LCP creation

Fire behavior 

modeling 

(FlamMap)

Post-processing/ 

analysis of fire 

model outputs

Landscape-level

Data critique/update Fuel treatment planning Data acquisition Existing conditions Fuel treatment effectiveness

Fire hazard/risk 

assessment

SVS visualization

Stand-level

Landscape-level

Stand-level

Landscape-level

FFE-FVS modeling

SVS visualization

Stand-level

Landscape-level

Stand-level

FFE-FVS modeling

LCP creation

Fire behavior 

modeling 

(FlamMap)

Post-processing/ 

analysis of fire 

model outputs

Stand -level

FFE-FVS modeling

LCP creation

Fire behavior 

modeling 

(FlamMap)

Landscape-level

Post-processing/ 

analysis of fire 

model outputs

Other

Figure 1-1—ArcFuels work flow image. Gray boxes are specific to ArcFuels functionality.
4

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

generates an Excel workbook with FFE-FVS outputs and graphs generated in 

each worksheet. At the landscape scale, modeled outputs are written to an Access 

database. The selection of which stands are run through FFE-FVS is user defined 

and can range from a single stand to the entire landscape. Additionally, ArcFuels 

makes it possible to build landscape files (LCPs) from the FFE-FVS outputs for fire 

behavior modeling in FlamMap to test treatment alternatives with wildfires.

Much of stand-level modeling involves validating data and iteratively examining different treatment combinations on a suite of stands that collectively comprise 

a coordinated landscape fuel treatment strategy. Direct links to the prescription 

files (keyword component files, KCPs) allows efficient editing of the keywords, 

making easy comparisons possible. The validation or assessment of fuel treatment 

prescription(s) at the stand level can also be applied to larger landscapes to develop 

landscape-level treatment alternatives. Posttreatment stand development and fuel 

dynamics can be used to determine retreatment frequency over time. 

In addition to running FFE-FVS for a single prescription, ArcFuels has the 

ability to analyze treatment prescriptions by altering a single keyword parameter 

over set step amounts. This provides a way to explore how different fuel treatment 

prescriptions affect fire behavior and effects. ArcFuels will batch process the runs 

and generate an Excel workbook (with graphs) for a single stand, or generate an 

Access database for multiple stands. The process is useful for uncovering thresholds and other nonlinear outcomes. An example of a threshold would be determining the intensity of tree thinning required to result in potential flame lengths 

of less than 4 ft. 

In addition to fire behavior and fire effects, it is possible to complete ancillary analyses using FFE-FVS for other factors such as wildlife habitat and carbon 

sequestration.

Simulating Landscape Fire Behavior and Fuel Treatments

Landscape analysis of fuel treatment scenarios examines the aggregate effect of all 

treatments on potential wildfire behavior (Collins et al. 2010). The spatial arrangement, unit size, and total area treated are of importance to fuel treatment effectiveness (Finney 2001, 2007; Finney et al. 2007). The concept of strategically placing 

fuel treatments to block the progression of wildfire was demonstrated in simulation 

studies by Finney (2001, 2007). In simulated simplistic landscapes, treatments 

located in a staggered, overlapping pattern perpendicular to the prevailing wind 

are most effective at reducing rates of spread (Finney 2001). This theory was put 

into practice by planners in the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service as a 

key component of their collaborative “Fireshed Assessment” process (Bahro et al. 
5

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

2007), and ArcFuels became the analytical engine for this process. The Forest Service created a national program to promote wider application of the concept (Gercke 

and Stewart 2006) and facilitate the use of an automated treatment optimization 

model (TOM) (Finney 2007) developed for FlamMap. The TOM system located 

treatments to block the fastest routes of travel and maximize the reduction in spread 

rate across a landscape per area treated. 

Regardless of the fuel treatment plan, fuel treatments can be simulated at the 

landscape scale in three ways in ArcFuels: (1) simulating all stands through FFEFVS with treatment prescription(s), (2) using appropriate stand-level FFE-FVS runs 

to determine treatment adjustment factors to alter grid data to represent posttreatment conditions, or (3) using treatment adjustment factors determined from experience or direct monitoring to represent posttreatment conditions. Within ArcFuels, 

it is possible to store the treatment adjustment factors and then apply the changes to 

select locations in the landscape in a single step. 

Ultimately, outputs from treatment and no-treatment alternatives can be 

compiled and formatted to feed directly into the spatial fire modeling programs 

FARSITE and FlamMap. FlamMap is a widely used landscape-level fire behavior 

model for analyzing fuel treatments. ArcFuels streamlines the preparation of LCPs 

which characterize the fuel environment; they can be created using ArcFuels from 

grid data (such as LANDFIRE) (Rollins 2009), from FFE-FVS simulations, or from 

multiple sources. ArcFuels also provides tools for quick postprocessing of modeled 

fire behavior outputs to analyze treatment effects in ArcGIS. 

Burn Probability Modeling and Risk Analysis

The incorporation of the minimum travel time (MTT) (Finney 2002) fire spread 

algorithm into FlamMap makes it feasible to rapidly simulate thousands of fires that 

can then be used to generate burn probability maps. These burn probability maps 

can be compared for different management scenarios at large scales. Prior to this 

method, fire likelihood for fuel treatment projects was quantified with relatively few 

(<10) predetermined ignition locations.

Burn probability coupled with simulated flame length can be used to complete 

a type of wildfire risk assessment called a “wildfire exposure analysis”. The outputs 

can be used to create matrices to categorize the landscape based on likelihood of 

a fire occurring (burn probability) and potential intensity (flame length). This 

categorization can highlight “hot spots” in the landscape for fuel treatment planning. The outputs can also be used to create risk scatter plots to assess differences 

in exposure between and among values. Such an analysis was completed by Ager 

et al. (2010) to analyze tradeoffs between preserving large trees and protecting the 

wildland-urban interface. 
6

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Fuel Treatment Impacts on Carbon

Analyzing carbon dynamics with fire behavior models like the FFE-FVS has 

become a common fire modeling exercise and has been motivated by questions 

about carbon impacts from fuel management programs (Hurteau et al. 2008, North 

et al. 2009, Reinhardt and Holsinger 2010). The potential carbon impact from 

fuel treatments is dependent on the distribution of carbon in different pools (live, 

dead, surface, canopy, etc.) and the contribution of the pools to fire behavior. Fuel 

management activities differentially affect carbon pools depending on the type of 

treatment, and can result in emissions from both underburning and the wood manufacturing process. Both positive (Finkral and Evans 2008) and negative (Mitchell et 

al. 2009, Reinhardt and Holsinger 2010) carbon impacts from fuel treatments have 

been reported. 

ArcFuels enhances the postprocessing of carbon outputs generated by FFEFVS. At the stand level, ArcFuels automates the process of comparing carbon pools 

before and after treatment or among two treatment alternatives. The offset calculation involves accounting for carbon removed from the site and fixed in building 

products, as well as adding emissions from logging residue to the emissions pool. 

At the landscape level, the carbon offset can be automatically calculated for two 

landscapes. The offset is calculated for both emissions (carbon released from fire 

and nonmerchantable materials removed during treatment) and total carbon stock 

(live and dead overstory and understory vegetation, surface fuels, and live and 

dead roots). 
7

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Getting Started

Purpose of the User Guide and Tutorial

The purpose of this document is to highlight the functionality of ArcFuels and 

teach the user how to proficiently use all the tools in ArcFuels. Because ArcFuels 

leverages other programs such as ArcGIS, FlamMap, FVS, SVS, Excel, and Access 

the user is assumed to have some familiarity with these programs. The User Guide 

and Tutorial will teach basic functionality of these auxiliary programs with respect 

to use with ArcFuels but does not include all aspects of those programs. For extra 

guidance with ArcGIS please refer to the downloadable supplemental guide “GIS 

Tips and Tricks,” available from the ArcFuels Web site (http://www.fs.fed.us/

wwetac/arcfuels/). 

User Guide and Tutorial Conventions

This User Guide and Tutorial employs the following conventions:

1. Reference to sections within the User Guide and Tutorial are in bold italic

text. For example, “See the Start-up Errors section below if ArcFuels does 

not open properly.”

2. Menu selections, buttons, form names, and tab names are in bold text. For 

example, “Select the Wildfire Models button, then select FlamMap from 

the drop-down list.

3. Text within forms or tabs is shown in italics. For example, “Select elevation

from the Stand Polygon Layer drop-down list.”

4. Preexisting data, either within the demonstration data or data created during a prior exercise, are underlined. For example, “Select elevation from the 

Stand Polygon Layer drop-down list.”

5. Commands or text you type from the keyboard are shown in quotation 

marks. For example, “Enter ‘fm_8’ in the text box to name the new grid 

you are creating.”

6. “Click” refers to pressing the primary mouse button (usually the left mouse 

button).

7. “Double-click” refers to pressing the primary mouse button twice.

8. “Right-click” refers to clicking the secondary mouse button.

9. When a string of steps is used, they are in bold text and connected with an 

arrow (). For example, “Add the GIS layer file for the demonstration data 

in ArcMap (FileAdd Data).”

10. Keyboard combinations are shown separated by a hyphen (-); this means 

that both keys need to be pressed in unison for the function to work. For 

example, “The VBA editor can be opened by pressing Alt-F11.”

Chapter 2

The purpose of 

this document is 

to highlight the 

functionality of 

ArcFuels and teach the 

user how to proficiently 

use all the tools in 

ArcFuels.
8

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

11. Capitalization is used to emphasize important steps. For example, “MAKE 

SURE THE FOLDERS ARE NOT FURTHER NESTED.”

System Requirements

To run ArcFuels, the following programs must be installed on your computer:

• ArcMap version 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, or 9.3.1 with the Spatial Analyst Extension

• ArcCatalog

• Microsoft Office Excel

• Microsoft Office Access

• Notepad, WordPad, or another text editing program.

ArcFuels Download and Installation Instructions

The ArcFuels toolbar is distributed in an ArcMap project file (*.mxd). There is no 

installation program for ArcFuels (you do not need administrative privileges on 

your computer). The download site contains a complete set of demonstration data 

and a set of programs needed for demonstration purposes.

1. Create a directory C:\arcfuels and download the following files from the 

ArcFuels Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/arcfuels/. 

• arcfuels9x.mxd—ArcMap project file for use with ArcGIS 9.1, 9.3, 9.3, 

or 9.3.1 with ArcFuels macros (i.e., toolbar buttons). 

• arcfuels_projects.mdb—The Access database stores information 

about data and program directories and paths. 

• data.zip—This zip folder includes demonstration data for the Mt. 

Emily project area and will be used throughout the User Guide and 

Tutorial exercises.

• programs.zip—This zip folder contains a selected set of FVS/FFEFVS (Forest Vegetation Simulator/Fire and Fuels Extension to FVS) 

executables, the SVS (Stand Visualization System), and FlamMap3 program files. All of these are needed to complete the exercises in the User 

Guide and Tutorial. 

• docs.zip—This zip folder is an optional download. It contains supporting literature about the programs and relevant scientific publications.

• extra_programs.zip—This zip folder is an optional download. It contains additional fire behavior models: FARSITE (Fire Area Simulator), 

NEXUS, FOFEM (First Order Fire Effects Model) and BehavePlus.

• exercise_outputs.zip—This zip folder is an optional download. It contains the outputs for all exercises in the User Guide and Tutorial.

2. Unzip the data.zip and programs.zip into to the C:\arcfuels folder. If extra_

programs.zip, docs.zip, and exercise_outputs.zip were downloaded, also 

The ArcFuels toolbar 

is distributed in an 

ArcMap project file. 

There is no installation 

program for ArcFuels.
9

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

unzip them into to the C:\arcfuels folder. Unzipping will create several 

subfolders containing data files and programs (fig. 2-1). MAKE SURE THE 

FOLDERS ARE NOT FURTHER NESTED. For example, the path to the 

data folder should be C:\arcfuels\data.

3. Create a folder C:\arcfuels\outputs, which will be the default location for all 

outputs created during the exercises.

Figure 2-1—Data structure (A) and directory set up (B) for ArcFuels. Ensure the data, outputs, and programs folders are not further 

nested in other folders.

C:\arcfuels\data

Input data

(fuel grids, 

stand polygon, 

resources at 

risk, etc.)

C:\arcfuels\programs

FlamMap

KCP

FVSbin (FVS, FFEFVS, SVS)

C:\arcfuels\outputs

Output data 

(LCPs, grids, FVS 

runs, etc.)

C:\arcfuels\extra_programs

NEXUS

FARSITE

FOFEM

BehavePlus

C:\arcfuels\docs

Useful 

documentation 

and 

publications

C:\arcfuels

arcfuels9x.mxd

arcfuels_projects.mdb
10

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Other directory structures and names can be used for ArcFuels, providing that 

the defaults are changed accordingly in the projects database. This is discussed in 

subsequent sections. ArcFuels will run from any directory. 

The demonstration program set includes FlamMap, SVS, and FVS. These 

programs are provided in the C:\arcfuels\programs folder and are for demonstration 

purposes only. You should eventually go to the respective Web sites and download 

the most recent version. Fire behavior programs such as FlamMap and FARSITE 

are available at http://www.fire.org; FVS is located at http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/

software/.

Only the Blue Mountain (BM) variant of FVS is included in the programs 

folder because it corresponds to the Mt. Emily study area. Documentation about the 

BM variant is included in the docs folder. FVS contains many variants across the 

United States; if you are using your own data, refer to the FVS Web page (http://

www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/) and download the correct variant files. 

Many of the routines in ArcFuels use database fieldnames to retrieve data from 

Access databases. The code is case sensitive, using lowercase as the convention, 

with few exceptions. IF YOU BUILD YOUR OWN DATABASES, USE THE 

DEMONSTRATION VERSIONS AS TEMPLATES. 

Mt. Emily Demonstration Data

The supplied demonstration data are for the Mt. Emily wildland-urban interface 

in northeastern Oregon (fig. 2-2). The Mt. Emily area is immediately north of La 

Grande, Oregon, and encloses 40,385 ac, 58 percent of which are federally managed lands. About 30,300 ac of the area are forested based on a 10 percent canopy 

closure definition. The forest composition ranges from dry forests of ponderosa pine 

to cold forests dominated by subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce, and a transition 

zone containing grand fir, Douglas-fir, and western larch (Ager et al. 2010). The Mt. 

Emily study area is composed of 1,081 stands (polygons).

A full set of demonstration data is available for completing the exercises within 

this User Guide and Tutorial. Data include: 

• Geospatial data (see table 2-1 for a full list)

• Database with forest inventory data

TIP: ArcFuels will not work properly if the folders are further nested. For 

example, the path to the data folder should be: C:\arcfuels\data NOT C:\arcfuels\

data\data. All references to finding data and linkages among programs rely on 

proper initial setup.
11

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 2-2—Vicinity map of the Mt. Emily area showing land ownership boundaries. Bold 

white line indicates study area boundary. FS denotes lands managed by the Forest Service. PV 

denotes privately owned lands. Several small tracts owned by the state of Oregon within the 

study area are not shown. (Figure 1 from Ager et al. 2007.)

• Sample FVS database for building your own data set

• Treatment adjustment database 

• Weather files for running FlamMap

• Files for conversion demonstrations
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Setting Up ArcFuels With the Mt. Emily Demonstration Data

1. Start ArcMap by double-clicking the arcfuels9x.mxd. See the Start-up 

Errors section below if ArcFuels does not open properly.

a. The Project Manager form will appear (fig. 2-3). In the Current 

Project textbox, select mtemily from the drop-down list. 

i. The Project Manager form includes four separate tabs (described 

below) and contains information on folders, files, geographic information system (GIS) data, and programs for specific projects. This 

information is stored in the arcfuels_projects.mdb.

2. Click Close to close the form.

3. Add the GIS layer file (fig. 2-4) for the demonstration data in ArcMap 

(ArcMap MenuFileAdd Data) by navigating to Demo_data.lyr in 

the C:\arcfuels\data folder.

4. Click the Projects and Files button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select 

Manage Projects from the drop-down list to reopen the Manage 

Projects form. 

Table 2-1—Spatial data included within the demonstration data folder

Data type Name Units Description

grid lf_fbfm40 n/a Scott and Burgan (2005) fire behavior fuel model

grid lf_cc % Canopy cover 

grid lf_ch m*10 Canopy height 

grid lf_cbh m*10 Canopy base height 

grid lf_cbd kg/m3*10 Canopy bulk density

grid elevation m Elevation

grid aspect azimuth Aspect

grid slope degrees Slope

grid hillshade n/a Shaded relief of the study area

grid subarea n/a Smaller sub-area within the study area

grid fire n/a Hypothetical past fire

grid lynx n/a Hypothetical Canada lynx habitat

grid trt_type n/a Hypothetical fuel treatment type

grid trt_location n/a Hypothetical fuel treatment location

grid ideal_trt n/a Hypothetical ideal treatment locations

SID mt_em.sid n/a NAIP imagery of the study area

polygon mt_emily_stands n/a Mt. Emily stands

polygon lynx_habitat n/a Hypothetical Canada lynx habitat

polygon treatment_units n/a Hypothetical fuel treatment plan

point structures n/a Individual structures within the study area

Source: The “lf” data were downloaded from LANDFIRE (http://www.landfire.gov) and are the Refresh 2008 

(LF_1.1.0) data. 
13

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 2-3–Project Manager form with the mtemily project selected.

Figure 2-4—Mt. Emily project area with satellite imagery in the background and the stand 

polygon outlines in the foreground.
14

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Figure 2-5—Layers tab filled out properly in the Project Manager form for use with the 

demonstration data.

5. Select the Layers tab (fig. 2-5).

a. The Layers tab is where the stand polygon layer and associated stand 

grid layer are stored for use with FVS runs. In addition, the grids used 

to build landscape files are stored, which are required when using the 

Cell Data tool.

b. Ensure that the ArcGIS layers autopopulated in the correct boxes. 

If not, use the drop-down lists to select the correct layers. 

6. Select the Programs tab (fig. 2-6).

a. The Programs tab contains the paths to the executable files for external programs linked to ArcFuels. For more information about the programs, refer to table 1-1. 

b. Check that the paths to FVS, SVS, and FlamMap are correct. If not, 

navigate to the versions of the programs downloaded from the Web 

site (which will be in C:\arcfuels\programs) or to the location on your 

computer. If the paths to the other programs are populated and you did 

not download the extra programs, it is okay to leave them that way; 

ArcFuels will function properly without these paths populated.
15

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 2-6—Programs tab filled out properly in the Project Manager form.

7. Select the Folders and Files tab (fig. 2-7).

a. The Folders and Files tab tells ArcFuels where to look for input data 

and where to write output data.

b. Check that the paths to the Data folder, KCP folder, Output folder, FVS 

input database, and Landscape output are as shown in figure 2-7. If not, 

navigate to the correct paths for each. If the NEXUS work folder path is 

blank or populated, it is okay to leave it that way. 

c. The form can be modified at any time to reflect changes in data storage 

locations.

8. Select the Tables and Fields tab (fig. 2-8).

a. The Tables and Fields tab is what creates the linkage between 

the Mt. Emily stand polygon layer and the FVS database (stand 

and tree data). In essence, this is how ArcFuels makes FVS data 

spatially explicit.

b. Check that the linkages are correct. If not, use the drop-down lists to 

select the tables and fields shown in figure 2-8. 
16

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Figure 2-8—Tables and Fields tab filled out properly in the Project Manager form.

Figure 2-7—Folders and Files tab filled out properly in the Project Manager form.
17

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 2-9—Visual Basic editor window showing the RunReset process for troubleshooting.

Start-Up Errors

Visual Basic editor window—

If an error is generated by the ArcFuels macros, the VBA editor will open and the 

offending code will be highlighted in yellow. Click RunReset on the main menu 

(fig. 2-9) and FileExit to close the VBA editor and return to ArcMap to resume 

the session. The blue square below Run will also reset the project. The VBA editor 

can be opened by pressing Alt-F11. Most errors generated by ArcFuels are caused 

by incorrect pathnames and fieldnames in the project database. 

If you are using ArcFuels on a non-Forest Service computer and get an error at 

startup, you will probably need to edit the VBA references. In the VBA editor, go 

to ToolsReferences. Look through the list of references that have check marks 

(these are at the top of the list) for ones that say MISSING. If you find any, write 

down the complete name and click to remove the check mark. Then scroll down the 

list of unchecked references (these are in alphabetical order) for one with the same 

name but a different number. For example, if you found “Microsoft ADO Ext. 2.8 

for DDL and Security (MISSING)” with a check mark, you might find “Microsoft 

ADO Ext. 2.7 for DDL and Security” lower in the list. Click on this reference to put 

a check mark next to it. Note that you may need to save and/or restart ArcMap for 

these changes to take effect.
18

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Missing buttons—

When you open ArcFuels, if a few of the buttons on the toolbar are “[Missing]” and 

you get an error window opening, this means that ArcGIS was not installed properly (fig.2-10). You will need to repair or reinstall ArcGIS.

Figure 2-10—Missing buttons in the ArcFuels 

toolbar means that ArcGIS was installed incorrectly 

and needs to be repaired or reinstalled.
19

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

ArcFuels Tool Overview

As mentioned, ArcFuels is a library of ArcGIS macros developed to streamline fire 

behavior modeling and spatial analyses for fuel treatment planning where ArcFuels 

macros are executed via a custom toolbar in ArcMap (fig. 3-1, table 3-1). 

The toolbar consists of a number of buttons, many with multiple options found 

in drop-down lists and sometimes multiple tabs in the associated forms. The 

ArcFuels toolbar also has two buttons, Select Stand and Cell Data which are used 

to select a polygon (stand) or a grid cell from data loaded into your ArcMap table 

of contents.

The functionality of each button will be described in the following sections, 

from left to right across the toolbar, with exercises for each.

Figure 3-1—ArcFuels toolbar.

Table 3-1—Summary of ArcFuels tool bar functionality

Button Description

Stand Set up options for FVS/FFE-FVS. Includes applying fuel treatment 

prescriptions, treatment analysis, and treatment comparison tools. 

External linkage to open SVS.

Select Stand Toggle button to select individual stands within the landscape to 

run FVS/FFE-FVS.

Cell Data Toggle button to quickly view values associated with the FARSITE 

grid sandwich.

Landscape Multiple functions: (1) apply prescriptions to the landscape, (2) set 

up and running of FVS/FFE-FVS, as well a treatment analysis, and 

carbon offset calculations at the landscape scale, (3) create landscape 

files from FVS data, grid data, or multiple sources, and (4) external 

linkage to the Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD).

Wildfire External linkage to open select fire behavior models. Internally coded

 Models version of BehavePlus ("Behave Calculator") for quick stand-level 

comparisons of fire behavior.

Modify Grid Tool that allows for modification of grid values across the 

 Values whole landscape or for user-defined portions.

Conversion Single and batch conversion of point data to shapefiles and ASCII 

files to grids, and direct export of polygon attributes to Excel.

Projects and Location of linkage information between ArcFuels linked programs, 

 Files GIS layers, GIS layers and FVS databases, and input and output 

data folders.

ArcFuels ArcFuels version information.

 Help

Source: Adapted from table 3 in Ager et al. (2011).

Chapter 3

The ArcFuels toolbar 

consists of a number 

of buttons, many with 

multiple options found 

in drop-down lists and 

sometimes multiple 

tabs in the associated 

forms.
20

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Stand and Select Stand

The Stand and Select Stand buttons are used in tandem to run FVS/FFE-FVS 

stand-level functionality in ArcFuels. The Stand button has a drop-down list with 

three options, Set Stand Options, View FVS I/O, and SVS (fig. 3-2). The Set 

Stand Options form is where FVS options are set up. With this you can set the 

number of cycles to run, apply prescriptions, fine-tune prescriptions, and compare 

prescriptions for individual stands. The View FVS I/O form links to the FVS out 

file, FVS key file and Excel spreadsheet (if created) for the most recent FVS run. 

The SVS option opens the Stand Visualization System program. 

Set Stand Options—

The Set Stand Options form has four tabs that are 

used to set up and run FVS. 

• The Point&Click Options tab (fig. 3-3) is where 

FVS outputs are selected. ArcFuels is unique in 

that you can simultaneously run FVS, create and 

open SVS files, and export the FVS data to an 

Excel workbook with graphs of key attributes. 

The ability to write NEXUS output files for fire 

behavior modeling outside of ArcFuels in another 

option. Finally, an insect risk report can be created when coupled with the insectrisks.kcp supplied in the C:\arcfuels\programs\kcp folder.

• The FVS Options tab (fig. 3-4) is where the number of cycles and time 

steps for FVS runs and the fuel model set(s) that FVS/FFE-FVS will use are 

specified. Treatment prescriptions can be selected by choosing KCP files 

or using fields in the database that have the KCP files listed. Other hardwired options include the generation of a cut list, the ability to pause the 

FVS run at the end for debugging, and the option to override the FEE-FVS 

fuel model selections with others in the input database. The FVS Keyword 

Guide (Van Dyck and Smith-Mateja 2000) can also be opened with the 

View Keyword Guide button on the form to aid in KCP development.

• The Treatment Analysis tab (fig. 3-5) allows a single parameter to be 

varied within a KCP to test the effects on modeled outputs such as stand 

structure or fire behavior. This is very useful when trying to determine how 

intensely to thin a stand or to see the effects of varying windspeed or fine 

dead fuel moisture on projected fire behavior.

Figure 3-2—Stand and Select 

Stand buttons on the ArcFuels 

toolbar. These buttons are used 

together to do much of the 

stand-level forest growth, fuel 

treatment prescription testing, 

and fire behavior modeling 

within ArcFuels.

The Stand and Select 

Stand buttons are 

used in tandem to run 

FVS/FFE-FVS standlevel functionality in 

ArcFuels.
21

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 3-3—The Point&Click Options tab of the Stand-Select Mode Options form is used to select 

outputs when running FVS through ArcFuels. 

Figure3-4—The FVS Options tab of the Stand-Select Mode Options form is where options for the 

stand level FVS runs are specified.
22

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

• The Compare Treatments tab (fig. 3-6) allows for direct comparison of two 

treatment alternatives. When this tab is used, comparison graphs are created 

within the Excel workbook when the create graphs option is turned on.

Figure 3-5—The Treatment Analysis tab of the Stand-Select Mode Options form is used to test 

the affect of varying a single prescription parameter at a time on modeled forest structure and fire 

behavior and effects.
23

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 3-6—The Compare Treatments tab of the Stand-Select Mode Options form is used to 

compare two treatment alternatives.

View FVS I/O—

The View FVS I/O (fig. 3-7) form is used to quickly reopen and review FVS files 

from the latest run, as well as open the outputs folder. The FVS outfile (*.out) is a 

text file containing all the outputs from an FVS run. The FVS key file (*.key) is a 

keyword record file that FVS reads to complete a run and includes information on 

the location of the stand and tree data, specifics on run duration, and prescriptions 

applied. The FVS spreadsheet (*.xls) contains the same information as the FVS 

outfile in tabular form. The File Explorer button opens the ArcFuels outputs folder.
24

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

SVS—

The SVS option in the Stand drop-down list opens the Stand Visualization System 

program. Once it is open, you will need to navigate to an SVS file previously created.

Select Stand—

The Select Stand button is a toggle button much like the information button in ArcMap and is used to run FVS for the stand selected. It can be turned off by selecting 

another button in ArcMap such as Select Features or Select Elements.

Cell Data

The Cell Data button is used much 

like the Identify button in ArcMap. 

It will show the values of the eight 

layers that make up the FlamMap 

“grid sandwich” (or landscape 

file, LCP) when the grid layers are 

loaded into ArcMap and linked 

through the Manage Projects form 

(fig. 3-8). For information about 

LCPs, see the Introduction to Modeling Fire Behavior in FlamMap3

section. The Cell Data button can 

be turned off by selecting another 

button in ArcMap such as Select 

Features or Select Elements.

Figure 3-7—The FVS Outputs form quickly opens files associated with 

the latest FVS run.

Figure 3-8—The Cell Data form displays the values 

for the eight grid layers added to ArcMap and assigned 

in the Project Manager form. Canopy is canopy cover, 

Height is canopy height, CBH is canopy base height, 

and CBD is canopy bulk density.

The Cell Data button 

will show the values 

of the eight layers that 

make up the FlamMap 

“grid sandwich” (or 

Landscape file, LCP)
25

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Landscape

The Landscape button has five associated 

options (fig. 3-9). The Assign Prescriptions to 

Landscape form allows the user to assign and 

store KCP prescriptions to stands for use with 

the Simulate Landscape Treatments form. 

The Simulate Landscape Treatments form 

is where a user can run FVS/FFE-FVS for a 

landscape. ArcFuels has a compact interface 

to FVS/FFE-FVS that can be used to run the 

models in a spatial context by linking FVS data to a stand polygon layer in ArcMap. 

With the Build FlamMap Landscape and GNN to LCP Process forms, LCPs can 

be built from a number of data sources including FVS databases, grid data such 

as LANDFIRE, Gradient Nearest Neighbor (GNN) (Ohmann and Gregory 2002) 

data, or multiple-grid data sets. Finally, the Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD) 

program (Ager et al. 2012) is used to design fuel treatment plans using an attributed 

stand shapefile. Attributes from FVS/FFE-FVS are often used to populate the stand 

shapefile for LTD.

The user is assumed to have some familiarity with FVS/FFE-FVS and FlamMap before proceeding with the exercises in this section. If not, please review 

the Introduction to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and Introduction to 

Modeling Fire Behavior in FlamMap3 sections.

Assign Prescriptions to Landscape—

The Assign Prescriptions to Landscape form (fig. 3-10) allows the user to assign 

FVS/FFE-FVS KCP prescriptions to stands and store them in the FVS database for 

use with the Simulate Landscape Treatments form to run FVS. 

There are three methods for assigning prescriptions to stands: 

• Method A: By selecting individual stands using the Select Stand tool.

• Method B: By selecting groups of stands using ArcMap (also known as 

ArcSelected stands).

• Method C: Using an integer grid consisting of only 0s and 1s, where 1 indicates the need for a treatment and 0 is no-treatment needed.

Figure 3-9—Landscape button with 

the associated drop-down list from the 

ArcFuels toolbar.

The Landscape 

button has options 

for assigning FVS/

FFE-FVS prescription 

across the landscape, 

running FVS/FFE-FVS 

for the landscape, 

building LCPs, and 

running the Landscape 

Treatment Designer 

program. 
26

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

ArcFuels stores stand prescriptions in the stands data table within the Mt_

Emily_Database.mdb (fig. 3-11). Preexisting fields are supplied with the demonstration data, but more can be added. Records are populated with the name of the KCP 

for each stand using the Assign Prescriptions to Landscape tools. When running 

FVS/FFE-FVS at the stand or landscape level, ArcFuels can use these populated 

prescriptions. If you want to add your own prescription columns to the stands table, 

the new columns need to be the same format to work. Also, new column names 

cannot contain spaces or special characters other than an underscore.

Figure 3-10—Assign Prescriptions tab of Landscape Treatment Design form.
27

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Simulate Landscape Treatments—

The Simulate Landscape Treatments form has four tabs, all related to running 

FVS for a single stand to an entire landscape. 

• The Run FVS tab offers a compact FVS interface with many options (fig. 

3-12). You can run a single stand, a set number of stands, ArcMap selected 

stands, only stands with prescriptions, or all the stands. Prescriptions can 

be applied to all stands or to select stands by linking to the prescription 

field in the input database (see the Assign Prescriptions to Landscape

section to learn how). The number of FVS cycles and years is set with this 

form. In addition to the ability to write and use KCPs, some helpful FFEFVS/FVS functions are included: fuel model selection, carbon reports, 

turning off the FFE-FVS reports, including a West-wide insect KCP, and 

generating a cutlist.

▪ Advanced users can also run the Parallel Processing Extension (PPE) to 

FVS through this tab. Running PPE is not covered in this guide. More 

information about the program can be found on the FVS Web site and 

within the User’s Guide to the Parallel Processing Extension of the 

Prognosis Model (Crookston and Stage 1991) which can be found in the 

optional docs download (C:/arcfuels/docs).

• The Treatment Analysis tab (fig. 3-13) has four methods for analyzing 

treatment effects on stand characteristics and modeled fire behavior and 

effects.

▪ Method 1 is similar to the Treatment Analysis tab in the Stand tool, 

where a single parameter within the prescription file is varied in a stepwise fashion.

Figure 3-11—Linkage between individual stands and the FVS database.
28

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

▪ Method 2 substitutes a single-value-based prescription with “<_>” 

inside a command indicating the value to be altered. The minimum and 

maximum values and the step amount are specified by the user. See the 

flameadjust.kcp for an example.

▪ Method 3 and Method 4 are primarily used in the research field of 

quantitative wildfire risk and are not demonstrated in the User Guide 

and Tutorial. 

Figure 3-12—Run FVS tab of the Simulate Landscape Treatments form.
29

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

• The Compare Treatments tab (fig. 3-14) calculates the carbon offset (tons) 

between two landscapes (typically an untreated and treated) for a given 

year. The calculations subtract Scenario A from Scenario B (i.e., treated – 

untreated). For this to work, the Carbon Reports option must be selected on 

the Run FVS tab for both scenarios.

• Carbon offset from change in emissions is the difference in carbon 

emissions (defined as the carbon released from fire and the nonmerchantable carbon removed (tons) via treatment) between the 

two scenarios. 

Figure 3-13—Treatment Analysis tab within the Simulate Landscape Treatments form.
30

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

• Carbon offset from change in stock is the difference in total stand 

carbon (live and dead overstory, understory, surface fuels, and belowground roots) including merchantable carbon stored (tons) between the 

two scenarios.

• Total carbon offset is the Carbon offset from change in stock minus the 

Carbon offset from change in emissions.

For more information about the carbon submodel to FVS, see the FFE-FVS 

guide (Rebain 2010) supplied in the optional docs download (C:\arcfuels\docs). 

• The Join FVS Outputs to Polygons tab (fig. 3-15) joins FVS/FFE-FVS 

outputs from any table in the FVS output database for a given year to the 

stand polygon layer.

Figure 3-14—Compare Treatments tab within the Simulate Landscape Treatments form.
31

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Build FlamMap Landscape—

Running FlamMap or FARSITE, two commonly used fire behavior modeling 

programs, requires an LCP. An LCPs is a binary file containing a compilation or 

“sandwich” of ASCII data, including slope, elevation, aspect, surface fuel model, 

canopy height, canopy cover, canopy bulk density, and canopy base height. In addition to building LCPs from a variety of data sources, ArcFuels also has the ability 

to reduce the analysis area based on another grid or coordinates, quickly apply 

treatments, and export the ASCIIs and grids. The Build FlamMap Landscape

form has three options for building LCPs specific to the input data available.

Figure 3-15—Join FVS Outputs to Polygons tab within the Simulate Landscape Treatments form.
32

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

• The Using FVS Database tab (fig. 3-16) couples the ArcGIS grids for 

topography (elevation, slope, and aspect) with an FVS/FFE-FVS output 

database using a stand identification grid to spatially apply the FVS outputs. Treatments can be applied by using a second FVS/FFE-FVS output 

database containing only treated stands. The values associated with the 

treated stands replace the untreated values. If the FFE-FVS fuel model 

selection is not desired, an ArcGIS grid layer can be used instead.

• The Using ArcGIS Grid Data tab (fig. 3-17) builds LCP files from ArcGIS 

grids. This eliminates the need to export the grids as ASCII files, which 

is required for creating LCPs in FlamMap and FARSITE. Treatments can 

also be rapidly applied using a treatment adjustments database coupled with 

grids indicating location and type of treatment.

Figure 3-16—Using FVS Database tab within the Build FlamMap Landscape form.
33

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

• The Using Multiple Sources tab (fig. 3-18) allows the user to mix and 

match grids from varying data sources (LANDFIRE and FVS) or mosaic 

together multiple grids of different spatial extent into one seamless layer for 

any given data set needed to create an LCP. It is even possible for the grids 

to have different units, but they must be the same resolution, and projection, 

and be snapped.

Figure 3-17—Using ArcGIS Grid Data tab within the Build FlamMap Landscape form.
34

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

GNN to LCP Process—

The GNN to LCP Process form (figs. 3-19 and 3-20) is another option for building 

the LCP file; with this option, GNN data are used. The GNN data are 30 m by 30 m 

grid data that link to FVS data, much like the link between FVS and stand polygon 

data. GNN data are available only in the Pacific Northwest and the northern extent 

of California (Klamath National Forest). This process is broken into two steps; part 

one runs FVS for the GNN data, and part two builds the LCP. Because the demonstration data does not include GNN data this process will be explained but no 

exercises are included.

The Part 1 FVS Settings tab (fig. 3-19) is where the settings for an FVS run 

are defined. The input data include a polygon layer version of the GNN grid with an 

attribute that links to the FVS database (i.e., StandID), and an FVS input database 

that coincides with the GNN data. A prescription database may also be used that 

includes a field with assigned prescriptions (this may be the same database as the 

FVS input data). The number of cycles, years per cycle, and fuel model set are also 

defined with this form.

Figure 3-18—Using Multiple Sources tab within the Build FlamMap Landscape form.
35

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 3-19—Part 1 FVS Settings tab of the GNN to LCP Process form.

Figure 3-20—Part 2 LCP Settings tab of the GNN to LCP Process form.
36

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

The Part 2 LCP Settings tab (fig. 3-20) uses the GNN polygon layer and FVS 

output database created in Part 1 FVS Settings in addition to elevation, slope, and 

aspect grids to build the LCP.

Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD)—

The LTD form (fig. 3-21) is available when the LTD program (Ager et al. 2012) is 

downloaded and linked via the Manage Projects form, which is described under 

the Project section of this document. The LTD program is a multicriteria spatial 

prioritization and optimization system to help design and explore landscape fuel 

treatment scenarios. The program fills a gap between fire model programs such as 

FlamMap, and planning systems such as ArcFuels, in the fuel treatment planning 

process. The LTD uses inputs on spatial treatment objectives, activity constraints, 

and treatment thresholds, then identifies optimal fuel treatment locations with 

respect to input parameters. The input data represent polygons that are attributed 

with information about expected fire behavior and the polygon’s overall contribution to one or more landscape management objectives. Four types of output files are 

generated with each run: (1) a text file with all the input data with treatment locations indicated, (2) a summary text file of input parameters and output results, (3) a 

results comma separated file with the input parameters and output results, 

Figure 3-21—The Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD) interface.
37

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

and (4) a shapefile with an attribute table that identifies patch locations and stands 

selected for treatments. For more detailed information about the LTD, refer to Ager 

et al. (2012).

Wildfire Models

ArcFuels creates links to select fire behavior models 

(NEXUS, FARSITE, FlamMap, Behave, and FOFEM) and 

opens the programs for use outside of ArcFuels (fig. 3-22). 

In addition to linking to external programs, ArcFuels also 

has the Behave Calculator, which runs through ArcFuels.

The location of the models’ executables are set using 

the Programs tab in the Project Manager form, which 

is described in the Setting up ArcFuels with Mt. Emily 

Demonstration Data section at the beginning of the User 

Guide and Tutorial.

Behave Calculator—

The Behave Calculator (fig. 3-23) is hardwired into ArcFuels and uses the same 

equations as the SURFACE module in Behave Plus. The Behave Calculator can 

be used to quickly assess changes to modeled surface fire rate of spread and flame 

length from changes to fuel model, slope, fuel moisture, and/or windspeed inputs.

Figure 3-22—Wildfire 

Models button with the 

associated drop-down list 

from the ArcFuels toolbar.

Figure 3-23—Behave Calculator form.

ArcFuels creates 

links to select fire 

behavior models 

(NEXUS, FARSITE, 

FlamMap, Behave, and 

FOFEM) and opens 

the programs for use 

outside of ArcFuels.
38

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Modify Grid Values

After critiquing data for accuracy (informally, on-the-ground, using the Stratton 

(2009) methodology, or otherwise), it is most likely that some modifications will be 

required to reflect local knowledge of fuel models and fire behavior, recent management activities, recent wildfires, etc. It is important to document changes, as well as 

make changes incrementally, to make it easier to see the effect of the changes and 

backtrack, if necessary. Realize, however, that when modeling landscape-level fire 

behavior, there will be some error in the data. 

With ArcFuels, complex grid value replacements are easily made on the individual grid layers, rather than on the landscape file. Tools such as the FARSITE 

landscape calculator and the WFDSS landscape editor are available to make 

changes on the landscape file, but are generally limited to simple changes 

(Stratton 2009). 

Within ArcFuels the Modify Grid Values form (fig. 3-24) is available to update 

or correct grid data. When the tool is used, both a projected grid file and an ASCII 

file are created. The changes can be made to either floating point or integer data. 

Options for changing data include:

• Which pixels to apply the changes to spatially

▪ Apply to all pixels: global change all pixels, or

▪ Apply to selected pixels: change some pixels based on another 

grid layer.

• The extent of the output data

▪ The same as the input data—default option,

▪ The same as another grid layer—smaller extent, or

▪ Manually restricted—using UTM coordinates of a smaller extent.

This function pairs extremely well with the ArcMap Raster Calculator 

(ArcToolboxSpatial AnalystRaster Calculator). For example, with the Raster 

Calculator, you can create new 0/1 grids based on specific criteria (e.g., all burnable fuels, slopes > 30 percent, south aspects, etc.) and then use ArcFuels to make 

changes within these areas. This eliminates several steps and reduces the number of 

files you need to keep track of and organize.

With ArcFuels, 

complex grid value 

replacements are 

easily made on the 

individual grid layers, 

rather than on the 

landscape file, to 

update grids to reflect 

recent management 

activities, recent 

wildfires, etc.
39

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Conversion

The Conversion button has five associated options (fig. 3-25). The Convert Ascii 

to Grid and Batch Convert Ascii to Grid converts ASCII files into grids, and 

the Convert XY Text to Shapefile and 

Batch Convert XY Text to Shapefile

converts XY text files into shapefiles. The 

conversion can be done for a single file or 

for multiple files at once (batch). The files 

are also projected and mapped in the same 

process. Additionally, it is possible to copy 

the attributes of a polygon layer directly 

into an Excel spreadsheet using the Copy 

Attributes to Spreadsheet form.

The conversion of ASCII files to grids allows for post-processing and analysis 

of fire modeled outputs created in FlamMap. The conversion of XY text files can 

be used to import data with X and Y coordinates information, such as fire ignition 

location, plot location data, etc.

Figure 3-24—Modify Grid Values form.

Figure 3-25—Conversion button with 

the associated drop-down list from the 

ArcFuels toolbar.

The conversion forms 

are used to efficiently 

post-process simulated 

wildfire behavior 

outputs for further 

analysis in ArcMap.
40

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Convert Ascii to Grid—

The Convert Ascii Grid File form (fig. 3-26) combines two ArcGIS processing 

steps into one. It converts an integer or floating point ASCII file into a grid, and it 

defines the spatial reference at the same time. The user has the option of where to 

output the grid file and what to name it. Being able to name the grid file is helpful 

when the ASCII name exceeds the 13-character grid name limit. Finally, the user 

has the option of adding the grid file to ArcMap.

Figure 3-26—Convert Ascii Grid File form used to convert a single file at a time.

Batch Convert Ascii to Grid—

The batch Convert Ascii Grid Files form (fig. 3-27) combines many ArcGIS 

processing steps into one. It converts integer or floating point ASCII files into grids 

and it defines the spatial reference at the same time. Typically this would need to be 

completed separately for each ASCII file in ArcMap. In addition, the user has the 

option of adding the grid files to ArcMap.
41

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 3-27—Convert Ascii Grid Files form used to convert multiple files 

at once.
42

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Figure 3-28—Convert XY File form used to convert a single file at a time.

Batch Convert XY Text to Shapefiles—

The batch Convert XY Text to Shapefiles form (fig. 3-29) combines many ArcGIS 

processing steps into one. It converts multiple XY text files into events files, then 

exports them as shapefiles with defined spatial reference. The X-coordinate and 

Y-coordinate field names can be the default XPos, YPos, X, Y, or anything else 

using the Other option. There is also an option for batch exporting FSim (Finney 

et al. 2011) fire size list files, which are used for quantitative risk assessments with 

Fire Program Analysis (FPA) data. See FPA (http://www.fpa.nifc.gov/) for more 

information about the FSim program and outputs. Finally, the user has the option of 

adding the shapefile to ArcMap. 

Convert XY Text to Shapefile—

The Convert XY File form (fig. 3-28) combines two ArcGIS processing steps into 

one. It converts an XY text file into an events file, then exports it as a shapefile with 

defined spatial reference. The X-coordinate and Y-coordinate field names can be the 

default XPos, YPos, X,Y, or anything else using the Other option. Finally, the user 

has the option of adding the shapefile to ArcMap.
43

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 3-29—Convert XY Text to Shapefiles form used to convert multiple 

files at once.

Copy Attributes to Spreadsheet—

The Copy Attributes to Spreadsheet form (fig. 3-30) does just what it says; it copies 

the attributes table from a shapefile into Excel and opens the workbook.
44

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Projects and Files

The Projects and Files button houses three different 

forms, Manage Projects, File Explorer, and File 

Janitor (fig. 3-31). 

Manage Projects—

ArcFuels is a library of ArcGIS macros developed to 

streamline fire behavior modeling and spatial analyses for 

fuel treatment planning. The macros link (1) key wildfire 

behavior models, (2) fuels and vegetation data, (3) Microsoft Office, and (4) ArcGIS. The Manage Projects form is used to link all of these together. For a description of the setup process, see the Getting Started section at the beginning of the

User Guide and Tutorial.

File Explorer—

This is a direct link to the outputs folder. The default location is C:\arcfuels\outputs, 

but this can be changed with Manage Projects.

File Janitor—

The File Janitor deletes the content of the outputs folder (fig. 3-32); use with caution!

Figure 3-30—Copy Attributes to Spreadsheet form.

Figure 3-31—Project 

and Files button and 

drop-down list from the 

ArcFuels toolbar.

Figure 3-32—Warning window to double-check that you want to delete all the files in the ArcFuels 

outputs folder.

The Project and Files 

forms are used to link 

all the programs and 

data necessary for an 

ArcFuels project.
45

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

ArcFuels Help

The ArcFuels Help button (fig. 3-33) About ArcFuels

option opens a new window 

with the version date (fig. 

3-34) of the arcfuels9x.mxd.

The program is updated 

periodically; please visit http://www.fs.fed.us/

wwetac/arcfuels/ for the most recent version if you 

are having problems with any ArcFuels functionality.

Figure 3-33—The ArcFuels Help button with 

the drop-down list from 

the ArcFuels toolbar.

Figure 3-34—ArcFuels 

version date.
46

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

ArcFuels Tool Tutorial

This section will demonstrate the functionality of all the tools within ArcFuels 

through exercises using the demonstration data. If you have not set up ArcFuels for 

use with the demonstration data, please see the Getting Started section for detailed 

instructions.

Stand and Select Stand

Exercises 4-1 through 4-7 will highlight many of the functionalities of the Stand

and Select Stand tools. If you are unfamiliar with FVS, read the Introduction to 

the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) section before starting these exercises.

Exercise 4-1: Running FVS and SVS for an untreated stand—

1. Click the Stand button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Set Stand 

Options from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Point&Click Options tab (fig. 4-1). 

a. Select View Outputs in SVS, Generate Spreadsheet, Generate 

Spreadsheet Graphs, and Open Spreadsheet options by clicking in the 

box to the left of each. 

3. Select the FVS Options tab (fig. 4-2). 

Figure 4-1—Set up for the Point&Click Options tab of the Stand-Select Mode Options form.

Chapter 4

Running individual 

stands through FVS/

FFE-FVS is streamlined 

in ArcFuels. Many of 

fire and fuel treatment 

FFE outputs are 

automatically created 

and output into an 

Excel workbook with 

values graphed, 

making it easy to 

evaluate a completed 

run.
47

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

a. Input Database: if the Project Manager is set up correctly, the C:\arcfuels\data\Mt_Emily_Database.mdb will be selected. If it is blank or 

incorrect, go to the Projects and Files  Manage Projects form and 

correct the path. 

b. Cycles: type “10” in the text box.

c. Years per cycle: type “1” in the text box.

d. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

i. This is used to tell FVS which fuel model set to use: Anderson 

1982 (13), Scott and Burgan 2005 (40), or both (53).

4. Click Close to close the form to apply and save your inputs for the tabs. 

5. Click the Select Stands button on the ArcFuels toolbar. 

a. This is a toggle button; once it is pressed, ArcMap responds in the 

same manner as using the ArcMap Identify function until the active 

function in ArcMap is changed (e.g., the Select or Pan tool). 

b. The map image area is now active, and ArcMap will attempt to retrieve 

the standid from the mt_emily_stands layer (which spatially links the 

Figure 4-2—FVS Options tab set up of the Stand-Select Mode Options form.
48

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

FVS data to individual stands within Mt. Emily) and then run the stand 

data through FVS/FFE-FVS. 

6. Click on a forested polygon in the stand layer to execute an FVS run (fig.4-3). 

Figure 4-3—Stand polygon (A) and the FVS run window (B) for stand number 794. The selected 

stand is outlined in turquoise; the rest of the visible stands are outlined in black. The Mt. Emily NAIP 

image is below the stand polygon layer.

TROUBLESHOOTING: 

If FVS does not execute or 

executes incorrectly, open the 

Project Manager form and 

check the directory settings. 

A warning window may open 

telling you what folders are not 

linked correctly (fig. 4-4).

Figure 4-4—ArcFuels 

warning window indicating 

that the outputs folder is 

not found.

TROUBLESHOOTING: If ArcFuels opens the FVS.out file, then FVS was 

terminated abnormally and there is an error in the run. 

7. After FVS finishes, SVS will open.

a. Page through the SVS images for each cycle by clicking the Next button on the bottom right of the SVS window (fig. 4-5). 
49

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

8. Close SVS (FileExit). 

9. An Excel workbook was created and opened (fig. 4-6). The workbook has 

multiple spreadsheets, some with graphs of the FVS outputs. For more 

information including units for all tables, see the Introduction to the Forest 

Vegetation Simulator (FVS) section. Below is a list of possible spreadsheets within the Excel workbook.

• FVS_Cases—information about the stand and the run you completed.

• FVS_StrClass—stand structure class by stratum.

• FVS_PotFire—potential fire behavior, fire effects, and fuel models.

• FVS_Fuels—fuel loading and consumption.

• FVS_Carbon—above and belowground live and dead carbon loading.

• FVS_Hrv_Carbon—harvest carbon products, energy, and emissions.

• FVS_Summary—stand characteristics.

• FVS_Compute—canopy characteristics used for fire modeling and 

flame length.

Figure 4-5—SVS image of stand 794 during the first year. To see later years, click Next in the 

bottom-right corner.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

• FVS_BurnReport—fuel moistures and resulting fire behavior (produced only when a fire is simulated).

• FVS_Consumption—consumption of all fuel types (produced only 

when a fire is simulated).

• FVS_Mortality—mortality by size class and species (produced only 

when a fire is simulated).

• InsectRisk—risk value associated with western spruce budworm, fir 

engraver, mountain pine beetle, spruce beetle, and Douglas-fir tussock 

moth (produced only when the Insect Risk Report is selected on the 

Point&Click Options tab).

• FVS_Treelist—the cutlist for trees removed during silvicultural activities such as a thin (produced only when a thinning activity is initiated 

and the Generate cut lists option is selected on the FVS Options tab).

Figure 4-6—Excel spreadsheet showing the potential fire report outputs (FVS_PotFire) from an FVS 

run of stand 794, including the autogenerated graphs. The pictured graph shows the predicted surface 

fire flame length (ft) under severe weather conditions over time (from 2000 through 2009).
51

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

• FVS_Compare_Carbon—a bar chart comparison of carbon pools 

before and after treatment and before and after a wildfire with the offset as well (produced only when using the Compare Treatments tab).

10. Go to the FVS_Compute spreadsheet in the Excel workbook (you might 

have to scroll to the right to see the tab). The CANOPY (canopy cover, percentage), FML (fuel model), HTT (stand height, ft), HTLIVE (height to live 

crown, ft), CBD (canopy bulk density, kg/m3

), and YR (year) columns can 

be used to create landscape files required to run FlamMap. This process 

will be described later.

TIP: If your SVS window does not display the same as figure 4-5, you can change 

the settings in SVS, SVS options  Screen layouts  0 3-view layout.

TIP: If you try to 

rerun a stand and still 

have the Excel workbook open, a warning 

window (fig. 4-7) will 

open, not allowing 

you to proceed until 

Excel is closed.

Figure 4-7—Warning window when 

attempting to rerun FVS for a stand 

with Excel spreadsheet open.

Exercise 4-2: Creating NEXUS input files—

This exercise will show you how to create NEXUS input files by using FVS to 

process stands. This will work only if you either have NEXUS installed on your 

machine and the path is set up correctly in the Project Manager form or you 

downloaded and unzipped the extra programs folder. 

For more information about NEXUS, refer to the programs help guide. This exercise will not explain how to run the program.

1. Click the Stand button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Set Stand 

Options from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Point&Click Options tab (fig. 4-8).

a. Select the Generate NEXUS Inputs option by clicking in the box to the left. 

ArcFuels can be used 

to create input files for 

NEXUS from FVS/FFEFVS runs.
52

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

b. A new form for setting the NEXUS 

input parameters will open (fig. 4-9).

c. Simulation Type: select conifer from the 

drop-down list.

d. Wind reduction factor: type “0.1” in the 

text box.

e. ROS multiplier: type “1” in the text box.

f. Load and Depth multiplier: type “1” in 

the text box.

g. Fireline Intensity multiplier: type “1” in 

the text box.

h. 1 hr moisture: type “3” in the text box.

i. 10 hr moisture: type “4” in the text box.

j. 100 hr moisture: type “6” in the 

text box.

k. Herbaceous: type “30” in the text box.

l. Woody: type “60” in the text box.

Figure 4-9—NEXUS Inputs form, 

used to set the simulation parameters 

for NEXUS runs in addition to the 

fuels information created in FFE-FVS 

to run NEXUS.

Figure 4-8—Point&Click Options tab of the Stand-Select Mode 

Options form for generating NEXUS outputs.
53

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

m. Avail. Canopy load: type “1” in the 

text box.

n. Foliar Moisture Content: type “100” in the text box.

o. Shrub Transition Flame Length: type “1” in the text box.

p. Open Windspeed: type “15” in the text box.

q. Wind direction: type “225” in the text box.

r. Click Continue to close the form.

3. Select the FVS Options tab (fig. 4-2).

a. Input Database: the C:\arcfuels\data\Mt_Emily_Database.mdb will be 

autopopulated. 

b. Cycles: type “10” in the text box.

c. Years per cycle: type “1” in the text box.

d. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

4. Click Close to close the form to apply and save your inputs for the tabs. 

5. Click the Select Stands button on the ArcFuels toolbar, if not already 

turned on. 

6. Click on a forested polygon in the stand layer to execute an FVS run. 

a. Once FVS has completed, NEXUS will open (fig. 4-10) with the data 

from the first simulation year loaded, which is 2000 for this exercise.

b. All of the NEXUS files are written to the outputs folder for all years run 

in FVS (2000 through 2009 for this exercise). They are saved as *.scn 

files with a naming convention of stand number_year. For example, the 

NEXUS input file for stand 794 for 2005 is named 794_2005.scn.

7. Close NEXUS (File  Exit).
54

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Figure 4-10—NEXUS interface with the data loaded for the first FVS simulation year (2000).
55

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Exercise 4-3: Running a combination treatment (thinning and prescribed fire) 

followed by a wildfire in FVS—

1. Click the Stand button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Set Stand 

Options from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Point&Click Options tab (fig. 4-1).

a. Select View Outputs in SVS, Generate Spreadsheet, Generate 

Spreadsheet Graphs, and Open Spreadsheet options by clicking in the 

box to the left of each. 

3. Select the FVS Options tab (fig. 4-2).

a. Input Database: the C:\arcfuels\data\Mt_Emily_Database.mdb will 

be autopopulated. 

b. Cycles: type “10” in the text box.

NOTE: If Generate Spreadsheet, Generate Spreadsheet Graphs, and Open Spreadsheet were checked, they will automatically become unchecked. It is not possible to 

generate both the spreadsheet outputs and NEXUS outputs in a single run.

TROUBLESHOOTING: If you are using the NEXUS executable supplied with 

ArcFuels sometimes a run-time error (fig. 4-12) occurs. If you use NEXUS, you 

are advised to download the program and install it on your machine, then update 

the link within ArcFuels.

Figure 4-12—NEXUS run-time error window.

TROUBLESHOOTING: 

If you do not have NEXUS 

loaded on your machine, you 

will get a warning window 

(fig. 4-11) and NEXUS input 

files will not be generated.

Figure 4-11—Warning 

window when the NEXUS 

path is not defined in the 

Project Manager form or if 

it is not on your computer; 

which is likely if you did 

not download the extra 

programs folder.

FVS/FFE-FVS 

prescriptions (KCPs) 

can be run and edited 

using ArcFuels 

interface for FVS/

FFE-FVS. The output 

SVS images and 

Excel graphs serve 

as visual aids for 

understanding the 

impact of prescriptions 

on forest structure and 

potential fire behavior 

and effects.
56

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Years per cycle: type “1” in the text box.

d. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

e. Click Add/Change Files. 

f. When the Select KCP Files form opens, click on Combo.kcp in the 

Available KCP files box to highlight it (fig. 4-13). 

Figure 4-13—Select KCP Files form.

g. Click the Select File> button to select the KCP file and move it to the 

Selected KCP files box. This applies the Combo.kcp treatment plan to 

all stands selected with the Select Stand button. If you move KCP files 

over that you do not want to apply, highlight them and click <Remove 

File to remove them.

h. Click OK to close the form. Notice the KCP is now shown in the FVS 

Options tab (fig. 4-14).

11. Double-click on Combo.kcp to open the KCP file in a text editor. You might 

have to choose Notepad or WordPad as the program to open the file type 

the first time you do this. Look at the KCP (fig. 4-15) and note the descriptive text below the commands themselves. 

a. The file calls for a species thinning preference, thin from below, fuels 

mastication/site removal, underburn, and finally a wildfire. Refer to the 
57

ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 4-14—FVS Options tab with the Combo.kcp file loaded.

Figure 4-15—Combo.kcp file contents. This KCP is thinning the stand and removing activity fuels in 

2003, simulating a prescribed burn in 2004, then a wildfire in 2007.

FVS Keyword Guide (Van Dyck and Smith-Mateja 2000) for detailed 

information on the keyword options.

b. The KCP can be edited and saved as the same file or as a new name 

at this time but the field position is important. Pay attention when you 

save the file—Notepad and WordPad will add a TXT extension if you 

save it as a text file and this will cause problems later in FVS. If you 

saved the file under a new name you will need to add the .kcp extension, but if you maintained the same name you are ready to proceed.
58

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Close the KCP file.

12. Click Close to close the Set Stand Options form to apply and save your 

inputs for the tabs. 

13. Click the Select Stands button on the ArcFuels toolbar, if not already turned on.

14. Click on a forested polygon in the stand layer to execute an FVS run. 

15. After FVS finishes, SVS will open.

a. Page through the SVS images for each cycle by clicking the Next 

button on the bottom right of the SVS window to see the thin, underburn, and wildfire (fig. 4-16).

Figure 4-16—SVS images of stand 794 after thinning (A), during the prescribed burn (B), and during the wildfire (C).

Figure 4-17—Total surface fuel load (ton/ac) as calculated by FFE-FVS 

using the Combo.kcp prescription file.

b. Close SVS (FileExit).

16. Go to the Excel workbook. Select the FVS_Fuels worksheet. Note how 

the treatments affected the total surface fuel load (ton/ac, fig. 4-17). Some 

treatment effects are not shown until the next growing cycle in FVS; in this 

example that is true for the fuel move, prescribed fire, and wildfire.

a. Leave the Excel workbook open; it will be used in Exercise 4-4.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Exercise 4-4: Using FVS to create treatment adjustment factors for grid data—

This exercise will build upon the last one. If you did not do Exercise 4-3, please do 

it now.

It is possible to create treatment adjustment factors from FVS/ FFE-FVS 

simulations to be applied to grid data (i.e., LANDFIRE) at larger spatial scales. A 

treatment adjustment factor is a multiplication factor that can be used to update grid 

data to portray fuel treatments to the canopy characteristics (canopy cover, canopy 

base height, canopy height, and canopy bulk density) or replacement values for the 

surface fuel model. Within ArcFuels these adjustment factors can be used with the 

Modify Grid Values and/or the Build FlamMap Landscape: Using ArcGIS Grid 

Data tools. Both will be described in detail later in the User Guide and Tutorial. 

Keep in mind that treatment adjustment factors should be created and used in similar vegetation types. For example, treatment adjustment factors for a pure ponderosa 

pine stand would often be different than those for a mixed-conifer stand even if the 

same prescription is used, but it is likely that different prescriptions would be used 

on different vegetation types. This is a very useful tool when you have limited stand 

exam (forest inventory) data for larger project areas.

1. Select the FVS_Compute worksheet.

2. The treatment sequence with the Combo.kcp was a thin from below in 

2003, a fuel move in 2003, and a prescribed fire in 2004. Because we are 

deriving treatment adjustment factors, we will not use the postwildfire data. 

The impact of the fuel move and prescribed fire will not show up until the 

following year. The pertinent values for stand 794 are shown in table 4-1. 

a. It is OK if you have selected a different stand; just follow the steps to 

determine your treatment adjustment factors.

Table 4-1—Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) outputs from the FVS_Compute 

worksheet after applying the Combo.kcp to stand 794

 Canopy Canopy

Canopy Canopy base bulk Fuel

Year cover height height density model

Percent Feet Feet Kilograms/m3

2000 90 113.6 7 0.329 141

2001 89 110.6 7 0.294 121

2002 89 111.5 8 0.300 121

2003 19 55.3 10 0.014 189

2004 20 56.1 10 0.015 164

2005 16 86.4 63 0.013 141

FFE-FVS outputs 

from untreated and 

treated alternatives 

can be used to create 

treatment adjustment 

factors to update grid 

data. This is a very 

useful option when 

limited stand exam 

data are available.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

3. Because the Combo.kcp is a multistepped prescription, it is possible to create treatment adjustment factors for individual parts or for the treatment 

as a whole. The process is the same for both. We will look at the impact of 

thinning only.

a. Owing to thinning, canopy cover was reduced from 89 percent in 2002 

to 19 percent in 2003, which is a 79 percent reduction.

i. To calculate the treatment adjustment factor, the formula is 1 minus 

the pretreatment value (89 percent) minus the posttreatment value 

(19 percent) divided by the pretreatment value (19 percent) which 

would by typed in as “=1-((89-19)/89)” in Excel and is equal to 0.21.

ii. Because you are reducing canopy cover by 79 percent, the adjustment factor would be 0.21. This is because you are retaining 21 

percent of the original canopy cover after treatment.

b. The same process can be done for canopy height, canopy base height, 

and canopy bulk density.

i. The adjustment factors are 0.49 for canopy height, 1.25 for canopy 

base height, and 0.05 for canopy bulk density.

c. The thinning treatment changed the fuel model from 141 (GS1-low 

load, dry climate grass-shrub) to 189 (TL9-very high load broadleaf litter) because of the increased surface fuel loads from the thinning.

4. Close the Excel workbook.

Exercise 4-5: Fine tuning treatment prescriptions using the 

Treatment Analysis tab—

The Treatment Analysis tab provides a way to analyze a range of treatment 

intensities to find the optimal prescription. When the Treatment Analysis tab is 

used, only the line in the KCP file that is varied is applied to the stand. For instance, 

suppose you are interested in finding a thinning intensity that achieves a specific 

fire behavior, such as flame length or fire type, and you are also concerned about 

total stand carbon.

1. Click the Stand button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Set Stand 

Options from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Point&Click Options tab (fig. 4-18).

a. Select Generate Spreadsheet, Generate Spreadsheet Graphs, and Open 

Spreadsheet options by clicking in the box to the left of each. 

The Treatment Analysis 

tab provides a way 

to analyze a range of 

treatment intensities 

to find the optimal 

prescription.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

3. Select the FVS Options tab (fig. 4-14).

a. Input Database: the C:\arcfuels\data\Mt_Emily_Database.mdb will be 

autopopulated. 

b. Cycles: type “10” in the text box.

c. Years per cycle: type “1” in the text box.

d. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

e. Click Add/Change Files. 

f. When the Select KCP Files form opens, click on Combo.kcp in the 

Available KCP files box to highlight it (fig. 4-13). 

g. Click Select File> to select the KCP file and move it to the Selected 

KCP files box.

4. Select the Treatment Analysis tab (fig. 4-19).

a. Run FVS multiple times while varying a single treatment parameter:

select this option.

b. Specify treatment file(s) on the FVS Options tab, then select one file 

here: select Combo.kcp from the drop-down list.

Figure 4-18—Point&Click Options tab in the Stand-Select Mode Options form.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Select the line containing the variable to be analyzed: select the line 

that starts with ThinBBA from the drop-down list. ThinBBA is the 

thinning keyword.

d. Variable Parameter: select 2 from the drop-down list. This is the 

parameter associated with basal area; the 2 corresponds to the basal 

area portion of the keyword line.

e. Minimum value: type “10” in the text box. This is the minimum basal 

area the stand will be thinned to for the run.

f. Maximum value: type “130” in the text box. This is the maximum basal 

area the stand will be thinned to for the run.

g. Step amount: type “20” in the text box. This is the step amount 

for altering basal area (i.e., basal area will be thinned to 10, 30, 

50 ft2

/ac, etc.).

h. Click Close to close the form to apply and save your inputs for the tabs. 

5. Click the Select Stands button on the ArcFuels toolbar, if not already 

turned on. 

Figure 4-19—Treatment Analysis tab of the Stand-Select Mode Options form. Basal area is 

thinned incrementally from 10 ft2

/ac to 130 ft2/ac in 20 ft2/ac steps to see the effect on stand structure and fire behavior.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

6. Click on a forested polygon in the stand layer to execute an FVS run. 

a. FVS will run multiple times and an Excel workbook will open with the 

results of the runs. Be patient; this will take a while to run.

7. Select a few worksheets in the Excel workbook and look at the graphs and 

associated values. Surface fire flame length (FVS_PotFire) and total stand 

carbon (FVS_Carbon) are shown in figure 4-20.

9. Close the Excel workbook.

Figure 4-20—Surface fire flame length (ft) under severe fire conditions (A) and total stand carbon (ton/

ac) (B) over time with varying basal area thinning limits (from 10 to 130 ft2/ac) using the Treatment 

Analysis tab of the Stand Options form for stand 794.

TROUBLESHOOTING: 

If you do not close the 

Excel file from the prior 

run before running the 

same stand through FVS 

a second time, a warning 

window will open 

(fig. 4-21).

Figure 4-21—Warning window when 

trying to rerun FVS for the same stand 

when the Excel file is still open from 

the last run.

Exercise 4-6: Comparing treatment prescriptions using the Compare 

Treatments tab—

The Compare Treatments tab on the Stand Analysis form provides a quick way 

to compare the effects of treatments or a simulated wildfire between two treatment 

alternatives for a given stand. The run outputs are combined in a single workbook 

and the differences between the scenarios “A” and “B” are graphed. This is a fast 

way to quantify the effects of a prescription on fire behavior, for instance. 

The Compare 

Treatments tab 

provides a quick 

way to compare the 

effects of treatments 

or a simulated wildfire 

between two treatment 

alternatives for a given 

stand.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

The following process simulates the effects of wildfire on a treated (Combo.

kcp) and untreated stand (Wildfire2007.kcp). Specifically, the spreadsheet outputs 

calculate the difference between the two scenarios. 

1. Click the Stand button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Set Stand 

Options from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Point&Click Options tab (fig. 4-18).

a. Select Generate Spreadsheet, Generate Spreadsheet Graphs, and Open 

Spreadsheet options by clicking in the box to the left of each. 

3. Select the Compare Treatments tab (fig. 4-22).

a. Run FVS with two different treatment scenarios and compare the 

results: select this option.

b. Input Database: the C:\arcfuels\data\Mt_Emily_Database.mdb will 

be autopopulated. 

c. Click Add/Change Files under Treatment Prescription A.

i. When the Select KCP Files form opens, click on Wildfire2007.kcp

in the Available KCP files box to highlight it. KCP files are 

listed alphabetically.

Figure 4-22—Compare Treatments tab of the Stand-Select Mode Options form showing the two 

prescriptions to be compared. Treatment prescription A is a wildfire in 2007, and treatment prescription B is a thinning, followed by a fuel move and prescribed burn, then the same wildfire as in A.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

ii. Click Select File> to select the KCP file and move it to the Selected 

KCP files box.

iii. Click OK to close the form.

d. Click Add/Change Files under Treatment Prescription B.

i. When the Select KCP Files form opens, click on Combo.kcp in the 

Available KCP files box to highlight it. 

ii. Click Select File> to select the KCP file and move it to the Selected 

KCP files box.

iii. Click OK to close the form.

e. Click Close to close the form to apply and save your inputs.

4. Click the Select Stands button on the ArcFuels toolbar, if not already turned on.

a. Click on a forested polygon in the stand layer to execute an FVS run. 

FVS will run two times and an Excel workbook will open with the 

results of the runs. Be patient; this will take a while to run.

5. Go to the FVS_Compute spreadsheet. Shown below is the comparison 

graph for modeled severe flame length (fig. 4-23). Remember Scenario A 

(blue) is the untreated stand and Scenario B (red) was treated. The treatment was a thin from below to 60 ft2

/ac and removal of 90 percent of the 

surface fuels in 2003 followed by an underburn in 2004. Finally, a wildfire 

was simulated in 2007 for both scenarios. The green line is the difference 

between the two scenarios (Scenario A minus Scenario B).

Figure 4-23—Flame length comparison graph for severe conditions from the FVS_Compute 

spreadsheet in the FVS output workbook for stand 761.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

6. Go to the FVS_Compare_Carbon spreadsheet. This is a new addition 

that is available only with the Compare Treatments tab in the Set Stand 

Options form. It shows the carbon pools for the treated (Scenario B) and 

untreated (Scenario A) scenarios before and after the wildfire in 2007 as 

well as an offset column (fig. 4-24).

7. Close the Excel workbook.

Figure 4-24—Carbon comparison for stand 761 treated and untreated before and after the simulated wildfire. The graph is created as 

part of the Compare Treatments tab in the Set Stand Options form and can be found on the FVS_Compare_Carbon spreadsheet.

Exercise 4-7: Opening FVS output files—

1. Click the Stand button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select View FVS I/O

from the drop-down list.

2. Click the Open FVS Outfile button on the FVS Outputs form (fig. 4-25).

a. This will open the FVS out file (fig. 4-26), which contains all the information that ArcFuels writes to the Excel workbook.

b. Close the FVS out file.

FVS/FEE-FVS output 

files can be opened via 

the ArcFuels toolbar.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 4-25—FVS Ouputs form with the FVS files associated with 

the most recent FVS run (stand 761) loaded.

Figure 4-26—Example FVS out file.

3. Click the Open FVS Key File button on the FVS Outputs form (fig. 4-25).

a. This will open the FVS key (fig. 4-27) file, which contains the information that tells FVS what to do, where to look for stand and tree data, 

and what outputs to generate based on the options and KCPs selected 

for the last run.

b. Close the FVS key file.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Figure 4-27—Example FVS key file.

4. Click the Open FVS Spreadsheet button on the FVS Outputs form (fig. 

4-25).

a. This opens the Excel workbook created during the last FVS run. If you 

did not select Generate Spreadsheet in the Point&Click Options tab 

of the Set Stand Options form, this option will not be available.

b. Close the Excel workbook.

5. Click the File Explorer button on the FVS Outputs form (fig. 4-25).

a. This opens a new file explorer window for the ArcFuels outputs folder.

b. Close the folder.

6. Click Close to close the FVS Outputs form.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

TROUBLESHOOTING: The first time you try and open an FVS out or FVS key 

file a window might open asking what program to use (fig. 4-29). These files can 

be opened with NotePad, WordPad, or any other text editing program.

TROUBLESHOOTING: If you try to re-open an open Excel workbook you will 

get a warning window from Excel stating that the file is already in use (fig. 4-28). 

Click cancel to close the window and go to the already open file.

Figure 4-28—Warning window when trying to rerun FVS for the same stand when the Excel 

file is still open from the last run.

Figure 4-29—Window asking what program to use to open the FVS out or 

FVS key files.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Cell Data

The Cell Data button is similar to the information button in ArcMap where it 

displays information about data. The Cell Data button in ArcFuels automatically 

displays data for the eight grid layers used to build a landscape file.

Exercise 4-8: Cell data information—

1. Click the Cell Data button on 

the ArcFuels toolbar to “turn 

on” the tool.

2. Click anywhere within the Mt. 

Emily study area. 

3. This opens the Cell Data

window with the information 

for all eight grids at the point 

selected (fig. 4-30). 

a. The data displayed is for 

the grid layers loaded 

into the Layers tab of the 

Project Manager form 

described in Setting Up 

ArcFuels with Mt. Emily Demonstration Data. 

4. Close the Cell Data window by clicking on the X in the upper right hand 

corner.

Landscape

Exercises 4-9 through 4-11 will demonstrate how to assign FVS prescriptions to 

selected stands in the landscape by using the Assign Prescriptions to Landscape

form. Exercises 4-12 through 4-16 will demonstrate how to run FVS at the landscape scale, including applying treatments, completing a treatment analysis, and 

comparing carbon pools for different treatment alternatives using the Simulate 

Landscape Treatments form. Exercise 4-17 shows how to join FVS outputs to the 

stand polygon. Exercises 4-18 through 4-22 will demonstrate how to build FlamMap/FARSITE landscape files (LCPs) from FVS databases, grid data, and multiple 

grid sources using the Build FlamMap Landscape form. 

Figure 4-30—The Cell Data tool displays the values 

for the eight grid layers added to ArcMap and assigned 

in the Project Manager. Canopy is canopy cover 

height is canopy height, CBH is canopy base height, 

and CBD is canopy bulk density.

NOTE: The units are those of the input grid data. For the demonstration data: 

elevation (m), slope (degrees), aspect (degrees), fuel model (n/a), canopy (percent), 

height (m*10), CBH (m*10), and CBD (kg/m3

*100).

The Cell Data button in 

ArcFuels automatically 

displays data for the 

eight grid layers used 

to build a landscape 

file.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Exercise 4-9: Assigning FVS prescriptions by selecting individual stands—

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar and select Assign 

Prescriptions to Landscape from the drop-down list. The Landscape 

Treatment Design form will open (fig. 4-31).

a. Target Scenario field name: select Alt1_Thinning from the drop-down 

list. Alt1_Thinning is the name of the column in the stand database that 

will hold the name of the KCP file that gets assigned to selected stands. 

b. KCP filename to be assigned: select Thinbba_80_2000.kcp from the 

drop-down list. The Thinbba_80_2000.kcp thins in 2000 to a basal 

area of 80 ft2

/ac.

c. Assign Prescriptions using Point&Click: select the box to the left.

d. Click Close to close the form.

Figure 4-31—Landscape Treatment Design form set up for assigning a thinning prescription to the 

Alt1_Thinning column in the stands table using the Select Stand tool.

ArcFuels allows the 

user to assign and 

store FVS/FFE-FVS 

prescriptions in the 

input FVS database. 

This is a great way to 

keep track of different 

treatment alternatives.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

2. Click the Select Stand button on the ArcFuels toolbar and point and click 

on a few densely forested stands.

a. Click Yes to each of the Confirm windows that open after selecting 

stands (fig. 4-32).

3. Open the Mt_Emily_Database.mdb in the data folder, then open the stands

table.

a. Sort in descending order the Alt1_Thinning column to see how the 

KCP is stored (fig. 4-33).

b. Close the database when you are done.

Exercise 4-10: Assign FVS prescriptions to ArcGIS-selected features—

This option is used in conjunction with ArcMap. Prescriptions can be assigned 

to ArcSelected stands. Stands can be selected based on location or attribute. The 

example below uses ArcSelected stands selected by proximity to structures in the 

wildland-urban interface.

1. In ArcMap, open the Select by Location tool (ArcMap 

toolbarSelectionSelect By Location...). The Select By Location

form will open (fig. 4-34).

Figure 4-32—Confirm window that checks to see if you really want to apply 

the prescription to the selected stand. The example shown is for applying the 

Thibba_80_2000.kcp to stand 590.

Figure 4-33—Thnbba_80_2000.kcp assignments in the Alt1_Thinning column of the stands table in the Mt_Emily_Database file.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

a. I want to: select Select features from from the drop-down list. 

b. the following layer(s): check the box to the left of mt_emily_stands.

c. that: select are within a distance of from the drop-down list.

d. the features in the layer: select structures from the drop-down list.

e. Apply a buffer to the features in structures: check the box to the left.

f. of: type in “0.5” and then select Miles from the drop-down list.

g. Click OK to apply the selection. This will select all stands within onehalf mile of each structure (fig. 4-35).

Figure 4-34—ArcMap Select By Location form set up to select stands within onehalf mile of structures in the Mt. Emily wildland-urban interface.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

2. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar and select Assign 

Prescriptions to Landscape from the drop-down list (fig. 4-36). 

a. Target Scenario field name: select Alt1_WUI from the drop-down list. 

b. KCP filename to be assigned: select Combo.kcp from the drop-down 

list. This KCP piles and burns 80 percent of the surface fuels 2000.

c. Click the Assign Rx to all Arc selected Stands button under Method B. 

d. A window will open noting the number of stands selected (fig. 4-37a); 

click OK to close the window.

e. A second window will open noting the total number of prescriptions 

assigned (fig. 4-37b); click OK to close the window.

Figure 4-35—ArcSelected stands within one-half mile of 

the structures in the Mt. Emily wildland-urban interface.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Figure 4-36—Landscape Treatment Design form set up to assign a combined thinning, surface fuel treatment, and underburn 

prescription to stands within one-half mile of structures in the Mt. Emily wildland-urban interface. 

Figure 4-37—Arc Map window indicating the number of ArcSelected 

stands (A) and that treatments have been assigned (B).
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

3. Open the Mt_Emily_Database.mdb in the data folder, then open the stands

table to see how the prescriptions were assigned in the Alt1_WUI column. 

Close the database when you are done.

Exercise 4-11: Assign prescriptions with a treatment grid—

Using a treatment grid is an efficient way to assign prescriptions to stands. The tool 

requires a 0/1 grid where 1 indicates treatments should be applied. Because grid 

cells are square, and polygons are not typically, the tool also allows you to decide 

how much of the polygon must be represented by a value of 1 in the grid. 

Although this function was designed specifically to be used with the Treatment 

Grid created by running the treatment optimization model (TOM) in FlamMap (see 

the Introduction to Modeling Fire Behavior in FlamMap for more information 

about TOM) it can be used with other 0/1 grids. For example, the function pairs 

extremely well with the Raster Calculator (ArcToolBoxSpatial AnalystRaster 

Calculator) within ArcMap. With the Raster Calculator you can create new grids 

based on criteria (e.g., all burnable fuels, slopes > 30 percent, south aspects, etc.) 

and then use ArcFuels to make changes within these areas. The grids created in the 

Raster Calculator default to 0/1 values. This eliminates several steps and reduces 

the number of files you need to keep track of and organize.

1. Look at the ideal_trt grid in ArcMap. Stands that are gray have a grid value 

of 0, meaning that they are not available 

for treatment; stands that are black have 

a grid value of 1 and are available to be 

treated (fig. 4-38). The black area accounts 

for about 66 percent of the landscape.

2. Click the Landscape button on the 

ArcFuels toolbar and select Assign 

Prescriptions to Landscape from 

the drop-down list. The Landscape 

Treatment Design form will open (fig. 

4-39).

a. Target Scenario field name: select 

Alt1_TOM from the drop-down list. 

b. KCP filename to be assigned: select 

Combo.kcp from the drop-down list.

c. TOM Grid Layer: select the ideal_trt

grid from the drop-down list (under 

Method C).

 ̧ 0 1 20.5 Miles

0-no

1-yes

Ideal treatment 

locations

Figure 4-38—Ideal treatment grid 

(ideal_trt) where gray is not available 

for treatment and black is available.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

d. Threshold: type “50” into the text box. This will apply the KCP only 

to stands where at least 50 percent of the area has a value of 1 in the 

ideal_trt grid.

e. Click the Assign Rx Using TOM Output Grid button to apply the 

prescriptions. After the process is done click Close to close the form.

3. Open the Mt_Emily_Database.mdb in the data folder, then open the stands

table to see how the prescriptions were assigned in the Alt1_TOM column. 

There should be 537 stands having the treatment prescription. Close the database when you are done.

TIP: In the methods described above, ArcFuels overwrites existing prescriptions 

for selected stands only. Thus multiple runs can be done to create scenarios with 

multiple KCP files by executing successive queries that target different sets of 

stands. If you wanted to clear all the prescriptions in a field you can use the Clear 

All KCPs From Scenario button.

Figure 4-39—Landscape Treatment Design form set up for assigning a combination prescription to the 

Alt1_TOM column in the stands table using a 0/1 treatment grid and the Select Stand tool.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Exercise 4-12: Running FVS for the no-treatment alternative—

In this exercise, we will run all the stands through FVS to create the no-treatment 

alternative with a wildfire simulated in 2007, using the Wildfire2007.kcp. We will 

run the simulation for 10 years in 1-year increments (2000 through 2009). 

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Simulate 

Landscape Treatment from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Run FVS tab (fig. 4-40).

a. Input Database: the default database Mt_Emily_Database.mdb is set 

using the Project Manager.

b. Stand Table: keep the default, stands, which is set using the Project 

Manager.

Figure 4-40—The Run FVS tab set up to run FVS for all stands to create the no-treatment 

alternative with a wildfire simulated in 2007.

FVS/FFE-FVS can be 

run at the landscape 

scale within ArcFuels. 

Because ArcFuels 

makes FVS/FFE-FVS 

spatially explicit the 

user can run stands 

a variety of ways 

including those 

selected in ArcMap.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

c. Stand ID: keep the default, Stand_ID, which is set using the Project 

Manager.

d. Output Database: keep the default database name, notreat.mdb, which 

is set using the Project Manager.

e. Scenario name: type “nt” in the text box to the right; this will then 

autopopulate the Key file and Out file text boxes. The “nt” refers to the 

no-treatment alternative.

f. Stand selection: select the radio button to the left of Run all Stands. We 

want to run all the stands in the Mt. Emily area. 

i. When working with large data sets or testing new prescription files, 

you are advised to run a smaller number of stands using the Run 

first XXX stands option.

g. Prescription Source: click the Add/Change Files button and select 

the Wildfire2007.kcp from the Select KCP Files form (fig. 4-13). This 

function is the same as was completed for running single stands in 

Exercise 4-3.

h. Options/Outputs: for this run we will be running 10 one-year cycles, 

allowing fuel models to be selected from both sources, and we will be 

creating carbon reports. 

i. Cycles: type“10” in the text box.

ii. Years per cycle: type “1” into the text box. 

iii. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

iv. Check Execute, Overwrite DB and Carbon Report; make sure the 

rest are unchecked. 

v. Scenario Index: type “1” into the box

i. Click the Run FVS button to start the FVS simulation. Depending on 

your computer, this should take 5 to 15 minutes.

j. When FVS is done running, double-click the text C:\arcfuels\outputs\

notreat.mdb in the Output Database text box to open the output database (fig. 4-41), and then browse the various FVS output tables. For a 

description of the tables see Exercise 4-1.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

NOTE: Because a prescription (KCP) is being applied to all the stands, it is recommended that you first run a few stands through using the Run first “xx” stands option 

first to check for errors (see the TIP below) and review the output database. 

TROUBLESHOOTING: If FVS 

experiences a termination code and 

closes or if you terminate a run, a 

warning window (fig. 4-42) will pop 

up and the FVS out file will automatically open. Look through the FVS out 

file to identify the error.

Figure 4-41—FVS output database with all the tables created on the left hand side of the window, and the 

FVS_Carbon table open.

Figure 4-42—Abnormal FVS termination 

warning window.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Exercise 4-13: Simulating landscape treatments in FVS to create an ideal landscape for the TOM in FlamMap—

This exercise will create a potential treatment alternative that can be used to create 

the ideal landscape for use with the TOM in FlamMap3 (refer to the Introduction to 

Modeling Fire Behavior in FlamMap3 section for more information). A combination prescription including a thinning, surface fuel treatment, and underburn was 

assigned to stands using the ideal_trt grid in Exercise 4-11.

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Simulate 

Landscape Treatment from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Run FVS tab (fig. 4-44).

a. Input Database: the default database Mt_Emily_Database.mdb is set 

using the Project Manager.

b. Stand Table: keep the default, stands, which is set using the 

Project Manager.

c. Stand ID: keep the default, Stand_ID, which is set using the 

Project Manager.

d. Output Database: use the navigation button to create a new output 

database named “Alt1_TOM.”

e. Scenario name: type “tom” in the text box to the right. 

TIP: You can open the FVS input and output databases from the Run FVS tab 

by double-clicking on the text box next to each.

TIP: The Scan for Errors button on the Run FVS tab checks the FVS output file 

for any errors that may have occurred during 

the run (fig. 4-43). The most common errors 

happen when a KPC is not written correctly. 

A window will open letting you know that 

there either were no errors or what the error 

was and where to find it.

Figure 4-43—FVS Error Scan windows for no errors or for an error. The FVS error code number 

can be looked up in the FVS Essentials Guide (Dixon 2003).
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

f. Stand selection: select the radio button to the left of Run all Stands. We 

want to run all the stands in the Mt. Emily area. 

g. Prescription Source: click the Add/Change Fields button and select 

the Alt1_TOM field using the Select KCP Fields form that opens. This 

is similar to selecting a KCP file.

h. Options/Outputs: for this run, we will be running 10 one-year cycles, 

allowing fuel models to be selected from both sources, and we will be 

creating carbon reports. 

Figure 4-44—The Run FVS tab set up to run FVS for all stands to create the TOM alternative. The 

Combo.kcp was assigned to all stands requiring treatment in the Alt1_TOM field of the stands table 

in the Mt_Emily_Database file in Exercise 4-11.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

i. Cycles: type “10” in the text box.

ii. Years per cycle: type “1” into the text box. 

iii. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

iv. Check Execute, Overwrite DB and Carbon Report; make sure the 

rest are unchecked. 

v. Scenario Index: type “1” into the box.

i. Click Run FVS to start the FVS simulation. Depending on your computer, this should take 5 to 15 minutes.

j. When FVS is done running, double-click the text C:\arcfuels\outputs\

Alt1_TOM.mdb in the Output Database text box to open the output 

database, and browse the various FVS output tables. For a description 

of the tables see Exercise 4-1.

Exercise 4-14: Simulating landscape treatments in FVS only to stands 

with prescriptions—

This exercise will use FVS to simulate only the stands with the Combo.kcp prescription assigned to the Alt1_WUI column (field) in the stands table of the Mt_Emily_

Database.mdb. The Combo.kcp prescription was assigned to all stands within 

one-half mile of the structures of the wildland-urban interface in Exercise 4-10.

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Simulate 

Landscape Treatment from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Run FVS tab (fig. 4-45).

a. Input Database: the default database Mt_Emily_Database.mdb is set 

using the Project Manager.

b. Stand Table: keep the default, stands, which is set using the Project 

Manager.

c. Stand ID: keep the default, Stand_ID, which is set using the Project 

Manager.

d. Output Database: use the navigation button to create a new output 

database named “Alt1_WUI.”

e. Scenario name: type “wui” in the text box to the right. 

f. Stand selection: select the radio button to the left of Run stands 

with prescriptions. 

To save time it is 

possible to only 

run stands with 

prescriptions assigned 

through FVS/FFE-FVS. 

The resulting output 

database can be 

coupled with an output 

database including all 

stands (untreated) in 

the landscape to build 

a treated LCP using 

ArcFuels.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

i. If a no-treatment alternative has already been run, time can be 

saved by running only the stands with prescriptions. The two databases can be merged to create a FlamMap landscape file (LCP) 

using ArcFuels.

g. Prescription Source: click on the Add/Change Fields button and select 

the Alt1_WUI field using the Select KCP Fields form that opens. This 

is similar to selecting a KCP file.

i. Remove the Alt1_TOM prescription field if it is still loaded.

Figure 4-45—The Run FVS tab set up to run FVS only for stands with prescriptions assigned to 

create a WUI treatment alternative. The pileburn.kcp was assigned to all stands requiring treatment 

in the Alt1_WUI field of the stands table in the Mt_Emily_Database file in Exercise 4-10.
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h. Options/Outputs: for this run we will be running 10 one-year cycles, 

allowing fuel models to be selected from both sources, and we will be 

creating carbon reports. 

i. Cycles: type”10” in the text box.

ii. Years per cycle: type “1” into the text box. 

iii. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

iv. Check Execute, Overwrite DB and Carbon Report, and make sure 

the rest are unchecked. 

v. Scenario Index: type “1” into the text box.

i. Click the Run FVS button to start the FVS simulation. Depending on 

your computer, this should take 5 to 15 minutes.

j. When FVS is done running, double-click the text C:\arcfuels\outputs\

Alt1_WUI.mdb in the Output Database text box to open the output 

database, and browse the various FVS output tables. For a description 

of the tables, see Exercise 4-1.

Exercise 4-15: Using the Treatment Analysis tab to vary a single parameter—

Method 1 of the Treatment Analysis tab in the Simulate Landscape Treatments

form is simlar to the Treatment Analysis tab in the Set Stand Options form (see 

Exercise 4-5). Two main differences exist: the option here can run multiple stands 

at once, and when running the tool at the landscape scale the outputs are written to 

an Access database rather than an Excel workbook. For example, you are interested 

in finding a thinning intensity that reduces canopy bulk density below a set threshold (0.1 kg/m3

) because crown fire is unlikely to occur below that level (Agee 1996).

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Simulate 

Landscape Treatment from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Run FVS tab (fig. 4-46).

a. Input Database: the default database Mt_Emily_Database.mdb is set 

using the Project Manager.

b. Stand Table: keep the default, stands, which is set using the 

Project Manager.

NOTE: The same results could be obtained by first selecting the stands within 

one-half mile of the structures in ArcMap, then selecting the Combo.kcp as the 

Prescription Source, then selecting Run ArcMap Selected Stands.

Similar to stand 

functionality, FVS/

FFS-FVS prescriptions 

can be analyzed for 

an entire landscape or 

select stands to fine 

tune prescriptions.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Stand ID: keep the default, Stand_ID, which is set using the Project 

Manager.

d. Output Database: use the navigation button to create a new output 

database named “Combo_BA_Analysis.mdb.”

e. Scenario name: type “ba” in the text box to the right. 

f. Stand selection: select the radio button to the left of Run first stands

and type “50” into the text box. 

Figure 4-46—The Run FVS tab set up to run FVS to analyze the effect of varying 

thinning intensities.
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g. Prescription Source: click the Add/Change Files button and select the 

Combo.kcp field using the Select KCP Files form that opens. Remove 

old fields, e.g., Alt1_WUI, if they are still loaded.

h. Options/Outputs: for this run we will be running 10 one-year cycles, 

allowing fuel models to be selected from both sources, and we will be 

creating carbon reports. 

i. Cycles: type “10” in the text box.

ii. Years per cycle: type “1” into the text box. 

iii. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

iv. Check Execute, and make sure the rest are unchecked.

v. Scenario Index: type “1” into the box.

3. Select the Treatment Analysis tab (fig. 4-47).

a. Specify treatment file(s) on the Run FVS tab, then select one here: 

select the Combo.kcp from the drop-down list.

b. Method 1: select the radio button to the left of this option.

i. Select the line containing the variable to be analyzed: select the line 

with the ThinBBA keyword from the drop-down list. This is the 

keyword that triggers a thin from below. The text boxes below the 

line will autopopulate (fig. 4-47).

ii. Variable parameter: select 2 from the drop-down list because this 

corresponds to the basal area.

iii. Minimum Value: type “50” into the text box. This is the minimum 

basal area value for thinning.

iv. Maximum Value: type “100” into the text box. This is the maximum 

basal area value for thinning.

v. Step Amount: type “10” into the text box. This is the step amount 

for thinning (i.e., basal area will be thinned to 50, 60, 70 ft2

/ac, etc.)

c. Click the Run FVS Analysis button to start the FVS simulation. This 

will run FVS six times, once for each time step. Depending on your 

computer, this should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
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d. When FVS is done running, double-click the text C:\arcfuels\outputs\

Combo_BA_Analysis.mdb in the Output Database text box to open 

the output database, and then open the FVS_Compute table and scroll 

all the way to the right. Notice the appended THINBBA2 column 

(fig. 4-48). The basal area thinning factor associated with the runs is 

appended to this table for further analysis. The value can be added to 

other tables by doing a query function in the database.

Figure 4-47—Treatment Analysis tab set up to vary basal area thinning intensities from 50 to 100 

ft2/ac in 10-ft2/ac increments.
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Exercise 4-16: Comparing carbon offsets between treatment alternatives—

This exercise will calculate and compare the carbon offset (tons) between two FVS 

databases. You will need the notreat.mdb created in Exercise 4-12 and Alt1_TOM.

mdb created in Exercise 4-13. This is helpful when trying to compare the impact of 

treatment(s) on carbon or between a no-treatment and treated landscape. 

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Simulate 

Landscape Treatment from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Compare Treatments tab (fig. 4-50).

a. Output Database A: select notreat.mdb using the navigation button. 

The database should be in your outputs folder.

b. Output Database B: select Alt1_TOM.mdb using the navigation button. 

The database should be in your outputs folder.

TIP: At the bottom of the form there is a text box option where you can Create single Key File and do not run (FVS only). This creates the files needed to 

run FVS outside of ArcFuels, which can be helpful if you want to run multiple 

scenarios simultaneously.

TROUBLESHOOTING: If you 

forgot to select a KCP file from the 

Specify treatment file(s) on the Run 

FVS tab, then select one here dropdown menu, a warning window will 

open (fig. 4-49).

Figure 4-48—A THINBBA2 column is appended to the FVS_Compute table in the output database 

for future analysis.

Figure 4-49—Warning window stating that ArcFuels is not able to proceed with the treatment 

analysis because no KCP file was selected.

Carbon offsets can 

be quickly calculated 

between two treatment 

alternatives using 

FVS/FFE-FVS 

output databases 

in ArcFuels.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Year of interest: type “2007” in the text box. A wildfire was initiated in 

both the no-treatment and TOM alternatives in 2007.

d. Click the Calculate Carbon Offset button.

e. The Carbon Offset from change in emission, Carbon offset from 

change in stock, and Total carbon offset have been calculated between 

the two treatment scenario databases. 

Figure 4-50—Compare Treatments tab in the Simulate Landscape Treatments form set up to 

compare the total carbon offset between untreated and treated scenarios after a wildfire in 2007.
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i. The difference is Alt1_TOM minus notreat. The TOM treatment resulted in a total carbon offset of 1,486 tons of carbon. In 

other words, the treated landscape retained more carbon than the 

untreated landscape after a simulated wildfire in 2007. 

Exercise 4-17: Joining FVS outputs to the stand polygon—

Because FVS runs often include multiple simulation years it is not possible to join 

the outputs to the stand shapefile using ArcMap. This tool allows you to join data 

from any year within an FVS output table to the Mt. Emily stands shapefile. This is 

quite helpful for visualizing the FVS runs on the landscape.

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Simulate 

Landscape Treatment from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Join FVS Outputs to Polygons tab (fig. 4-51).

a. FVS Output Database: select notreat.mdb using the navigation button. 

The database should be in your outputs folder.

b. Table to Join from FVS output DB: select FVS_Summary from the 

drop-down list. 

c. Year to Join: select 2005 from the drop-down list.

d. Click the Do Join button.

e. Click OK when the confirmation windows (fig. 4-52) open.

f. Click Close to close the form and return to ArcMap.

3. Open the attributes table of mt_emily_stands and scroll to the right; note 

the joined data.

4. To visualize the output data change the symbology of the mt_emily_stands

polygon to show trees per acre (TPA, fig. 4-53). 

a. Right-click on the mt_emily_stands polygon in the ArcMap table 

of contents then PropertiesSymbologyQuantities 

Graduated Colors. 

i. The Value should be TPA, then select 6 from the Classes dropdown menu. 

ii. Click the Classify button to open the Classification form. 

iii. Select Manual from the Method drop-down menu and set the break 

values according to figure 4-53. 

iv. Click OK to close the Classification form.

ArcFuels allows the 

user to join values 

within an FVS/FFE-FVS 

database to a stand 

shapefile in ArcMap. 

The resulting maps can 

be used to highlight 

various metrics such 

as tree density, basal 

area, or potential fire 

behavier for any year 

modeled.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

v. Click OK again to close the Layer Properties form.

b. This can also be completed for the TOM treatment alternative as shown 

in figure 4-53b if you so choose.

Figure 4-51—Join FVS Outputs to Polygons tab in the Simulate Landscape Treatments form set 

up to join the FVS_Summary data for 2005.

Figure 4-52—Confirmation windows that appear after a join is initiated.

A B
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Exercise 4-18: Build the no-treatment alternative LCP using inventory data 

run through FVS—

This exercise will demonstrate how to build an LCP from an FVS output database. 

The notreat.mdb, created in Exercise 4-12, will be used in conjunction with the 

slope, aspect, elevation, and stands grids. 

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Build 

FlamMap Landscape from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Using FVS Database tab (fig. 4-54).

a. Elevation: select elevation from the drop-down list.

b. Slope: select slope from the drop-down list.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Stand ID Grid: select stands from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.

f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio button, then select the stands grid from the drop-down list.

NOTE: It is not possible to do multiple joins at once using this tool. The most 

recent join will replace any past joins, even if the Remove Joins button is not used.

Figure 4-53—Maps of trees per acre for the untreated (A) and TOM 

treatment (B) alternatives.

A B

5 100

100 250

250 500

500 1,000

1,000

<5

_

_

_

_

>

Trees per acre

ArcFuels can build 

landscape files (LCPs) 

from FVS/FFE-FVS 

output databases 

using the default 

FVS-Compute table 

created.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

g. FVS Output Database: select the notreat.mdb from the outputs folder 

using the navigation button.

h. Output Table: select FVS_Compute from the drop-down list.

i. Stand ID Field: select StandID from the drop-down list.

j. Year: select 2005 from the drop-down list.

k. Scenario: select 1 from the drop-down list.

l. Fuel model: select FML from the drop-down list.

m. Canopy Cover: select CANOPY from the drop-down list.

n. Canopy Height: select HTT from the drop-down list.

o. Canopy Base Height: select HTLIVE from the drop-down list.

p. Canopy Bulk Density: select CBD from the drop-down list.

q. Apply Treatments: make sure this box is not checked.

Figure 4-54—Using FVS Database tab set up to create a no-treatment LCP from the FVS run 

for 2005.
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r. Treated Stands Database: this should remain blank.

s. LCP Output File: using the navigation button name the LCP “FVS_

notreat” and save it to the outputs folder.

t. Click the Build LCP button. 

After the Build LCP progress window (fig. 4-55) closes, 

the LCP has been built.

u. Click the Create Arc Grids

button.

i. Rename the grids as 

shown in figure 4-56. The 

prefix “fvs_nt” refers to 

the fact that these grids 

are derived from FVS data and are for the no-treatment alternative. 

ii. Click OK to create the grids. A progress window will open; when 

the grids are created it will automatically close.

v. Click Close to close the Build LCP form. 

3. Look at the ArcMap table of contents; the grids created are automatically 

added to ArcMap under a grouping titled Results (fig. 4-57).

Figure 4-55—Build LCP progress window.

Figure 4-56—Create ArcGrids form for the no treatment alternative 

derived from FVS data.

In addition to the LCP 

file, ArcFuels can 

output grids for canopy 

characteristics and fuel 

model layers from the 

FVS/FFE-FVS inputs.
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Figure 4-57—Grids created from FVS output database are automatically added to the ArcMap table of contents.

TIP: When creating and naming new grids, remember that the name can be only 

13 characters long, have no spaces, and contain no special characters with the 

exception of underscores.

TIP: If your input data is a larger spatial extent than needed for fire behavior 

modeling, it is possible to create the LCP and grids for a smaller area using either 

another grid or from UTM coordinates. Under The output boundaries are based 

on, choose a Grid Layer of a smaller extent from the drop-down list (subarea is 

provided with the demonstration data), or base the area on UTM Coordinates. If 

you are using a non-rectangular grid layer, the resulting LCP and grids will be 

the rectangular extent of the grid.

NOTE: If you do not like the FVS fuel models, you can substitute in a preexisting fuel model grid (such as the lf_fbfm40 grid supplied with the demonstration 

data). To do this, check the box to the left of Use ArcGIS Grid Layer, then select 

lf_fbfm40 from the drop-down list.
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Exercise 4-19: Build the WUI treatment alternative LCP using inventory data 

run through FVS—

To eliminate the need to resimulate the entire landscape with each treatment 

scenario, it is possible to combine a no-treatment landscape output with the simulation outputs from only the treated stands to create a hybrid landscape file. In other 

words, FVS outputs for the treated stands replace the FVS outputs for the no-treatment alternative for the stands that are treated. If relatively few stands are treated, 

the process of creating several treatment scenarios is accelerated. This exercise will 

demonstrate how to build a treatment alternative LCP (and grids) using both a notreatment FVS output database and a wildland-urban interface treatment alternative 

FVS output database that contains only treated stands. This exercise uses the FVS 

output databases from Exercises 4-12 and 4-14.

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Build 

FlamMap Landscape from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Using FVS Database tab (fig. 4-58).

Figure 4-58—Using FVS Database tab set up to create a WUI treatment alternative LCP.

ArcFuels can combine 

two FVS/FFE-FVS 

databases to build 

an LCP file. The first 

is the untreated 

database where all 

stands are modeled, 

and the second is 

the post-treatment 

database where only 

those stands requiring 

treatment are included.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

a. Elevation: select elevation from the drop-down list.

b. Slope: select slope from the drop-down list.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Stand ID Grid: select stands from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.

f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio button, then select the stands grid from the drop-down list.

g. FVS Output Database: select the notreat.mdb from the outputs folder 

using the navigation button.

h. Output Table: select FVS_Compute from the drop-down list.

i. Stand ID Field: select StandID from the drop-down list.

j. Year: select 2005 from the drop-down list.

k. Scenario: select 1 from the drop-down list.

l. Fuel model: select FML from the drop-down list.

m. Canopy Cover: select CANOPY from the drop-down list.

n. Canopy Height: select HTT from the drop-down list.

o. Canopy Base Height: select HTLIVE from the drop-down list.

p. Canopy Bulk Density: select CBD from the drop-down list.

q. Apply Treatments: check the box to the left.

r. Treated Stands Database: navigate to and select the Alt1_WUI.mdb in 

the outputs folder.

s. LCP Output File: using the navigation button, name the LCP “FVS_

WUItreat” and save it to the outputs folder.

t. Click the Build LCP button.

u. Click the Create Arc Grids button.

i. Rename the grids as shown in figure 4-59. The prefix “fvs_wui” 

refers to the fact that these grids are derived from FVS data and are 

for the WUI treatment alternative. 

ii. Click OK to create the grids. 

v. Click Close to close the Build LCP form.
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3. Return to ArcMap and look at the fuel model layer; notice where it 

changed. The fuel model layer can often be the easiest layer to verify 

treatments occurred where envisioned.

Exercise 4-20: Build the no-treatment alternative LCP using grid data—

This exercise will demonstrate how to build a no-treatment LCP from grid data. 

The supplied LANDFIRE data will be used. 

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Build 

FlamMap Landscape from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Using AcGIS Grid Data tab (fig. 4-60).

a. Elevation: select elevation and meters from the drop-down lists.

b. Slope: select slope and degrees from the drop-down lists.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Distance Units: select meters from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.

f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio 

button, then select elevation from the drop-down list.

g. Apply Treatment Adjustments: leave this box unchecked.

Figure 4-59—Create ArcGrids form to create the WUI treatment alternative grids.

NOTE: It is also possible to repeat Exercise 4-19 with an FVS database that 

contains all stands treated and untreated together. An example of this type of 

database (Alt1_TOM) was created in Exercise 4-13.

ArcFuels can be used 

to build LCPs from grid 

data. This saves time 

when the user would 

otherwise need to 

export the individual 

layers as ASCII files to 

build the LCP FlamMap.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

h. Fuel Model: select lf_fbfm40 from the drop-down list.

i. Canopy Cover: select lf_cc and percent from the drop-down lists.

j. Canopy Height: select lf_ch and meters,*10 from the drop-down lists.

k. Canopy Base Height: select lf_cbh and meters,*10 from the drop-down 

lists.

l. Canopy Bulk Density: select lf_cbd and kg/m3,*100 from the dropdown lists.

m. LCP Output File: using the navigation button name the LCP “lf_

notreat” and save it to the outputs folder.

n. Click the Build LCP button.

o. Click Close to close the form.

Figure 4-60—The Using ArcGIS Grid Data tab of the Build LCP form set up to create a LCP from 

the provided LANDFIRE data.
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Exercise 4-21: Build a treatment alternative LCP using treatment adjustment 

factors and grid data—

This exercise will demonstrate how to build an LCP and grids for a treatment 

alternative using the current conditions LANDFIRE grids, treatment location 

(trt_location), and treatment type (trt_type) grids along with a treatment adjustments database (Treatment_adjustments.mdb). The supplied treatment location and 

treatment types treat about 20 percent of the landscape and were designed to target 

preservation of large trees (Ager et al. 2010).

ArcFuels modifies grid data and creates new grids and LCP files by using an 

Access “lookup” table (fig. 4-62), which stores the replacements (e.g., change fuel 

model to 8 within unit 5) or adjustments (e.g., increase canopy base height by 30 

percent, decrease canopy bulk density by 20 percent within unit 3) desired. 

Determining how to adjust canopy characteristic grids can be completed by 

running prescriptions FVS through ArcFuels (Exercise 4-4) FVS can also predict 

fuel models under changed stand conditions. However, expert knowledge of the 

TROUBLESHOOTING: If you do not have the full path in the LCP Output File 

text box, you will get an error window stating there was an error generating the 

LCP file (fig. 4-61).

TIP: If your input data is a larger spatial extent than needed for fire behavior 

modeling, it is possible to create the LCP and grids for a smaller area by using 

either another grid or from UTM coordinates. Under The output boundaries 

are based on, choose a Grid Layer of a smaller extent from the drop-down list 

(subarea is provided with the demonstration data), or base the area on UTM 

Coordinates. If you are using a non-rectangular grid layer, the resulting LCP and 

grids will be the rectangular extent of the grid.

NOTE: Knowing the units of the input data and correctly assigning them in the 

Using ArcGIS Grid Data form is very important when building LCPs. Improper 

units can drastically alter fire model outputs.

Figure 4-61—When the full path is not included, the LCP will not be built 

and an error window will open.

Posttreatment LCP(s) 

can be rapidly built by 

updating values in the 

existing conditions 

grids using treatment 

location and type grids 

along with treatment 

adjustment factor(s) 

in ArcFuels.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

on-the-ground conditions should be used in conjunction with these data. Note that 

shrub dynamics are not a part of FFE-FVS; fuel models are predicted based on the 

data collected by standard forest inventory plots. Alternatively, adjustments can 

be derived from monitoring data of treated areas that represent the posttreatment 

conditions desired, or may come from a specific treatment prescription (i.e., canopy 

cover will be reduced to 40 percent and canopy base height will be lifted to 6 ft).

ArcFuels multiplies the adjustment factor numbers by the existing condition values or replaces them. For example, treatment type 1 reduces canopy bulk 

density and canopy cover by 50 percent (multiplies the existing condition by 0.5) 

and increases canopy base height and canopy height by 80 percent (multiplies the 

existing condition by 1.8) and 30 percent (multiplies the existing condition by 1.3), 

respectively. In this example, under treatment type 1, fuel models will be changed 

(replaced) to 181.

The flowchart below (fig. 4-63) is a visual depiction of the relationship between 

the treatment type and location grids and the treatment adjustments table within the 

treatment adjustments database. This system allows for pixel-level (versus entire 

stand) manipulation of the grid data, allowing a single stand to receive different 

intensities of treatment.

1. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Build 

FlamMap Landscape from the drop-down list. 

2. Select the Using AcGIS Grid Data tab (fig. 4-64).

a. Elevation: select elevation and meters from the drop-down lists.

b. Slope: select slope and degrees from the drop-down lists.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Distance Units: select meters from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.

f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio 

button, then select elevation from the drop-down list.

Figure 4-62—Example treatment adjustments table within the treatment adjustments database.
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Figure 4-63—Flow chart of how the treatment adjustment grids and factors work together to create a treatment alternative.

Treated LCP and fuel grids

Grid of treatment type pixels.

1 in yellow = heavy thin with under burn

2 in green = underburn only

3 in blue = light thin with underburn

0 1 1 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 

0 1 1 2 2 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 

0 1 1 1 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 2 1 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 

Grid of treatment location pixels.

Non-zero value in red = apply treatment, 

zero in black = no treatment. 

Treatments can be identified by any 

non-zero value. 

0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 

0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 

0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 

Treatment adjustments table within the treatment adjustments database.

Untreated fuel grids
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g. Apply Treatment Adjustments: check the box to the left. This will make 

more options available.

i. Treatment Type Database: navigate to and select the Treatment_

adjustments.mdb in the data folder using the navigation button.

ii. Treatment Location Grid: select trt_location from the 

drop-down list.

iii. Treatment Type Grid: select trt_type from the drop-down list.

iv. Treatment Adjustment Table: select example_treatment_adjustment

from the drop-down list.

v. Treatment Type ID Field: select treat_type from the drop-down list.

h. Fuel Model: select lf_fbfm40 and fm_adj from the drop-down lists.

i. Canopy Cover: select lf_cc, percent, and cc_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

Figure 4-64—The Using ArcGIS Grid Data tab of the Build LCP form set up to create a treatment alternative with the provided LANDFIRE data and treatment adjustment database.
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j. Canopy Height: select lf_ch, meters,*10, and ch_adj from the dropdown lists.

k. Canopy Base Height: select lf_cbh, meters,*10, and cbh_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

l. Canopy Bulk Density: select lf_cbd, kg/m3,*100, and cbd_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

m. LCP Output File: using the navigation button name the LCP “lf_

treat20” and save it to the outputs folder.

n. Click the Build LCP button.

o. Click the Create Arc Grids button.

i. Rename the grids as shown in figure 4-65. The prefix “lf_trt20” 

refers to the fact that these grids are derived from LANDFIRE data 

(lf) and are for a treatment scenario (treat) that treated 20 percent 

(20) of the landscape. 

ii. Click OK to create the grids. 

Figure 4-65—Create ArcGrids form to create the treatment 

alternative grids.

p. Click Close to close the Build LCP form.

3. Look at the grids added to the ArcMap table of contents; they will be under 

a new Results group. Note how they have changed to represent treatment 

when compared to the input grids. It is a good idea to check the created 

grids before modeling fire behavior with the LCP to be sure treatments 

were applied as you envisioned.
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Exercise 4-22: Build an LCP using multiple grid sources—

Building an LCP from multiple grid sources within ArcFuels is a time-saving tool 

that allows you to mosaic multiple grid layers together and create an LCP in a single 

step. This tool might be used if you have smaller extent grid layers that represent 

update conditions owing to recent management or disturbance. Or when creating 

landscape files for fire behavior simulations it is preferred to have a rectangular 

extent; stand inventory data often are not rectangular in extent, so this tool is a 

quick way to mosaic in LANDFIRE (or other grid data) to make the LCP rectangular. This is true with the demonstration data. 

This exercise will use the no-treatment grids created from FVS data in 

Exercise 4-19 and the supplied LANDFIRE grid data.

1. If not already loaded in ArcMap, add the fvs_nt_fm, fvs_nt_cc, fvs_nt_

cbh, fvs_nt_ch, and fvs_nt_cbd layers created in Exercise 4-19. 

2. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Build 

FlamMap Landscape from the drop-down list. 

3. Select the Using Multiple Sources tab (fig. 4-66).

Figure 4-66—Using Multiple Sources tab set up to create a no-treatment LCP from the FVS run for 

2005 and the LANDFIRE data.

ArcFuels can be used 

to create LCPs from 

multiple grids. The 

grids can be of various 

extents and units but 

must be the same 

resolution.
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a. Elevation: using the navigation button, select the elevation grid (click 

on it to highlight it) from the Available layers; next select meters from 

the Units drop-down list. Finally, click the Select Layer > button to 

select the layer and move it over to the Selected sources portion of the 

Select Source(s) form (fig. 4-67) that opens. Click OK to close the 

form and select the remainder of the grid combinations.

b. Slope: using the navigation button, select slope in degrees. 

c. Aspect: using the navigation button, select aspect in azimuth degrees.

d. Fuel Model: using the navigation button, select fvs_nt_fm then lf_

fbfm40. When adding multiple layers, you need to click Select Layer > 

after each layer. The layer listed on top overwrites subsequent layers.

e. Canopy cover: using the navigation button, select fvs_nt_cc in percent, 

then lf_cc in percent.

f. Canopy Height: using the navigation button, select fvs_nt_ch in feet, 

then lf_ch in meters*10.

Figure 4-67—Select source(s) form used to select the Arc grid layers to be used 

to create the LCP file from multiple sources.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

g. Canopy Base Height: using the navigation button, select fvs_nt_cbh in 

feet, then lf_cbh in meters*10.

h. Canopy Bulk Density: using the navigation button, select fvs_nt_cbd in 

kg/m^3, then lf_cbd in kg/m^3*100.

i. Latitude: if not already filled in, type “45” in the text box.

j. The output boundaries are based on: select the radio button to the left 

of Grid Layer, then select elevation from the drop-down list.

k. LCP Output File: using the navigation button, name the file “fvs_lf_

notreat” and save it to the outputs folder.

l. Click the Build LCP button. 

m. Click the Create Arc Grids button.

i. Rename the grids as shown in figure 4-68. The prefix “fvs_lf_nt” 

refers to the fact that these grids are derived from FVS (fvs), then 

LANDFIRE (lf) data, and are for the no-treatment (nt) scenario. 

Because the grids come from multiple sources, you need to choose 

a single set of units for each. It is also possible to create the grids 

as integers or as floating point data. Because we are using the 

LANDFIRE units, we are creating integer grids.

Figure 4-68—Create ArcGrids form to create the multiple data source no-treatment grids.
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ii. Spatial Reference: select NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_11N from the 

drop-down list.

iii. Click OK to create the grids. 

n. Click Close to close the form.

o. The new grids will be added to the ArcMap table of contents under 

the Results group. Look at the fuel model grid to see how the data was 

mosaiced (fig. 4-69). If you did not remove older created files, you may 

have to scroll down a bit to find the correct grids. 

p. Remove the Results group from the ArcMap table of contents.

Figure 4-69—Map showing the fuel model grid from the 

FVS and LANDFIRE mosaiced data.

Fuel model

5

7

91

93

101

102

121

122

141

142

161

162

165

181

182

183

184

185

186

188

189

202

203

Wildfire Models

The Wildfire Models tool is primarily used to open wildfire models for use outside 

of ArcFuels. The one exception is the Behave Calculator, which will be demonstrated in Exercise 4-23. 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Exercise 4-23: Using the Behave Calculator—

In this exercise we will run the Behave Calculator for a number of different 

midflame windspeeds to see the impact on surface fire behavior. 

1. Click the Wildfire Models button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select 

Behave Calculator from the drop-down list (fig. 4-70). 

a. Fuel model: select TL5 High load, conifer litter from the 

drop-down list.

b. Slope percent: type “0” in the text box.

c. 1 hr fuel moisture: type “9” in the text box.

d. 10 hr fuel moisture: type “10” in the text box.

e. 100 hr fuel moisture: type “11” in the text box.

f. Herbaceous: type “120” in the text box.

g. Woody: type “150” in the text box.

h. Midflame windspeed: this is the parameter that will be varied; start 

with 0 mph and incrementally increase it to 10 mph in 2-mph steps

i. Click the Run Behave Calculations button to calculate flame length 

and rate of spread.

j. Repeat the process, changing the Midflame windspeed in 2-mph 

increments to fill out table 4-2.

Figure 4-70—Behave Calculator form set up for the first Behave run.
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Modify Grid Values

Exercises 4-24 through 4-26 will demonstrate how to modify the fuel model layer 

globally, within a subarea and by using a nonzero raster.

Exercise 4-24: Globally update a fuel model—

In this exercise fuel model 183 will be globally updated with fuel model 8.

1. Click the Modify Grid Values button on the ArcFuels toolbar to open the 

form (fig. 4-71).

Figure 4-71—Modify Grid Values form set up to replace fuel model 183 with fuel model 8 across 

the whole landscape.

Table 4-2—Description flame length and rate of spread 

changes with increasing midflame wind speed calculated 

with the Behave Calculator within ArcFuels

Midflame wind speed Flame length Rate of spread 

Miles per hour Feet Chains/hour

0 0.6 0.4

2 1.1 1.3

4 1.6 2.8

6 2.1 4.7

8 2.5 6.9

10 2.8 9.3

Note: one chain = 66 ft.

The Modify Grid 

Values form can be 

used to rapidly update 

grid values for the 

entire extent or within 

specified regions using 

another grid as a mask. 

The output grid can be 

the extent of the input 

or a smaller userdefined area.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

a. Layer to Modify: select lf_fbfm40 from the drop-down list.

b. Data type of output grid: select the radio button next to Integer.

c. Replace “183” with “8” by typing the values in the appropriate boxes and 

then click Add to List> to move the change to the Values to Modify box. 

i. To remove values from the list, click on the one you would like to 

remove to highlight it and then click Remove from List. 

d. Select the radio button to the left of Apply to all pixels.

e. The output boundaries are based on: select the radio button to the left 

of Grid Layer and then select lfrr_fbfm40 from the drop-down list.

f. Target Folder: using the navigation button, select the outputs folder 

(this is the default). 

g. Grid Name: type “fml_183_8” in the text box.

h. Click the Create Grid button and then Close once ArcFuels has completed processing.

2. The modified grid will automatically be added to your ArcMap and will 

show up under a new subheading entitled Modified Results (fig. 4-72).

A B Fuel Model

8

91

93

99

101

102

121

122

142

161

162

163

165

181

182

184

185

186

188

183

Figure 4-72—The original LANDFIRE fuel model grid (A) and the modified fuel model 

grid where fuel model 183 was universally changed to fuel model 8 (B).
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TIP: ArcFuels will not let you proceed if you forget 

to add your changes to the list by clicking the Add to 

List> (fig. 4-73).

Figure 4-73—Warning window 

alerting you that you did not 

enter values to modify the grid.

Figure 4-74—Modify Grid Values form set up to replace fuel model 165 with fuel model 5 in a 

smaller subarea.

Exercise 4-25: Globally update a fuel model and clip the extent—

This example will demonstrate how to update the fuel model in a smaller subarea, 

and only export the newly created grid to that extent. This tool will always output 

the rectangular extent of the smaller subarea grid used, even if it is not rectangular.

1. Click the Modify Grid Values button on the ArcFuels toolbar to open the 

form (fig. 4-74).

a. Layer to Modify: select lf_fbfm40 from the drop-down list.

b. Data type of output grid: select the radio button next to Integer.

c. Replace “165” with “5” by typing the values in the appropriate boxes 

and then click Add to List> to move the change to the Values to 

Modify box. 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

d. Select the radio button to the left of Apply to all pixels.

e. The output boundaries are based on: select the radio button to the left 

of Grid Layer and then select subarea from the drop-down list.

f. Target Folder: using the navigation button, select the outputs folder 

(this should be the default). 

g. Grid Name: type “fml_sub_165_5” in the text box.

h. Click the Create Grid button and then Close once ArcFuels has completed processing.

i. Look at the new fuel model grid (fig. 4-75) to see the change and 

smaller extent.

TIP: ArcFuels will ask if you want 

to overwrite an existing grid data 

set before proceeding if you forget 

to change the Grid Name or want to 

replace an existing grid (fig. 4-76).

Figure 4-75—Modified fuel model grid for a smaller subarea.

Figure 4-76—Warning window alerting that 

you did not create a new grid name.

Fuel Model

91

93

99

101

102

121

122

142

161

162

185

186

188

183

5
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Exercise 4-26: Update fuel models only within a recent fire—

This example will demonstrate how to update the fuel model within a recent fire 

boundary only and still output a grid of the full extent. The fuel model changes are 

hypothetical and are used to demonstrate how to modify multiple fuel models in a 

single step.

1. Click the Modify Grid Values button on the ArcFuels toolbar to open the 

form (fig. 4-77).

a. Layer to Modify: select lf_fbfm40 from the drop-down list.

b. Data type of output grid: select the radio button next to Integer.

c. Replace “161”, “165”, “183”, “185”, and “188” with “181” by typing the 

values in the appropriate text boxes and then clicking Add to List> to 

move the change to the Values to Modify box for each. Repeat the steps 

to change “102” and “122” to “101.”

d. Select the radio button to the left of Apply to selected (nonzero) pixels 

in layer: and then select fire from the drop-down list.

Figure 4-77—Modify Grid Values form set up to replace fuel models to represent changes from a 

recent wildfire.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

e. The output boundaries are based on: select the radio button to the left 

of Grid Layer and then select lf_fbfm40 from the drop-down list.

f. Target Folder: using the navigation button, select the outputs folder 

(this should be the default). 

g. Grid Name: type “fml_fire” in the text box.

h. Click the Create Grid button and then Close once ArcFuels has completed processing.

i. Look at the new fuel model layer to verify that the changes were only 

made within the fire (fig. 4-78).

NOTE: If you want to get the full picture of how treatments or a recent fire will 

affect modeled fire behavior, you will also need to change canopy characteristics; 

changing just the fuel models is an effective method for exploring changes in 

surface fire flame length, rate of spread, etc.

Fuel Model

91

93

99

101

102

121

122

142

161

162

163

165

181

182

183

184

185

186

188

Figure 4-78—Modified fuel model grid where the fuel models were only updated 

within a recent fire.
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Conversion

Exercises 4-27 through 4-31 will demonstrate how to single and batch convert 

ASCII files to grids, XY text files to shapefiles, and how to export the attributes of a 

shapefile to Excel.

Exercise 4-27: Convert a single ASCII file to a grid—

In this exercise, a no-treatment burn probability ASCII created in FlamMap will be 

converted to a grid.

1. Click the Conversion button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Convert 

Ascii to Grid from the drop-down list (fig. 4-79).

a. Ascii Grid File: navigate to and select the NOTRT_BP.asc file located 

in the data folder.

b. Target Folder: navigate to and select the outputs folder 

(this is the default).

c. Grid Name: type “notrt_bp” in the text box.

d. Data type: select the radio button to the left of Floating point. Floating 

point was selected because burn probability is a value between 0 and 1. 

If integer was selected the converted grid would have a value of 0.

e. Spatial Reference: select NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_11N from the dropdown list.

f. Check the box to the left of Add Grid to Map.

g. Click OK.

Figure 4-79—Convert Ascii Grid File form set up to convert a no-treat burn probability file.

The ASCII conversion 

forms allow a user to 

rapidly post-process 

many of the FlamMap 

outputs.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

2. When the conversion is done, the form will automatically close. The converted grid (fig. 4-80) will be added to the ArcMap table of contents under a 

new grouping named Conversion Results.

Figure 4-80—No-treatment burn probability grid 

modeled in FlamMap3 using an FVS-derived LCP.

TIP: Although ASCII file types 

can have more than 13 characters, 

grid names cannot. Additionally, do 

not use any or special characters in 

your grid name other than underscores and no spaces. ArcFuels will 

not convert the ASCII files if either 

of these are the case (fig. 4-81).

Burn probability

High : 0.462

Low : 0

Figure 4-81—Warning window when the grid name 

is too long. 
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

Exercise 4-28: Batch convert ASCII files to grids—

In this exercise, both no-treatment and treated burn probability ASCII files will be 

converted to grids at the same time. Unlike with the single conversion option, the 

files are automatically output into the same folder as the input data.

1. Click the Conversion button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Batch 

Convert Ascii to Grid from the drop-down list (fig. 4-82).

Figure 4-82—Convert Ascii Grid Files form set up to convert no-treatment 

and treated burn probability files.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

a. Click the Select first file... button and navigate to the NOTRT_BP.asc

file in the data folder. 

b. Folder containing the ascii grid files: this will autopopulate once the 

first ASCII file is selected.

c. Select additional files to be converted...: double-click on TRT66_

BP.asc to move it over to the Grid ascii files to be converted box.

i. The Select additional files to be converted... box will have all the 

*.asc and *.txt files in the same folder as the first file selected.

ii. If a file is accidentally moved over, click on it to highlight it, and 

then click the Remove File button to remove it from the list of files 

to be converted.

d. Data type: select the radio button to the left of Floating point.

e. Spatial Reference: select NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_11N from the dropdown list.

f. Check the box to the left of Add Grid to Map.

g. Click the Convert Files button.

h. When the conversion is complete a window 

will open telling you so (fig. 4-83). Click 

OK to close the window, then click Close 

to close the form and look at the converted 

files in ArcMap.

NOTE: Batch converted files end up in the same folder as the ASCII files.

TIP: You would not want to batch convert burn probability and crown fire 

activity together as integers because it is important to maintain the data to the 

right of the decimal point for burn probability and not for crown fire activity. If 

you import burn probability as an integer grid, it will be output as a grid with a 

zero value.

TIP: If ArcFuels will not let you move one of your ASCII files from the left 

window into the right because the name is too long, you need to close the form 

and rename the file with a shorter name OR use the single Convert Ascii to Grid

form to complete the conversion.

Figure 4-83—Successful conversion of file.
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Exercise 4-29: Convert a single XY file to a shapefile—

In this exercise, a list of centroid points (geometric center) for each stand in the Mt. 

Emily area will be converted to a shapefile.

1. Click the Conversion button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Convert 

XY Text to Shapefile from the drop-down list (fig. 4-85).

TIP: If the grid already exists in the 

folder you are trying to convert to, a 

warning window (fig. 4-84) will open 

asking if you would like to replace the 

existing grid.

Figure 4-84—Replace existing grid 

warning window.

Figure 4-85—Convert XY File form set up to convert a text list of stand centroid points to a shapefile.

a. XY Text File: navigate to and select the StandXY.txt file in the data 

folder.

b. X and Y column names: select the radio button to the left of X, Y.

c. Spatial Reference: select NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_11N from the dropdown list.

d. Check the box to the left of Add Shape File to Map.

e. Click OK.

The XY file conversion 

forms can be used to 

quickly convert and 

add point location data 

to ArcMap.
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f. When the conversion is complete, the form will close and the shapefile 

will be placed under the Conversion Results grouping in the ArcMap 

table of contents.

TIP: The Convert XY Text to Shapefile and Batch 

Convert XY Text to Shapefile forms can be used 

only with files that are delaminated with commas 

(fig. 4-86), not tabs.

Figure 4-86—Comma 

separated text file for 

conversion to shapefile.

Exercise 4-30: Batch convert XY text files to shapefiles—

In this exercise, two additional XY text files will be batch converted to shapefiles. 

This includes a hypothetical single-fire ignition point and multiple randomly located 

fire ignition points. 

1. Click the Conversion button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Batch 

Convert XY Text to Shapefile from the drop-down list (fig. 4-87). 

a. Click the Select first file... button and navigate to the Random_ignition_points.txt file in the data folder. 

b. Folder containing the ascii grid files: this will autopopulate once the 

first text file is selected.

c. Select additional files to be converted...: double-click on SW_ignition_

point.txt to move it over to the XY test files to be converted box.

i. The Select additional files to be converted... box will have all the 

*.txt files in the same folder as the first file selected.

ii. If a file is accidentally moved over, click on it to highlight it, and 

then click Remove File to remove it from the list of files to be converted.

d. X and Y column names: select the radio button to the left of XPos, 

YPos.

e. Spatial Reference: select NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_11N from the dropdown list.
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f. Check the box to the left of Add Shape File to Map.

g. Click the Convert Files button.

h. When the conversion is complete, a window will open telling you so. 

Click OK to close the window, then click Close to close the form and 

look at the converted files in ArcMap.

Figure 4-87—Convert XY File form set up to convert the remaining XY text 

files to shapefiles.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Exercise 4-31: Copy shapefile attributes to spreadsheet—

This tool allows the attributes table information from a shapefile to be directly 

exported into Excel. 

1. Click the Conversion button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Copy 

Attributes to Spreadsheet from the drop-down list (fig. 4-89).

a. Feature Layer: select mt_emily_stands from the drop-down list. 

b. Spreadsheet: navigate to the outputs folder and name the file “mt_

emily_stands_attributes.”

c. Click OK. The Excel workbook will open. Click Yes if you get a 

Microsoft Windows warning window. 

Figure 4-89—Attributes to Spreadsheet form set up to copy the attributes of the Mt. Emily stand 

polygon layer to an Excel workbook.

TIP: If the file(s) has already been converted 

you will get a series of error message (fig. 4-88) 

and ArcFuels will not convert the file(s).

Figure 4-88—Error window when trying to 

convert to a shapefile that already exists. 
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Introduction to the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS)

This section is meant to be a brief introduction to FVS and FFE-FVS. For more 

thorough tutorials, webinars, and information about FVS training courses, please 

visit the FVS Web page (http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/training/index.shtml).

The Forest Vegetation Simulator typically is run through the Suppose graphical 

user interface (http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/suppose.php) with specific 

text file inputs. However, FVS has also been linked to other software such as 

Access. ArcFuels has leveraged these links and created a different interface for running FVS with a spatial component. The ArcFuels interface and tutorials are found 

in the ArcFuels Tools section of this User Guide and Tutorial. A Suppose tutorial 

will not be included; rather, the User Guide and Tutorial includes general information about FVS and FFE-FVS.

FVS Program Overview

The Forest Vegetation Simulator is an individual tree, distance independent, growth 

and yield model that is used to model forest stand dynamics overtime (Crookston 

and Dixon 2005). The FVS is used extensively in the United States by federal 

agencies, private landholders, and universities. The FVS and the available extensions (see below for a complete list) are used to summarize current stand conditions, 

model future stand conditions, simulate silvicultural prescriptions including costs 

associated, model fuel treatment prescriptions, model wildfire events, determine 

suitability of wildlife habitat, estimate insect hazard, predict change under future 

climate scenarios, and much more. 

Within FVS, the stand is the basic unit of management; however, many thousands of stands can be run through the model. Tree growth and mortality can be run 

hundreds of years into the future with FVS (the limit in ArcFuels is 49 years).

The FVS starts by reading stand and tree data, then calibrates based on the 

input data and reports on initial conditions (i.e., tree density, fuel loading, etc.) for 

each stand (fig. 5-1). Next, treatment prescriptions or other management activities 

are read into the program and applied at the appropriate time. The stand is grown 

forward accounting for mortality and regeneration. Metrics related to the treatments 

applied and stand structure information are output. If more than one stand is run 

through FVS, this process repeats until all stands have been simulated.

Chapter 5

The FVS and the 

available extensions 

are used to 

summarize current 

stand conditions, 

model future 

stand conditions, 

simulate silvicultural 

prescriptions including 

costs associated, 

model fuel treatment 

prescriptions, model 

wildfire events, 

determine suitability 

of wildlife habitat, 

estimate insect 

hazard, predict change 

under future climate 

scenarios, and much 

more.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

FVS Extensions

In addition to the FVS base model, there are many extensions available for use with 

FVS. The extensions include:

• Cover and shrubs

• Economics extension

• Regeneration and establishment

• Fire and fuels extension (FFE)

• Parallel processing extension (PPE)

• Douglas-fir beetle

• Douglas-fir tussock moth

• Dwarf mistletoe

• Mountain pine beetle

• White pine blister rust impact

• Western root disease

• Western spruce budworm

• Climate extension

Figure 5-1—Simplified FVS 

program flow for a FFE-FVS 

fuel treatment run.
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The only extensions available for all variants (described below) are the economics extension and the fire and fuels extension. The ArcFuels User Guide and 

Tutorial only includes the use of the fire and fuels extension. To learn more about 

the other extensions go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/whatis/index.shtml. 

FVS Variants

Tree growth, mortality, and volume equations differ within FVS based on the 

dominant tree species within 20 regions of the United States (fig. 5-2). Each of these 

regions is called a variant. Within each variant, only specific tree species, habitat 

types, dominant vegetation groups, etc. are available and applicable. In addition to 

unique growth, mortality, and volume equations within FVS, equations specific to 

extensions differ. For example, in FFE moderate and extreme fuel moisture conditions differ among variants to best represent the fire environment for the geographic 

location. 

The demonstration data included with the ArcFuels download includes the Blue 

Mountain (BM) variant. Before working with your FVS data in ArcFuels, be sure to 

download the proper variant file. 

Figure 5-2—Map of FVS variants from the FVS Web page http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/whatis/index.shtml. 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

FVS Input Data

FVS data sources—

FVS requires information about the stand and/or plot and the trees within. At a 

minimum, stand information must include a unique identifier, the area of the stand, 

the inventory year, topographic information (slope, aspect, elevation), inverse plot 

size (for smaller trees), the diameter at breast height (DBH) breakpoint between 

small and large trees, basal area factor, and the number of plots. Plot information 

includes the same, minus the number of plots. Tree information must include a 

unique identifier, species, DBH, history (live or dead code), and number of trees 

represented by the species-DBH-mortality combination. However, the more information supplied, the more accurate the modeled outputs will be. For a full list of all 

the input data possible, see the FVS Essentials Guide (Dixon 2003). 

Data can be obtained through Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) and the FSVeg 

database for national forest lands (http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/data.

shtml), or field inventory. 

FVS database table linkages—

An example database has been supplied with the demonstration data (Example_

FVS_input_database.mdb) that includes both the FSVeg data tables and additional 

tables for the minimum data required. For more information see the Creating your 

own FVS database portion of the Running ArcFuels With Your Data section of 

the User Guide and Tutorial.

Example FVS keywords for fuel treatments—

A keyword system is used to communicate the information to be used by FVS 

as well as determine the treatment prescriptions and outputs to be generated. A 

single keyword record consists of the keyword itself and the associated parameters. 

Multiple keywords can be strung together in a KCP file. Suppose (the FVS GUI 

interface) can be used to generate the keyword files needed or the supplied KCP 

files can be altered with a text editing program.

There are some rules to creating keyword files that need to be known. The 

keyword always begins in the first column of the keyword record and up to seven 

additional parameter fields on the record may be used. The number is dependent 

on the keyword itself. Each parameter field consists of 10 columns. Depending on 

the type (alphabetic or numeric) or if a decimal point is included, the location of the 

parameter matters within the 10-column field. If integer values are used (no period), 

they must be right-justified. 

A few useful FVS keywords for fuel treatments are described below for demonstration purposes. Users should read the FVS Keyword Guide (Van Dyck and 

At a minimum, stand 

information must 

include a unique 

identifier, the area of 

the stand, the inventory 

year, topographic 

information, inverse 

plot size, the diameter 

at breast height 

breakpoint between 

small and large trees, 

basal area factor, and 

the number of plots. 

Tree information must 

include a unique 

identifier, species, 

DBH, history, and 

number of trees 

represented by the 

species-DBH-mortality 

combination.
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Smith-Mateja 2000), FFE-FVS Manual (Rebain 2010), and FVS Event Monitor 

Guide (Crookston 1990) for a complete explanation. 

Thinning keywords—

THINSDI thins to a stand density index (SDI) target. In the example below, all 

species in the stand were thinned from below to 35 percent of the residual SDI and 

the cutting efficiency is 90 percent with no diameter limits.

THINSDI 2000 . 35 0.90 0 0 999.0 1

THINBBA thins from below to a desired basal area. In the example below, all 

species in the stand were thinned from below in 2000 to 150 ft2

/ac throughout all 

diameter and height ranges at 95 percent efficiency. 

ThinBBA 2000 150 0.95 0 999.0 0 999.0

SPECPREF sets a removal preference, by species, for subsequent simulated thinning. This affects the order in which trees are selected for removal when a harvest 

is implemented. Positive values favor removal and negative values favor retention. 

For example, the keyword set below sets a removal priority to three tree species. 

These priorities favor retention of ponderosa pine (PP), Douglas-fir (DF), and 

western larch (WL) whenever a thinning is implemented. The retention priorities 

are weighted such that PP is most heavily favored for retention, followed by DF, 

followed by WL. 

SPECPREF 0 PP - 100

SPECPREF 0 DF -50

SPECPREF 0 WL -20

FFE specific keywords—

FMIN signals the start of the FFE keywords and END signals the end of the FFE 

keywords. All other FFE keywords must appear between the FMIN-END pair. You 

may code several FMIN-END pairs and you may have one or many FFE keywords 

between each pair.

FUELMOVE keyword moves dead and downed fuel between fuel size classes to 

simulate fuel treatments. The following set of FUELMOVE keywords removes 

from the stand 90 percent of fuels from size classes 3, 4, and 5 in 2002. 

FUELMOVE 2002 3 0 0 0.9 999 0

FUELMOVE 2002 4 0 0 0.9 999 0

FUELMOVE 2002 5 0 0 0.9 999 0

MOISTURE is used to set the moisture levels for each fuel size class. If this 

keyword is used, the user must specify moisture levels for all size classes (there 

are no defaults). When the MOISTURE keyword is used, it overrides the moisture 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

category from the SIMFIRE keyword. In the example below, the fuel moisture 

is set for 2007. One-hr fuel moisture is 3 percent, 10-hr is 4 percent, 100-hr is 6 

percent, 1000-hr is 7 percent, duff is 20 percent, live herbaceous is 60 percent, and 

live woody is 90 percent.

MOISTURE 2007 3 4 6 7 20 60 90

SIMFIRE signals that a fire and its effects should be simulated. The following 

SIMFIRE keyword invokes a fall fire in 2003, with dry fuel conditions, 8 mph 

windspeed, and air temperature of 70  ̊F where the whole stand is burned and 

mortality is calculated. 

SIMFIRE 2003 8 1 70 1 100 4

Other useful keywords—

COMPUTE allows you to define up to 200 variables expressed as functions of 

Event Monitor variables, constants, and variables previously defined using the 

COMPUTE feature. The COMPUTE option can be scheduled for specific years, 

and the value of variables may depend on an event.

SPMCDBH returns to the user one of the following: trees per acre, basal area, total 

cubic volume, merchantable cubic foot volume, total board foot volume, quadratic 

mean diameter, average height, percentage of cover, average mistletoe rating, 

stand density index, species-specific average diameter growth per acre, tree value 

class, tree status, or range of diameter and height. The example below returns the 

quadratic mean diameter of recent mortality trees that are at least 10 in DBH and at 

least 40 ft tall.

SPMCDBH(5,0,0,10,999,40,999,1)

FVS Output Description and Units

ArcFuels has many hardwired keywords included in every FVS simulation. Some of 

these can be turned on or turned off by setting the FVS options within the appropriate form. For more information about the forms and options, see the ArcFuels Tools

section. Tables 5-1 through 5-10 contain all the output units for hardwired results 

tables from FVS runs. For units specific to other keywords, see the FVS literature. 

ArcFuels has many 

hardwired keywords 

included in every FVS 

simulation. Some of 

these can be turned on 

or turned off by setting 

the FVS options within 

the appropriate form.
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Table 5-1—Output units for the FVS_Cases table

Metric Description Units

Stand_CN Stand_CN from FVS database n/a

StandID Stand ID from FVS database n/a

MgmtID Management ID from FVS database n/a

KeywordFile Location of output keyword file n/a

SamplingWt Area of stand-from FVS database ac

Variant FVS variant used n/a

RunDateTime Time and date of FVS run n/a

Table 5-2—Output units for the FVS_Summary table

Metric Description Units

Age Stand age yr

Tpa Tree density trees/ac

BA Basal area ft

2

/ac

SDI Stand density index n/a

CCF Crown competition factor percent

TopHt Top height ft

QMD Quadratic mean diameter in

TCuFt Total cubic feet ft

3

/ac

MCuFt Merchantable cubic feet ft

3

/ac

BdFt Board foot volume n/a

RTpa Tree density removed trees/ac

RTCuFt Total cubic feet removed ft

3

/ac

RMCuFt Merchantable cubic feet removed ft

3

/ac

RBdFt Total board feet removed n/a

ATBA Basal area, after treatment ft

2

/ac

ATSDI Stand density index, after treatment n/a

ATCCF Crown competition factor, after treatment percent

ATTopHt Top height, after treatment ft

ATQMD Quadratic mean diameter, after treatment inches

PrdLen Period length years

Acc Accretion ft

3

/ac/yr

Mort Mortality ft

3

/ac/yr

MAI Stand mean annual increment n/a

ForTyp Forest type n/a

SizeCls Stand size class n/a

StkCls Stand stocking class n/a
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Table 5-3—Output units for the FVS_StrClass (structure class) table

Metric Description Units

Removal_Code Removal code n/a

Stratum_X_DBH Nominal diameter at breast height, Stratum X in

Stratum_X_Nom_Ht Height of the tallest tree, Stratum X ft

Stratum_X_Lg_Ht Nominal height of trees, Stratum X ft

Stratum_X_Sm_Ht Height of the shortest tree, Stratum X ft

Stratum_X_Crown_Base Canopy base height, Stratum X ft

Stratum_X_Crown_Cover Canopy cover, Stratum X percent

Stratum_X_Species_X Primary species, Stratum X n/a

Stratum_X_Species_2 Secondary species, Stratum X n/a

Stratum_X_Status_Code Status, Stratum X n/a

Number_of_Strata Number of valid strata n/a

Total_Cover Total canopy cover in all strata percent

Structure_Class Structure class: ground (BG), stand initiation (SI), n/a

stem exclusion (SE), understory reinitiation (UR),

young forest multistrata (YM), old forest single

stratum (OS), or old forest multistrata (OM)
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Table 5-4—Output units for the FVS_Fuels table

Metric Description Units

Surface_Litter Litter fuel load ton/ac

Surface_Duff Duff fuel load ton/ac

Surface_lt3 Small surface fuel (1, 10, 100-hr, less than 3 in diameter) load ton/ac

Surface_ge3 Large surface fuel (1000-hr, greater or equal to 3 in diameter) load ton/ac

Surface_3to6 Large surface fuel (3 to 6 in diameter) load ton/ac

Surface_6to12 Large surface fuel (6 to 12 in diameter) load ton/ac

Surface_ge12 Large surface fuel (greater or equal to 12 in diameter) load ton/ac

Surface_Herb Herbaceous fuel load ton/ac

Surface_Shrub Shrub fuel load ton/ac

Surface_Total Total fuel load (surface, herb, and shrub) ton/ac

Standing_Snag_lt3 Standing dead fuels (snags and branches) less than 3 in diameter ton/ac

Standing_Snag_ge3 Standing dead fuels (snags and branches) greater or equal to 3 in diameter ton/ac

Standing_Foliage Standing live tree foliage ton/ac

Standing_Live_lt3 Standing live trees (bole and branches) less than 3 in diameter ton/ac

Standing_Live_ge3 Standing live trees (bole and branches) greater or equal to 3 in diameter ton/ac

Standing_Total Total standing fuel mass (live and dead) ton/ac

Total_Biomass Total of all standing wood and surface fuels ton/ac

Total_Consumed Total amount of fuel consumed (does not include live trees) ton/ac

Biomass_Removed Total harvested wood (live and dead), and surface fuels removed via FUELMOVE ton/ac
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Table 5-5—Output units for the FVS_PotFire (potential fire behavior) table

Metric Description Units

Surf_Flame_Sev Surface fire flame length, severe conditions ft

Surf_Flame_Mod Surface fire flame length, moderate conditions ft

Tot_Flame_Sev Surface and/or crown fire flame length, severe conditions ft

Tot_Flame_Mod Surface and/or crown fire flame length, moderate conditions ft

Fire_Type_Sev Fire type severe condition: surface, passive or active crown fire n/a

Fire_Type_Mod Fire type moderate condition: surface, passive or active crown fire n/a

PTorch_Sev Probability of torching; moderate condition n/a

PTorch_Mod Probability of torching, severe condition n/a

Torch_Index Torching index, 20ft wind speed required to cause torching of some mph 

 trees, severe condition

Crown_Index Crowing index, 20ft wind speed required to cause active crown mph

 fire, severe condition

Canopy_Ht Canopy height ft

Canopy_Density Canopy bulk density kg/m3

Mortality_BA_Sev Total basal area killed, severe condition ft

2

/ac

Mortality_BA_Mod Total basal area killed, moderate condition ft

2

/ac

Mortality_VOL_Sev Total tree volume killed, severe condition ft

3

/ac

Mortality_VOL_Mod Total tree volume killed, moderate condition ft

3

/ac

Pot_Smoke_Sev Smoke produced, particles greater than 2.5 microns, severe condition ton/ac

Pot_Smoke_Mod Smoke produced, particles greater than 2.5 microns, moderate condition ton/ac

Fuel_ModX Fire behavior fuel model X selection n/a

Fuel_WtX Fire behavior fuel model X weight percent

Table 5-6—Output units for the FVS_Compute table

Metric Description Units

SEV_FLAM Flame length, severe condition ft

MOD_FLAM Flame length, moderate condition ft

CANOPY Canopy cover percent

FML Fuel model n/a

HTT Canopy height ft

HTLIVE Canopy base height ft

CBD Canopy bulk density kg/m3

YR Simulation year n/a

Note: This is a table specific to ArcFuels that contains some potential fire behavior information and 

data required to build landscape files.
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Table 5-7—Output units for the FVS_BurnReport table (produced only when a 

fire is simulated)

Metric Description Units

One_Hr_Moisture 1-hr time lag fuel moisture percent

Ten_Hr_Moisture 10-hr time lag fuel moisture percent

Hundred_Hr_Moisture 100-hr time lag fuel moisture percent

Thousand_Hr_Moisture 1,000-hr time lag fuel moisture percent

Duff_Moisture Duff moisture percent

Live_Woody_Moisture Live woody plant moisture percent

Live_Herb_Moisture Live herbaceous plant moisture percent

Midflame_Wind Midflame wind speed based on 20 ft mph

 wind input and canopy cover

Slope Slope of the stand percent

Flame_length Flame length used to calculate mortality ft

Scorch_height Scorch height based on the flame length ft

Fire_Type Fire type: surface fire, passive crown fire, n/a

 or active crown fire

FuelModlX Fire behavior fuel model X selection n/a

WeightX Fire behavior fuel model X weight percent

Table 5-8—Output units for the FVS_Consumption table (fuel consumption from fire, produced 

only when a fire is simulated)

Metric Description Units

Min_Soil_Exp Mineral soil exposure percent

Litter_Consumption Litter consumed ton/ac

Duff_Consumption Duff consumed ton/ac

Consumption_lt3 1, 10, and 100-hr fuels consumed ton/ac

Consumption_ge3 Large surface fuels (greater or equal to 3 in diameter) ton/ac

 consumed in the simulated fire

Consumption_3to6 Large surface fuels (3 to 6 in diameter) consumed ton/ac

Consumption_6to12 Large surface fuels (6 to 12 in diameter) consumed ton/ac

Consumption_ge12 Large surface fuels (greater or equal to 12 in diameter) ton/ac

 consumed

Consumption_Herb_Shrub Herbs and shrubs consumed ton/ac

Consumption_Crowns Tree crowns consumed from scorching ton/ac

Total_Consumption Total all fuel types consumed ton/ac

Percent_Consumption_Duff Duff consumed percent

Percent_Consumption_ge3 Large surface fuels greater or equal to 3 in diameter) percent

 consumed

Percent_Trees_Crowning Crown fraction burned: surface fire = 0; active crown percent

 fire = 100; passive crown fire is between 0 and 100

Smoke_Production_25 Smoke produced, particles greater than 2.5 ton/ac

 microns (PM2.5)

Smoke_Production_10 Smoke produced, particles greater than 10 ton/ac

 microns (PM10)
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Table 5-9—Output units for the FVS_Mortality table (tree mortality from fire, produced 

only when a fire is simulated)

Metric Description Units

Species Two letter tree species code n/a

Killed_class1 Trees killed by fire in class 1 (default 0 to 5 in DBH) trees/ac

Total_class1 Trees before fire in class 1 (default 0 to 5 in DBH) trees/ac

Killed_class2 Trees killed by fire in class 2 (default 5 to 10 in DBH) trees/ac

Total_class2 Trees before fire in class 2 (default 5 to 10 in DBH) trees/ac

Killed_class3 Trees killed by fire in class 3 (default 10 to 20 in DBH) trees/ac

Total_class3 Trees before fire in class 3 (default 10 to 20 in DBH) trees/ac

Killed_class4 Trees killed by fire class 4 (default 20 to 30 in DBH) trees/ac

Total_class4 Trees before fire in class 4 (default 20 to 30 in DBH) trees/ac

Killed_class5 Trees killed by fire in class 5 (default 30 to 40 in DBH) trees/ac

Total_class5 Trees before fire in class 5 (default 30 to 40 in DBH) trees/ac

Killed_class6 Trees killed by fire in class 6 (default 40 to 50 in DBH) trees/ac

Total_class6 Trees before fire in class 6 (default 40 to 50 in DBH) trees/ac

Killed_class7 Trees killed by fire in class 7 (default greater or equal to 50 in DBH) trees/ac

Total_class7 Trees before fire in class 7 (default greater or equal to 50 in DBH) trees/ac

Bakill Total basal area killed by fire ft

2

/ac

Volkill Total tree volume killed by fire ft

3

/ac

Note: DBH=diameter at breast height

Table 5-10—Output units for the FVS_Carbon and FVS_Hrv_Carbon (harvested) 

carbon (C) tables

Metric Description Units

Aboveground_Total_Live Total aboveground live tree C ton/ac

Aboveground_Merch_Live Total aboveground merchantable tree C ton/ac

Belowground_Live Total belowground live C (roots) ton/ac

Belowground_Dead Total belowground dead C (roots) ton/ac

Standing_Dead Total aboveground dead tree C ton/ac

Forest_Down_Dead_Wood Total down dead woody fuel (1, 10, 100, 1,000-hr) C ton/ac

Forest_Floor Total litter and duff C ton/ac

Forest_Shrub_Herb Total herb and shrub C ton/ac

Total_Stand_Carbon Total stand C—all live and dead pools ton/ac

Total_Removed_Carbon Total C removed by treatment ton/ac

Carbon_Released_From_Fire C in fuel consumed by fire ton/ac

Products Merchantable C stored in products ton/ac

Landfill Merchantable C stored in landfills ton/ac

Energy Merchantable C emitted with energy capture ton/ac

Emissions Merchantable C emitted without energy capture ton/ac

Merch_Carbon_Stored Merchantable C stored—products and landfill ton/ac

Merch_Carbon_Removed Merchantable C removed ton/ac
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Using the FVS Parallel Processing Extension (PPE)

The FVS Parallel Processing Extension (PPE) (Crookston and Stage 1991) is a 

useful extension for landscape planning with FVS. It simulates multiple stands in 

a parallel fashion, i.e., the simulation is completed for all stands each time period 

before cycling to the next time period. The PPE can model multiple, spatially 

explicit treatment constraints and priorities at the stand scale for a given landscape. 

For example, suppose a comparison is desired of two treatment strategies, 

one in which stands are selected for treatment based on their tree density, and one 

based on proximity to structures. Suppose also that six treatment levels are desired 

where 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 percent of the landscape is treated. These scenarios 

are simulated with the MSPOLICY keyword to set the priority treatment variable and the total treatment constraint. The priority variable can be an FVS event 

monitor variable or a variable read from the stand database. Sample priority data 

are included in the stand database in the homedens field. To read the variable into 

an FVS run, add the ReadVariablesFromStandDatabase.kcp file in the PPE folder in 

the KCP folder within the programs folder of the demonstration data. The KCP file 

reads the homedens variable from the stand input table and sets an FVS compute 

table equal to the variable. The contents of the file are as follows:

Database

DSNIN

C:\arcfuels\data\Mt_Emily_Database.mdb

SQLIN 1

SELECT homedens FROM stands

WHERE stand_cn = ‘percentstand_cn percent’

EndSQL

The subsequent commands make a compute variable to echo the database contents 

into the FVS output database.

COMPUTE 0

hdens = homedens

END

On the ArcFuels Simulate Landscape Treatments form, enter “hdens” into the 

priority text box and set the proportion to 0.2. With the number of stands set to 200, 

click the Run PPE button. The resulting run will treat 20 percent of the landscape 

(about 200 stands) and prioritize the treatments according to the distance to homes. 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

To use an event monitor variable as the treatment priority, declare the variable 

in a COMPUTE variable, i.e., make a new variable and set it equal to a predefined 

FVS event monitor variable. The statement below defines and sets the variable 

CBSDI to the values of the FVS variable BSDI, which is the before-thin stand 

density index. 

COMPUTE 0

CBSDI= BSDI

END

It is also possible to create more elaborate treatment priority schemes using 

external programs. Coding a ‘1’ in the last field of the MSPOLICY field instructs 

FVS-PPE to stop execution at each cycle and execute a user-supplied program 

called “computepriority.” FVS-PPE expects this latter program to generate an 

ASCII file containing treatment priorities. Prior to stopping, the user can write the 

current state of FVS variables to an Access database to be read by “computepriority.” An example application of this system can be found in Finney et al. (2007). 
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Introduction to Fire Behavior Modeling With FlamMap3

This section is meant to be a brief introduction FlamMap3. There are many functions within FlamMap3 that will not be discussed. The purpose is to have the user 

gain a foundation in FlamMap3 skills for use with ArcFuels. For more thorough 

tutorials, download the program and help file from the FlamMap3 Web site (http://

www.firemodels.org/index.php/national-systems/flammap). 

FlamMap3 Overview

FlamMap3 (Finney 2006) is a spatially explicit landscape fire behavior mapping 

and modeling system that describes potential fire behavior with a constant fire 

environment (static weather and fuel moisture). The fact that the fire environment 

is held constant makes FlamMap3 the ideal tool for landscape-level fire behavior 

assessment for fuel treatment planning. It is possible to see the effect of changes to 

fuels on fire behavior without the additional unknown of weather effects. 

FlamMap3 has two methods of modeling potential fire behavior: basic fire 

behavior and minimum travel time (MTT) (Finney 2002). In the first type of 

simulation, basic fire behavior is calculated by independently burning each pixel 

on the landscape. Primary modeled outputs include rate of spread, flame length, 

fireline intensity, and crown fire activity. In the second type of simulation, discrete 

wildfire(s) are simulated using the two-dimensional MTT fire growth algorithm. 

Minimum travel time calculations assume independence of fire behavior among 

neighboring cells but are dependent on the ignition locations, resolution of calculations, and simulation time. The MTT algorithm replicates fire growth by Huygens’ 

principle, in which the growth and behavior of the fire edge is modeled as a vector 

or wave front (Knight and Coleman 1993). This method results in less distortion 

of fire shape and response to temporally varying conditions than techniques that 

model fire growth from cell-to-cell on a gridded landscape (Finney 2002). Specifically, a rectangular lattice of a defined resolution (preferably scaled to the input 

data) is used to determine fire spread or travel time between each node (cell size 

based on the input variables), fuel moisture, windspeed, and wind direction. In 

addition to the fire spread, fire behavior is stored for each node (Finney 2002). 

Minimum travel time is determined starting at the ignition location for all adjacent 

nodes until the minimum cumulative travel time is determined. Primary outputs 

for a single fire are rate of spread, arrival time, fire intensity, and flow paths. When 

multiple random fires are ignited, the only output available is burn probability.

Both basic fire behavior and MTT calculations are derived from the same lineage of systems that model one-dimensional behavior as part of a spreading line fire 

Chapter 6

FlamMap3 is a spatially 

explicit landscape 

fire behavior mapping 

and modeling system 

that describes 

potential fire behavior 

with a constant fire 

environment. The 

fact that the fire 

environment is held 

constant makes 

FlamMap3 the ideal 

tool for landscapelevel fire behavior 

assessment for fuel 

treatment planning.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

(Albini 1976; Anderson et al. 1982; Rothermel 1972, 1991; Van Wagner 1977, 1993). 

For more detailed information about the calculations, see the FlamMap3 help guide.

In addition to the fire behavior outputs, FlamMap3 also has the TOM (Finney 

2007). The TOM utilizes MTT fire behavior calculations, predetermined fire ignition (point, line or area), fuel moisture and wind information, and two LCPs. The 

first LCP represents the current conditions, and the second an “ideal” landscape. 

The ideal landscape represents posttreatment conditions, with treatments occurring 

wherever they are possible (not just desired). The TOM then simulates fire across 

both landscapes and places treatment block (user-defined size) in the most optimal 

location to slow fire spread. The output is a treatment grid consisting of 0s and 1s 

with the most optimal treatment pattern given the availability to be treated and the 

proportion of land allowed to be treated. 

As with any modeling system, there are known limitations with FlamMap3 

(Cruz and Alexander 2010). Having an understanding of these limitations is important before using any model.

Input data—

FlamMap3 requires a landscape (LCP) file, fuel moisture file (FMS), and windspeed and wind direction information to run. Additional optional files include 

a custom fuel model file (FMD), wind vector files (direction and speed), foliar 

moisture content, and weather (WTR) and wind (WND) files for fuel moisture 

conditioning.

The LCP is a binary file that contains spatially explicit information about the 

topography and fuel characteristics of a landscape (fig. 6-1). The LCP is composed 

of five layers at a minimum (elevation, slope, aspect, fuel model, and canopy cover) 

and ideally 8 (addition of canopy base height, canopy height, and canopy bulk density), and infrequently 10 (addition of duff loading and course woody fuels). This 

LCP file is identical to the one used in FARSITE. It is possible to create the LCP in 

both FARSITE and FlamMap3, but this will not be discussed. Rather see the section Build FlamMap Landscape to learn how to build the LCP using ArcFuels.

Windspeed and wind direction will depend on the fire scenario desired. Winds 

can blow either uphill (based on the input topographic themes in the LCP) or from a 

set direction (e.g., from the southwest). Windspeed can be selected using a program 

such as FireFamilyPlus (Bradshaw and Tirmenstein 2009) to characterize a given 

percentile condition, or can be determined using expert opinion. To use wind vectors, an external program such as WindNinja (Forthofer et al. 2009) (http://www.

firemodels.org/index.php/research-systems/windninja) needs to be run to create the 

direction and speed ASCII files that FlamMap3 will use to create the wind grids. 
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Because the demonstration data does not contain wind vectors, this will not be 

described; please see the FlamMap3 help guide for more information. The windspeed and direction used in this tutorial are typical of an extreme fire event within 

the Blue Mountains.

Fuel moisture is characterized using the FMS file and foliar moisture value at 

a minimum. Depending on the situation, FMD, WND, and WTR files may also be 

used. Example FMS, WND, and WTR files are supplied with the ArcFuels demonstration data.

The FMS file is an ASCII text file that contains the fuel moisture for 1-hr, 10-hr 

and 100-hr timelag fuel classes as well as live herbaceous and live woody fuels for 

all fuel models present. Foliar moisture is the moisture or water content of conifer 

foliage. For more information about foliar moisture content in North American 

conifers, see Keyes 2006. The optional FMD is an ASCII text file that describes 

custom fuel model(s). The description includes data on fuel loading, surface area 

to volume ratio, fuel bed depth, moisture of extinction, and heat content of live and 

dead fuels. Dead fuel moisture conditioning uses the optional WND and WTR files 

in addition to topography and shading to condition dead fuel moistures. The WND 

file is an ASCII text file including hourly information (by date) on windspeed, wind 

direction, and cloud cover. The WTR file is an ASCII text file containing daily 

maximum and minimum temperate and relative humidity, precipitation duration 

and quantity, and the elevation of the weather observations. The FMS, WND, WTR 

files used in this tutorial are typical of late-season dry fire conditions within the 

Blue Mountains.

Figure 6-1—FlamMap3 LCP file, adapted from Finney 2006.
142

GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

The data needed to build the FMS, WND, and WTR files are most often 

downloaded from remote automated weather stations (RAWS) and processed 

through a program like FireFamilyPlus (Bradshaw and Tirmenstein 2009) (http://

www.firemodels.org/index.php/firefamilyplus-software/firefamilyplus-downloads). 

Once the data is gathered and processed, a text editing program such as NotePad or 

FARSITE can be used to create the files. For more information on the process, read 

Fire Behavior and Effects Assessment: A Guide to Understanding and Creating 

Weather, Wind, and Fuel Moisture Files (http://www.frames.gov/partner-sites/niftt/

training/training-resources/).

Getting Started With FlamMap3

This section and the following tutorial will use the LANDFIRE no-treatment alternative LCP (lf_notreat.lcp) created in Exercise 4-20. Please either do the exercise 

or download the optional exercise outputs (http://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/arcfuels/

downloads.html) if you wish to follow along.

Opening FlamMap3—

FlamMap3 can be opened from within ArcFuels or directly from your computer 

if you have downloaded and installed the program. In ArcFuels, click on the 

Wildfire Models button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select FlamMap3 from 

the drop-down list. This will open the FlamMap3 interface (fig. 6-2). Otherwise, 

Figure 6-2—FlamMap3 interface.
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ArcFuels User Guide and Tutorial: for Use with ArcGIS 9

open FlamMap3 from the shortcut icon on your desktop or from StartAll 

ProgramsFlamMap3 FlamMap3. 

The left pane is called the “tree” pane and the right is the “display” pane (fig. 

6-2). Within the tree pane each “section” is indicated by a diamond to the left of the 

text, and each section can be expanded using the boxed “+” symbol, or collapsed 

using the boxed “-” symbol when there are multiple data layers or options within a 

section.

Loading an LCP file—

There are a three ways to load LCP files into FlamMap3: 

1. Via the main toolbar ThemeFARSITE Landscape File, then navigate to 

a preexisting LCP,

2. Double-click ? No Landscape File in the tree pane, then navigate to a preexisting LCP, or

3. In the tree pane, right-click ? No Landscape FileOpen, then navigate to 

a preexisting LCP.

Load the lf_notreat.lcp file from the outputs folder (C:/arcfuels/outputs). Note 

that there are now more sections in the tree pane. The Themes section includes all 

the layers within the loaded LCP file. FlamMap3 automatically expands this section 

and has the fuel model layer displayed. The layer shown in the display pane is the 

active theme selected, which is indicated by the landscape icon to the left of the 

name; the non-active themes have a magnifying glass to the left (fig. 6-3). To change 

the active theme, click on the magnifying glass or name of the theme you would 

like displayed.

Changing the display and/or units of a theme—

Changing the display and/or unit of a theme is useful for better understanding your 

data. This is most beneficial after completing a FlamMap3 run. 

There are a couple of ways to open the Create/Modify Legend window, which 

is where you can change the display of a theme and also change the units. We will 

use the Fuel Model theme to demonstrate.

1. Right-click on the theme name in the tree pane to open a new menu, then 

select Properties, or

2. Double-click on the theme name in the tree pane, which opens a new 

Legend window (fig. 6-4) and click on the theme name up top.

Open the Create/Modify Legend window (fig. 6-5). There are many parts to 

the window, which are each described as follows:
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

• Theme: this is the theme you are 

changing.

• Units: the available units are listed in 

the drop-down list.

• Decimal Places: the number of decimal places used to categorize and display the data.

• Number of Classes: you can choose 

the number of classes in which you 

would like your data to be displayed.

• Variable Type: this will depend on 

the data type; most will be 

Continuous Scale. 

• Color Ramp: all the options are 

shown in the drop-down list.

Figure 6-4—Legend window for the 

fuel model theme.

Figure 6-3—No-treatment alternative LCP loaded. 
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• Predefined Legend: if there are common preexisting options, they will 

be in the drop-down list. It is also possible to create and save custom 

ones; see the FlamMap3 guide for more information. 

• You can also insert, append, delete and sort classes using the Insert 

Class, Append Class, Delete Class, and Sort Classes buttons.

To make the changes, you must click the Apply button next to the change 

selected and then click OK at the bottom of the screen.

Figure 6-5—Create/Modify Legend window for the fuel model.
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Saving a theme for further mapping and analysis in ArcGIS—

Saving the individual themes is necessary for further mapping and analysis in 

ArcMap. As with changing the display and units, this is more important for fire 

modeled outputs than the input LCP file themes. FlamMap3 has a known bug and 

does not always reopen saved FlamMap3 runs; saving individual themes you would 

like to retain is very important.

To save a theme, right-click on the theme name in the tree pane and then select 

Save As from the new menu. A Save As window will open where you can navigate 

to the location where you would like to save the file, name the file, and choose the 

file type (ASCII, BMP, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG). The default is an ASCII file that 

can be easily converted to a grid using ArcFuels. 

Creating a FlamMap3 run—

There are three ways to start a new run:

1. Via the main toolbar Analysis AreNew Run, 

2. Double-click Runs in the tree pane, or

3. In the tree pane, right-click RunsNew Run.

This will add a New Run theme to the Runs section in the tree pane.

The FlamMap3 Runs window consists of four tabs: Inputs, Fire Behavior 

Outputs, Minimum Travel Time, and Treatment Optimization.

The Inputs tab (fig. 6-6) is where a run can be named, fuel moisture files are 

loaded, wind information is input, canopy characteristics are defined, and fuel 

moisture settings are defined. 

A fuel moisture file must be loaded to run FlamMap3. In addition, if custom 

fuel models are used in the theme, a custom fuel model file must also be used. 

The pencil icon to the right of the files can be used to open a loaded file, verify the 

contents, update the file as needed, and save the file.

Winds can be blowing uphill at a user-defined speed, be out of a set direction 

based on azimuth, or be defined using wind vectors. 

If your landscape file does not have information about the canopy height, 

canopy base height and/or canopy bulk density, you can define a single constant 

value for the entire landscape under the Canopy Characteristics heading. It is 

TIP: If you change the display of a theme using a Predefined Legend the 

data saved will still be continuous, not categorical, however, the units of the 

Predefined Legend will be maintained.

Saving the individual 

themes is necessary 

for further mapping 

and analysis in 

ArcMap.
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recommended that you have spatially explicit information characterizing these 

canopy characteristics for more accurate crown fire behavior modeling. In addition, 

the foliar moisture is set in this section. 

If conditioning the dead fuel moistures, the WND and WRT files need to be 

loaded. Then the conditioning period (days and time) need to be set.

The Fire Behavior Outputs tab (fig. 6-7) is used to calculate the basic fire 

behavior outputs and set the crown fire calculation method and computer memory 

set up for MTT and TOM runs. The number of processors used defaults to the 

number of processors your computer has. The Crown Fire Calculation Method can 

Figure 6-6—Inputs tab for a FlamMap3 run.

The Fire Behavior 

Outputs tab is used 

to calculate the basic 

fire behavior outputs 

and set the crown fire 

calculation method and 

computer memory set 

up for MTT and TOM 

runs.
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be set based on Finney (1998), methods, which are identical to FARSITE, or Scott 

and Reinhardt (2001) methods. When you are using the Finney (1998) method, it is 

recommended that canopy bulk density values derived using a 15 ft running mean 

window (Scott and Reinhardt 2001), as is the case with FFE-FVS, be doubled. The 

other differences have to do with how active and passive crown fire spread are modeled. Active crown fire is reduced to account for spotting being modeled separately 

with the Finney (1998) method and passive crown fire is scaled to the crown 

fraction burned using the Scott and Reinhardt (2001) method. Fire behavior output 

grids are listed and described in table 6-1.

Figure 6-7—Fire Behavior Outputs tab for a FlamMap3 run. 
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The Minimum Travel Time tab (fig. 6-8) is used to calculate the MTT fire 

behavior outputs. Depending on the type of ignition used, a set ignition (created 

within FlamMap3 or in ArcMap and loaded) versus random ignitions, the available 

outputs will differ. When random ignitions are used, only a burn probability grid 

is created, and when a set ignition is used, all other output grids (table 6-2) are 

available except burn probability. The rotation direction for node lattice depends on 

the wind direction specified on the Inputs tab. Resolution of calculations dictates 

how often the calculations are completed, and what the output resolution of the 

grids selected will be. It is advised that the user choose a multiple of the input 

resolution (i.e., if the input grid resolution is 30 m, then choose 30 m, 60 m, 90 

m, etc., for the calculations). Simulation time can be set for a defined time (often 

a single burn period such as 6 hr or 360 min) or left to run until every pixel has 

burned. The interval for the minimum travel paths controls how FlamMap3 outputs 

the major paths.

Table 6-1—Basic fire behavior output grids from FlamMap3

Output grid Possible units Description

Fireline intensity kW/m, BTU/ft/sec Rate of heat energy released per 

 unit time per unit length of fire front

Rate of spread m/min, ft/min, chains/hr Horizontal distance that the 

 flame zone moves per unit of time

Flame length m, ft Distance from the ground at the 

 leading edge of the flame to tip of the flame

Heat/unit area kJ/m2, BTU/ft2 Total amount of heat released per unit 

 area as the flaming front of the fire passes

Horizontal movement m/min, ft/min, chains/hr The rate of spread (slope basis) 

 transformed to a horizontal projection

Midflame windspeed k/hr, mph The speed of the wind measured at the 

 midpoint of the flames

Spread vectors n/a A combination of the Maximum 

 Spread Direction and Rate of Spread 

 grids displayed as an arrow

Crown fire activity categorical Fire type: 0 = no fire; 1 = surface fire; 

 2 = passive crown fire; 3 = active crown fire

Solar radiation W/m2 The amount of sunlight exposed to the fuels

1-hr fuel moisture fraction Moisture content of 1-hr timelag fuels (fuels 

 smaller than 1⁄4 in in diameter including the 

 litter layer)

10-hr fuel moisture fraction Moisture content of 10-hr timelag fuels (fuels 

 greater than 1⁄4-in but less than 1 in in diameter)

The Minimum Travel 

Time tab is used to 

calculate the MTT 

fire behavior outputs. 

Depending on the type 

of ignition used, a set 

ignition (created within 

FlamMap3 or in ArcMap 

and loaded) versus 

random ignitions, the 

available outputs will 

differ.
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Figure 6-8—Minimum Travel Time tab for a FlamMap3 run.
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Table 6-2—Minimum travel time (MTT) outputs

Output Possible units Description

Rate of spread grid m/min, ft/min, chains/hr Spread rate of the fire as it encountered each

 node along the minimum travel time path

Influence grid n/a Logarithm of the number of nodes burning as a 

 result of burning through that particular node

Arrival time grid min The elapsed time when the fire arrived at each 

 node–fire progression

Fire intensity map kW/m, BTU/ft/sec Fireline intensity of each node burned by the 

 fire as it follows the minimum travel time path

Flow paths n/a Minimum travel time pathways among 

 all nodes

Major paths n/a Flow paths identified at the user-specified 

 interval for MTT flow

Arrival time contour n/a Contour representation of the MTT Arrival 

 Time grid (default contour interval is the 

 maximum value of the MTT Arrival Time 

 grid divided by 10)

Burn probability fraction Fraction of the number of fires that encountered 

 each node

The Treatment Optimization Model tab (fig. 6-9) is used to determine the 

optimal fuel treatment pattern to slow the forward progression of fire by using 

existing conditions and ideal landscape for a defined fire ignition. Inputs include a 

fire ignition (created in FlamMap3 or ArcMap), resolution of calculations (see the 

MTT tab), the ideal landscape, and treatment specifications. Maximum treatment 

dimension is the maximum linear dimension of any treatment allowed. The number 

of iterations/treatment level sets the number of iterations for the model to run; more 

iterations increase computing time for minimal benefits. The treatment fraction is 

the fraction of the entire landscape, not just the available lands that can be treated. 

Outputs include the treatment opportunities grid (a positive value indicates that the 

ideal landscape has a slower rate of spread, and a 0 is no difference) and the treatment grid (a 0/1 grid identifies where TOM suggests treatments). In addition, the 

same outputs as the MTT (table 6-2) calculations are available.

The Treatment 

Optimization Model tab 

is used to determine 

the optimal fuel 

treatment pattern 

to slow the forward 

progression of fire 

by using existing 

conditions and ideal 

landscape for a defined 

fire ignition.
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FlamMap3 Tutorial

In this tutorial, we will cover some of the basics within FlamMap3. The outputs 

will be used in the Fuel Treatment Planning Scenarios with ArcFuels section of 

the User Guide and Tutorial. Exercises in the FlamMap3 tutorial will cover how 

to do basic fire behavior modeling (Exercise 6-1), MTT modeling (Exercises 6-2

and 6-3), and TOM modeling (Exercise 6-4). It will also teach how to change the 

properties of the display and how to export the modeled outputs for further analysis 

and mapping within ArcMap. As mentioned, this is not an all-inclusive tutorial; it 

is highly recommended that you complete the tutorial provided with the FlamMap3 

program to learn all the functionality within the program.

Figure 6-9—Treatment Optimization Model tab for a FlamMap3 run.
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Exercise 6-1: Running FlamMap3 to produce basic fire behavior outputs—

This exercise will use the lf_notreat.lcp created in Exercise 4-20. If you have not 

completed this exercise please do so now, or download the exercise outputs folder 

and use the outputs located in the Landscape folder within.

1. Open FlamMap3 and load the lf_notreat.lcp.

2. Create a new run, and select the Inputs tab (fig. 6-10).

a. Run name: type “No treat – basic” in the text box.

b. Fuel Moisture File (*.fms): navigate to and load the mtemily_fuelmoisture.FMS from the data folder.

Figure 6-10—Inputs tab for basic fire behavior run in FlamMap3.

When using fuel 

moisture conditioning, 

use the hottest, driest 

3- to 5-day period 

within your WND and 

WTR files to represent 

extreme conditions. 
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i. Click on the pencil button to view the FMS file. The fuel moistures 

are characteristic of very low conditions as defined by Scott and 

Burgan (2005).

c. Select the radio button to the left of Wind Direction.

i. Windspeed (MPH @20’): type “15” in the text box. 

ii. Azimuth (Degrees): type “225” in the text box.

d. Foliar Moisture Content (%): type “100” in the text box.

e. Select the radio button to the left of Use Fuel Moisture Conditioning.

i. Weather file (*.wtr): navigate to and load the mtemily_weather.wtr

from the data folder.

ii. Wind file (*.wnd): navigate to and load the mtemily_wind.wnd from 

the data folder.

iii. Fuel Moisture Conditioning Period: set the Start date to “8/10” and 

the End date to “8/14.” Set the Start and End times to “13:00 PM.”

f. Click Apply.

3. Select the Fire Behavior Outputs tab (fig. 6-11).

a. Processor Usage and Memory/Disk Usage: leave the default values in 

place.

b. Output Grids: click Select All to check the boxes next to all the outputs.

c. Crown Fire Calculation Method: select the radio button to the left of 

Scott/Reinhardt (2001).

d. Options: select the radio button to the left of Relative Spread Direction 

From Maximum which is the default.

e. Click Apply and then click Launch.

4. A FlamMap3 Progress window will appear and indicate when the run is 

complete (fig. 6-12). Click OK to close the window. Click OK again to close 

the Run form.

5. Note in the tree pane under the No treat–basic section that all the outputs 

have been added (fig. 6-13). Note that the Spread Vectors theme has a blue 

check next to it rather than a magnifying glass. This means the theme is a 

vector (line or shapefile) rather than a grid theme.
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Figure 6-11—Fire Behavior Outputs tab for basic fire behavior run in FlamMap3.

Figure 6-12—FlamMap3 Progress window.
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a. Double-click on Spread Vectors to turn the theme on and off. When the 

blue arrow becomes a red X, the theme is turned off.

b. Display and look at the themes (fig. 6-13). 

6. Change the units for the Flame Length theme to feet, and save the file as 

“lf_nt_fl.asc” to the outputs folder. Where “lf” refers to LANDFIRE, “nt” 

is no treatment, and “fl” is flame length.

a. See the Changing the display and/or units of a theme and Saving a 

theme for further mapping and analysis in ArcGIS sections for more 

details on how to do this.

7. Change the units for the Rate of Spread theme to ch/hr, and save the file as 

“lf_nt_ros.asc” to the outputs folder. Where “lf” refers to LANDFIRE, “nt” 

is no treatment, and “ros” is rate of spread.

Figure 6-13—Outputs from a basic fire behavior run with the spread vectors and flame length themes showing.
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8. Save the Crown Fire Activity theme as “lf_nt_cfa.asc” to the outputs folder. 

Where “lf” refers to LANDFIRE, “nt” is no treatment, and “cfa” is crown 

fire activity.

Exercise 6-2: Running FlamMap3 to produce minimum travel time (MTT) 

outputs for a single ignition—

This exercise will use the lf_notreat.lcp created in Exercise 4-20. If you have not 

completed this exercise, do so now, or download the exercise outputs folder and use 

the outputs located in the Landscape folder within. 

To run MTT, a fire ignition is needed (this can be a point, line, or area). This 

exercise will demonstrate how to create an ignition in FlamMap3 and how to use it 

for the MTT run.

Select the drip torch button on the FlamMap3 menu bar. The drip torch button 

is a toggle button and remains activated until you select another button such as the 

arrow button on the toolbar. This is similar to the pan tool in ArcMap, or the Select 

Stand button in ArcFuels. You know it is activated when you mouse over the map 

and you see a drip torch. Play around a bit to get the feeling.

• A left-click of the mouse followed by a right-click of the mouse will 

put down a point ignition. This can be repeated to have multiple 

point ignitions. 

• Successive left-clicks will create a segmented line ignition connecting 

the points on the map where you clicked.

• Successive left-clicks followed by a right-click will create and area 

ignition, connecting the points with a line, and then connecting the first 

and last click location.

• Two successive left-clicks with the mouse followed by a right-click will 

create a single line.

You can manage the ignitions by going to OptionsIgnitions. Clear all your 

ignitions before proceeding.

1. Create any ignition you would like (point, line, or area). Then save the ignition (OptionsIgnitions Save to File) as a shapefile in your outputs 

folder. Name the shapefile “ignition.”

TIP: The default modeled fire behavior units are metric (e.g., m, kW/m, k/hr). 

If you would like to save the themes in English units (e.g., ft, mph) you need to 

change the units before you save the theme. 
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2. Create a new run, and select the Inputs tab (see fig. 6-10 for basic set up 

minus the name).

a. Run name: type “No treat – MTT” in the text box.

b. Fuel Moisture File (*.fms): navigate to and load the mtemily_fuelmoisture.FMS from the data folder.

c. Select the radio button to the left of Wind Direction.

i. Windspeed (MPH @20’): type “15” in the text box. 

ii. Azimuth (Degrees): type “225” in the text box.

d. Foliar Moisture Content (%): type “100” in the text box.

e. Select the radio button to the left of Use Fuel Moisture Conditioning.

i. Weather file (*.wtr): navigate to and load the mtemily_weather.wtr

from the data folder.

ii. Wind file (*.wnd): navigate to and load the mtemily_wind.wnd from 

the data folder.

iii. Fuel Moisture Conditioning Period set the Start date to “8/10” and 

the End date to “8/14.” Set the Start and End times to “13:00 PM.”

f. Click Apply.

3. Select the Fire Behavior Outputs tab.

a. Processor Usage and Memory/Disk Usage: leave the default values in 

place.

b. Crown Fire Calculation Method: select the radio button to the left of 

Scott/Reinhardt (2001).

c. Click Apply.

4. Select the Minimum Travel Time tab (fig. 6-14).

a. Select the radio button to the left of From File. Then either click Load 

Current Ignitions or use the navigation button to select the ignition.

shp just created.

b. Resolution of calculations (distance): type “90” in the text box. 

Remember that this should always be a multiple of the input data resolution.

c. Maximum Simulation Time: type “0” in the text box. This allows the 

whole landscape to burn.
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d. Interval for Minimum Travel Paths (distance): type “300” in the text 

box, meaning 300 m.

e. Under Outputs click Select All.

f. Click Apply and then click Launch. 

g. Once the run has completed, click OK to close the run window.

5. Expand the No treat – MTT section in the tree pane to see the outputs (fig. 

6-15). As with the basic outputs, the vector themes can be turned on and off 

Figure 6-14—Minimum Travel Time tab for MTT behavior run in FlamMap3.
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by double-clicking the blue check and the other themes can be viewed by 

clicking on their names.

6. Turn on the MTT Flow Paths and the MTT Major Paths.

a. The paths are vector outputs of the minimum travel time between 

nodes (the distance is user-defined). The flow paths are all the points 

from node to node, whereas the major paths are only the most significant fire spread pathways. If the resolution of the calculations is small, 

the flow paths can be overwhelming. 

b. Save the MTT Major Paths as “lf_nt_mtt_major_paths.shp” to the outputs folder.

Figure 6-15—MTT fire behavior outputs with MTT ROS shown in the display pane of FlamMap3.
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The MTT major flow 

paths can be brought into 

ArcMap for a look at the 

effect of fuel treatments on 

the paths. The MTT major 

and flow paths are valuable 

outputs for comparing the 

effectiveness of fuel treatments (fig. 6-16). The paths 

are a good way to visualize 

what the fuel treatments do 

to the forward progression 

of fire. Figure 6-16 shows 

that the treatments that are 

narrow (perpendicular) to 

the fire spread are virtually 

ineffective at slowing the 

fire, whereas wider treatments often stop the fire 

progression quickly. To create a map similar to figure 6-16, a second MTT run in 

FlamMap needs to be completed with the lf_rt20.lcp created in Exercise 4-21. 

Exercise 6-3: Running FlamMap3 to produce burn probability 

for random ignitions—

In this exercise, MTT will be used again but this time with randomly placed 

ignitions to create a burn probability map. This exercise will use the lf_notreat.

lcp created in Exercise 4-20. If you have not completed this exercise, do so now, or 

download the exercise outputs folder and use the outputs located in the Landscape 

folder within.

1. Create a new run, and select the Inputs tab (see fig. 6-10 for basic set up 

minus the name).

a. Run name: type “No treat – MTT BP” in the text box.

b. Fuel Moisture File (*.fms): navigate to and load the mtemily_fuelmoisture.FMS from the data folder.

0 0.5 1 0.25 Miles  ̧

No treatment MTT major flowpaths

Treatment units

Posttreatment MTT major flowpaths

Figure 6-16—MTT fire Major Paths for the no-treatment alternative (blue) and posttreatment alternative (red) with the treatment 

units in gray. This is one way to see how treatment units affect 

fire spread. As the flow paths reach the treatment units posttreatment, they typically stop at the edge of the unit or find a different 

path through. Narrower treatment units are not as effective at 

stopping or slowing the forward progression of the fire.

The MTT major and 

flow paths are valuable 

outputs for comparing 

the effectiveness of 

fuel treatments. The 

paths are a good 

way to visualize what 

the fuel treatments 

do to the forward 

progression of fire.
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c. Select the radio button to the left of Wind Direction.

i. Windspeed (MPH @20’): type “15” in the text box. 

ii. Azimuth (Degrees): type “225” in the text box.

d. Foliar Moisture Content (%): type “100” in the text box.

e. Select the radio button to the left of Use Fuel Moisture Conditioning.

i. Weather file (*.wtr): navigate to and load the mtemily_weather.wtr

from the data folder.

ii. Wind file (*.wnd): navigate to and load the mtemily_wind.wnd from 

the data folder.

iii. Fuel Moisture Conditioning Period: set the Start date to “8/10” and 

the End date to “8/14.” Set the Start and End times to “13:00 PM.”

f. Click Apply.

2. Select the Fire Behavior Outputs tab.

a. Processor Usage and Memory/Disk Usage: leave the default values in 

place.

b. Crown Fire Calculation Method: select the radio button to the left of 

Scott/Reinhardt (2001).

c. Click Apply.

3. Select the Minimum Travel Time tab (fig. 6-17).

a. Select the radio button to the left of Random and then type “2500” in 

the text box to the left of Number of Random Ignitions.

b. Resolution of calculations (distance): type “90” in the text box. 

c. Maximum Simulation Time: type “480” in the text box; 480 min is 

equivalent to 8 hrs, which is a single burn period or fire day.

d. Interval for Minimum Travel Paths (distance): type “300” in the text 

box. This is the default value.

e. Click Apply and then click Launch. This will take about 30 min to 

complete.
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f. Once the run has completed click OK to close the run window.

4. Expand the No treat – MTT BP section in the tree pane to see the burn 

probability output (fig. 6-18). 

5. Save the Burn Probabilities theme as “lf_nt_bp.asc” to the outputs folder. 

Where “lf” refers to LANDFIRE, “nt” is the no-treatment alternative, and 

“bp” is burn probability.

Figure 6-17—Minimum Travel Time tab for MTT burn probability run in FlamMap3.

In FlamMap3, when 

random ignitions are 

used, the only output 

available is burn 

probability.
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Exercise 6-4: Running the treatment optimization model (TOM) in 

FlamMap3—

The Treatment Optimization Model will use the ignition created in Exercise 6-3. 

This exercise will also use the lf_notreat.lcp created in Exercise 4-20. If you have 

not completed these exercises, do so now, or download the exercise outputs folder 

and use the outputs located in the Landscape folder within. To run TOM, two LCP 

files are required, one representing current conditions (or the no-treatment alternative) and an ideal landscape. The first step in this exercise will use ArcFuels to 

create the ideal landscape LCP using the ideal_trt grid, which is a 0/1 grid where 

about two-thirds of the landscape is coded as 1, or available for treatment. 

Figure 6-18—MTT burn probability theme in FlamMap3 where the darker purple is higher burn probabilities and the tan is 

lower for the no-treatment alternative.
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1. Open ArcFuels and load the demonstration data layer. Click the Landscape button on the ArcFuels toolbar, then select Build FlamMap 

Landscape from the drop-down list. Select the Using ArcGIS Grid 

Data tab (fig. 6-19).

Figure 6-19—Using ArcGIS Grid Data tab setup to create the ideal landscape LCP from LANDFIRE data.

a. Elevation: select elevation and meters from the drop-down lists.

b. Slope: select slope and degrees from the drop-down lists.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Distance Units: select meters from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.
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f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio button, then select elevation from the drop-down list.

g. Apply Treatment Adjustments: check the box to the left. This will make 

more options available.

i. Treatment Type Database: navigate to and select the Treatment_

adjustments.mdb in the data folder using the navigation button.

ii. Treatment Location Grid: select ideal_trt from the drop-down 

menu.

iii. Treatment Type Grid: select ideal_trt from the drop-down menu.

iv. Treatment Adjustment Table: select example_treatment_adjustment

from the drop-down menu.

v. Treatment Type ID Field: select treat_type from the drop-down 

menu.

h. Fuel model: select lf_fbfm40 and fm_adj from the drop-down lists.

i. Canopy Cover: select lf_cc, percent, and cc_adj from the drop-down 

lists.

j. Canopy Height: select lf_ch, meters,*10, and ch_adj from the dropdown lists.

k. Canopy Base Height: select lf_cbh, meters,*10, and cbh_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

l. Canopy Bulk Density: select lf_cbd, kg/m3,*100, and cbd_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

m. LCP Output File: using the navigation button name the LCP “lf_ideal_

treat” and save it in the outputs folder.

n. Click the Build LCP button.

o. Click Close to close the Build LCP form.

2. Open FlamMap3 and load the lf_notreat.lcp if not already loaded. Create 

a new run, and select the Inputs tab (see fig. 6-10 for basic setup minus 

the name). 

a. Run name: type “TOM” in the text box.
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b. Fuel Moisture File (*.fms): navigate to and load the mtemily_fuelmoisture.FMS from the data folder.

c. Select the radio button to the left of Wind Direction.

i. Windspeed (MPH @20’): type “15” in the text box. 

ii. Azimuth (Degrees): type “225” in the text box.

d. Foliar Moisture Content (%): type “100” in the text box.

e. Select the radio button to the left of Use Fuel Moisture Conditioning.

i. Weather file (*.wtr): navigate to and load the mtemily_weather.wtr

from the data folder.

ii. Wind file (*.wnd): navigate to and load the mtemily_wind.wnd from 

the data folder.

iii. Fuel Moisture Conditioning Period: set the Start date to “8/10” and 

the End date to “8/14.” Set the Start and End times to “13:00 PM.”

f. Click Apply.

3. Select the Fire Behavior Outputs tab.

a. Processor Usage and Memory/Disk Usage: leave the default values in 

place.

b. Crown Fire Calculation Method: select the radio button to the left of 

Scott/Reinhardt (2001).

c. Click Apply.

4. Select the Treatment Optimization tab (fig. 6-20).

a. Ignition file: use the navigation button to select ignition.shp from the 

outputs folder.

b. Resolution of calculations (distance): type “90” in the text box. 

c. Ideal Landscape: use the navigation button to select lf_ideal_treat.lcp

from the outputs folder.

d. Maximum Treatment Dimension (m): type “300” in the text box; this is 

the default value.
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e. Iterations/Treatment Level (1-5): type “1” in the text box; this is the 

default value.

f. Treatment Fraction: type “0.2” in the text box; this is the default value. 

According to the FlamMap3 help guide, this value should be between 

0.1 and 0.3 to optimally place treatments. It has been found that values 

below 0.05 do not change enough of the landscape and values above 0.5 

are no better than random.

Figure 6-20—Treatment Optimization Tab set up.
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g. Under Output, select Treatment 

Opportunities Grid and Treatment Grid.

h. Click Apply and then click Launch. This 

run should take about 15 to 30 minutes.

i. Once the run has completed click OK to 

close the run window.

5. Expand the TOM section in the tree pane 

to see the outputs (fig. 6-21). Note that the 

outputs are for the entire landscape this time, 

unlike in the MTT run. Display the various themes. With the TOM run the mostused output for fuel treatment planning is 

the Treatment Grid (fig. 6-21), a 0/1 grid that 

represents the TOM solution. TOM does not 

apply the treatments, but rather creates a map 

that can be exported and used in fuel treatment planning.

6. Name and save the Treatment Grid as “lf_

tom20.asc” in the outputs folder. Where “lf” 

refers to LANDFIRE, “tom” is the fact that 

it was a TOM run, and “20” is the treatment 

fraction used.

Figure 6-21—FlamMap3 TOM 

treatment grid, where black indicates 

suggested treatment blocks.

The TOM treatment grid 

is the optimal spatial 

pattern of treatment 

locations to stop 

the forward spread 

of a specific fire. 

Treatments themselves 

are not “applied” in 

TOM but there are tools 

specific to ArcFuels 

that use the TOM 

treatment grid to create 

a treatment LCP for 

further modeling in 

FlamMap.
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Fuel Treatment Planning Scenarios Using ArcFuels

This section contains fuel treatment planning scenarios to highlight the use of 

ArcFuels. The scenarios are meant to serve as a foundation for planning documents 

(such as fire and fuels specialist reports for an environmental impact statement (EIS) 

or environmental assessment (EA)). Figure 7-1 is a simplistic flow chart of the fuel 

treatment planning process. ArcFuels was designed to assist in the middle processes: 

designing the no-treatment alternative, designing fuel treatment alternative(s), and 

analyzing the effects of the fuel treatment alternatives. The scenarios provided 

highlight the uses of ArcFuels in conjunction with other programs such as FlamMap3, ArcGIS, Excel, and Access to complete these processes. The scenarios are not 

all-inclusive but should provide a good foundation for fuel treatment planning.

The following scenarios will use outputs created in the Tools and Introduction 

to Fire Behavior Modeling with FlamMap3 sections of this User Guide and Tutorial. If you have not completed the exercises you may do them when referred to or 

download the optional exercise outputs from http://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/arcfuels/

downloads.html. 

Figure 7-1—Simplistic 

flow chart of fuel 

management planning 

process. ArcFuels 

was designed to assist 

the middle processes: 

designing the notreatment alternative, 

designing fuel treatment 

alternative(s), and 

analyzing the effects 

of the fuel treatment 

alternatives.

Chapter 7

Pre-planning

Acquire data and verify for accuracy

Design the no-treatment alternative

Update data as needed

Analyze to identify problem areas

Design fuel treatment alternative(s)

Locate fuel treatment units or use pre-dened plans

Analyze the eects of the fuel 

treatment alternatives

Wildre hazard and risk assessements, eects

on values at risk, forest health, etc.

Complete planning documents

The scenarios provided 

highlight the uses of 

ArcFuels in conjunction 

with other programs 

such as FlamMap3, 

ArcGIS, Excel, and 

Access to complete 

these processes. 

The scenarios are 

not all-inclusive but 

should provide a good 

foundation for fuel 

treatment planning.
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Evaluating Wildfire Hazard

Wildfire hazard is a metric defined by end users in different ways. Some discuss 

wildfire hazard in terms of the proximity to the wildland-urban interface (WUI) 

while others may discuss fire hazard in terms of ambient weather conditions, fuel 

loading, crown fire potential, fire intensity, or the likelihood of burning. 

Simplifying and combining modeled fire behavior outputs into a matrix 

(fig. 7-2) or map is a useful way to visualize and quantify differences in fire 

hazard. Fire hazard can be linked to fire suppression effectiveness by using predicted flame length and crown fire activity modeled in FlamMap3. Flame length 

can be categorized based on hauling categories directly related to suppression tools 

and effectiveness (Rothermel 1983; table 7-1). The categories (i.e., low, moderate, 

etc.) within the matrix may differ by location and fuel type; this is only an example 

matrix.

Figure 7-2—Example wildfire hazard matrix based on flame length categories and 

crown fire activity. Hazard ratings include low, moderate (mod), high, and extreme 

(extr). Crown fire activity is a categorical output modeled in FlamMap3 where no fire 

= 0, surface fire =1, passive crown fire = 2, and active crown fire = 3.

Wildfire hazard can be summarized for an entire landscape or for any smaller 

area within or for an attribute such as StandID, vegetation type, or fuel model. In 

the example below, wildfire hazard will be summarized only within the Mt. Emily 

project area (this is the area defined by the mt_emily_stands layer and does not 

include the area outside making up the larger box) using existing conditions (also 

known as the no-treatment alternative) data. The hazard map can then be used to 

highlight “hot spots” indicating the potential need for treatment. The same process 

can be completed for any number of fuel treatment alternatives where the results 

can be compared as a means of testing the effectiveness of reducing wildfire hazard.

The steps required to do this type of analysis are:

1. Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary.

2. Run FlamMap3 to obtain flame length and crown fire activity.

3. Create a wildfire hazard map.

4. Summarize wildfire hazard.
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The following example will complete the above steps with fire-modeled outputs 

(Exercise 6-1) for the no-treatment alternative (Exercise 4-20). If you have not 

done the exercises, please do so now, or use the files in the exercise outputs folder. 

The example will build upon skills gained in the ArcFuels Tools and Introduction 

to Fire Behavior Modeling with FlamMap sections; please refer back to these 

sections for more detail about the forms or processes mentioned.

Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

The supplied LANDFIRE data will be used. For this scenario, they are assumed to 

be accurate and not in need of updating.

Step 2: Run FlamMap3 to obtain flame length and crown fire activity—

Before FlamMap3 can be run, the input LCP file must be built. The existing conditions LCP (lf_notreat.lcp) built in Exercise 4-20 from LANDFIRE data will be 

used in FlamMap3. 

FlamMap3 was run to characterize flame length and crown fire activity for the 

no-treatment alternative (lf_nt_fl.asc and lf_nt_cfa.asc) in Exercise 6-1. 

Step 3: Create a wildfire hazard map—

In this step, flame length will be reclassified based on the hauling chart values 

(table 7-1). Next, the reclassified flame length and crown fire activity grids will be 

combined to create a hazard grid using the hazard matrix (fig. 7-2).

Table 7-1—Hauling category table adapted from Rothermel (1983), which related flame 

length to fire suppression effectiveness

Flame length Fireline intensity Description

Feet Btu/fs/s

<4 <100 Fires can generally be attacked at the head or flanks by 

 persons using hand tools. Hand line should hold the fire.

4–8 100–500 Fires are too intense for direct attack on the head by 

 persons using hand tools. Hand line cannot be relied 

 on to hold fire. Equipment such as dozers, pumpers, 

 and fire-retardant aircraft can be effective.

8–11 500–1,000 Fires may present serious control problems—torching 

 out, crowning, and spotting. Control efforts at the fire 

 head will probably be ineffective.

>11 >1,000 Crowning, spotting, and major fire runs are probable. 

 Control efforts at head of fire are ineffective.
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1. Convert the flame length (lf_nt_fl.asc) and crown fire activity (lf_nt_cfa.

asc) ASCII files to grids using the Convert Ascii to Grid form in ArcFuels 

(ArcFuels ToolbarConversion Convert Ascii to Grid).

a. Convert and add to the map the lf_nt_cfa.asc file as an Integer, and 

convert the lf_nt_fl.asc file as a Floating point with the Spatial 

Reference defined for both.

2. Reclassify the converted flame length grids using the Reclassify tool in 

ArcMap (ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst ToolsReclassReclassify, 

fig. 7-3).

a. Input raster: select lf_nt_fl from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select Value from the drop-down list.

Figure 7-3—Reclassify form in ArcMap setup to reclassify flame length outputs modeled in 

FlamMap3 for the no-treatment alternative.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Click the Classify button to open the Classification form (fig. 7-4).

i. Method: select Equal Interval from the drop-down list to change 

the number of Classes.

ii. Classes: select 5 from the drop-down list.

iii. Break values: highlight the values and type in “0,” “4,” “8,” and 

“11” for the first 4 values; leave the last value as it appears. After 

this is done, the Method will default to Manual (fig. 7-4).

iv. Click OK to apply the changes and return to the Reclassify form.

d. Set the New values to be the upper end (highest amount within its 

range of flame heights) of the Old values, which correlates to the flame 

length categories used in the prior step (fig. 7-5).

Figure 7-4—Classification form set up to reclassify flame length into five categories.

Changing the display 

to the categories 

desired does not 

change the values in 

the grid. The Classify 

tool is used to change 

the values and create a 

new grid.
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e. Output raster: name the output raster “lf_nt_fl_c” and 

save it in the outputs folder. 

The “c” at the end signifies 

this is a classified version of 

the flame length output.

f. Click OK to close the 

Reclassify form and complete the reclassification.

3. Combine the reclassified flame length and crown fire activity grids using the Combine tool (ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst 

ToolsLocalCombine, fig. 7-6).

a. Input rasters: select lf_nt_fl_c and lf_nt_cfa from the drop-down list.

b. Output raster: name the grid “lf_nt_haz” and save it in the outputs 

folder. The “haz” at the end indicates that this is the hazard grid.

Figure 7-5—New values for reclassification of 

flame length.

TIP: If your maximum flame length value is around 40 instead of about 140, 

you saved the output in meters instead of feet. Redo Exercise 6-1 and be sure to 

change your units to feet before saving the ASCII file.

Figure 7-6—Combine form in ArcMap used to combine the categorized flame length and 

crown fire activity grids.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. To only include areas within the Mt. Emily area, click the 

Environments... button on the Combine form, expand >>Raster 

Analysis Settings and under Mask select stands from the drop-down 

list. Click OK to apply the changes. 

i. If this step is not completed the join will be of the entire rectangular extent of the LANDFIRE data.

d. Click OK to complete the combine.

4. Open the attributes table for lf_nt_haz and add a new text field (Attributes 

Table OptionsAdd Field...) named “HAZARD.”

a. Use the Field Calculator (right-click on the HAZARD heading, then 

select Field Calculator from the menu) to type the values identified in 

your hazard matrix shown in figure 7-2 (fig. 7-7 shows this step completed). This can be done one field at a time, or for multiple fields. 

Figure 7-7—Attributes table for the lf_nt_haz grid with the added hazard field filled in.

TIP: When you are using the Field Calculator, text entries must be enclosed in 

quotations (e.g., “LOW”).

TIP: The Field Calculator can be used to assign values to one or more fields 

at a time. If no fields are selected, the change will be applied to all; if fields are 

selected the change will be applied only to the selected field(s).

NOTE: This can also be completed with the Editor tool in ArcMap.
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5. In ArcMap, change the display of lf_nt_haz to show the hazard field (fig. 7-8a).

a. Right-click on the grid name 

in the table of contents, select 

Properties from the list, and 

select the Symbology tab.

b. Show: select Unique Values

from the options in the box.

c. Value field: select HAZARD

from the drop-down list.

d. Set NONE to be black, LOW 

to be green, MODERATE 

to be yellow, HIGH to be 

orange, and EXTREME to be 

red to match that of the hazard matrix (fig. 7-2).

e. Click OK to close the form.

If you were starting to plan fuel treatment locations and you only have existing conditions data, you can create a hazard map to identify places of high hazard 

to use in the planning process. Just because a location has elevated hazard does 

not mean it needs to be treated; based on vegetation type or fire regime grouping 

it might be fine if it burns at a higher intensity. However, if high hazard is also 

coupled with high likelihood of burning or is near or within an area with highly 

valued resources, it might be more important to treat a given area. These methods 

can be repeated for any number of fuel treatment alternatives for comparison. 

Figure 7-8 displays wildfire hazard for the no-treatment alternative created in the 

steps above and an alternative in which 20 percent of the landscape was treated.

Step 4: Summarize wildfire hazard—

Maps are useful aids for visualizing the impact of fuel treatment alternatives on fire 

hazard. However, for reports and documents, the change often needs to be quantified. There are many ways to summarize the data. Below is one example using the 

Summary option available within the attributes table. For comparison, the notreatment alternative is compared to one in which 20 percent of the landscape was 

treated; however, only the no-treatment alternative is demonstrated. 

1. Open the lf_nt_haz attributes table. Right-click on the HAZARD column 

and select Summarize... from the menu (fig. 7-9).

Figure 7-8—Wildfire hazard maps for the no-treatment (A) and treat 20 percent (B) alternatives.

0 42

mi

ANo treatment B Treat 20 percent

Hazard classes

None

Low

Moderate

High

Extreme

Maps are useful 

aids for visualizing 

the impact of fuel 

treatment alternatives 

on fire hazard. 

However, for reports 

and documents, the 

change often needs to 

be quantified.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

a. Select the field to summarize: select HAZARD from the drop-down 

list.

b. Choose one or more summary statistics to be included in the output 

table: expand COUNT, then select Sum from the options. 

c. Specify output table: name the output table “HazardArea.dbf” and save 

it in the outputs folder.

d. Click OK to complete the summary.

e. When the Summarize Completed window opens, click No. 

2. Open the HazardArea.dbf file with Excel (fig. 7-10). HAZARD is the hazard classes, Cnt_HAZARD is the number of times that hazard class was 

assigned, and Sum_COUNT is the number of 30 m pixels that are within 

the hazard category. To calculate area in acres, multiply Sum_COUNT by 

0. 0.222394, because each pixel is 900 m2

 (30 m by 30 m pixel) and 1 m2 is 

equal to 0.0002471044 ac (table 7-2).

Figure 7-9—Summarize form set to calculate area by hazard class.
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About half of the Mt. Emily 

landscape was categorized as 

extreme hazard. The map can be 

used in conjunction with other 

data such as forest type, values at 

risk, road networks, etc., to devise 

treatment alternatives to reduce the 

landscape hazard.

NOTE: To summarize for other attributes such as StandID or fuel model, the 

Combine tool would need to be used to combine the flame length, crown fire 

activity, and another grid (i.e., stands or lf_fbfm40 for existing conditions or 

lf_trt_fm for the treat 20 percent alternative) before the Summary is completed. 

For more help with GIS download and use, the GIS Tips and Tricks Guide available at http://www.fs.fed.us/wwetac/arcfuels/downloads.html. 

Figure 7-10—Hazard Area table where the values counts 

of 30 m pixels.

Table 7-2—Wildfire hazard comparison for the Mt. Emily 

project area for the no-treatment and treat 20 percent 

alternatives

Hazard No treatment Treat 20 percent

Acres Percent Acres Percent

None 3,718 9 3,718 9

Low 12,172 30 18,401 46

Moderate 2,313 6 2,035 5

High 3,094 8 2,672 7

Extreme 19,076 47 13,565 33

Total 40,373 100 40,373 100

Wildfire Risk Assessment: Creating a Wildfire Exposure 

Scatter Plot

Wildfire risk is the likelihood of a fire occurring, the associated fire behavior when 

a fire occurs, and the effects of the fire (Calkin et al. 2010, Finney 2005, Scott 

2006). Although the effects can be both positive and negative, in the field of wildfire 

risk the benefits are most often not considered. Wildfire risk mitigation is achieved 

when any of the three aspects (likelihood, behavior, or effects) are reduced. 

Burn probability modeling represents a major advancement in wildfire behavior 

modeling compared to previous methods, such as those in which fire likelihood 

was quantified with relatively few (<10) predetermined ignition locations. Now 

A wildfire risk 

assessment has two 

major components. 

A wildfire exposure 

analysis considers 

the likelihood of a 

fire occurring and 

the associated fire 

behavior related to a 

highly valued resource. 

A wildfire effects 

analysis also considers 

the likelihood and 

behavior of a fire in 

addition to the effect 

of the fire on a highly 

valued resource.
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thousands of fires can be simulated relatively quickly. Burn probability (BP) is an 

estimate of the likelihood of a pixel burning given a single random ignition in the 

landscape and is calculated as:

BP = F/n

where F is the number of times a pixel burns and n is the number of fires simulated. 

Wildfire risk assessments are becoming more common in the research and 

management communities. When fire effects are not quantified but are summarized 

with respect to any resource or value of interest the assessment is called a “wildfire 

exposure analysis.” If no values or resources are considered, this is called a “probabilistic wildfire hazard assessment.” Probabilistic wildfire hazard (combination 

of burn probability and flame length) is most often mapped and summarized by 

location or area (fig. 7-11). Scatter plots (fig. 7-12) can be created to visualize differences in wildfire exposure for individual resources (e.g., forest stands, structures, 

or values at risk), and can be used to compare the effects of fuel treatment alternatives on wildfire exposure. They can be created from point data (e.g., structure 

location) or from area data (e.g., forest type). When using area data, fire behavior 

information must first be summarized (e.g., average value for the polygon). Figure 

7-12 (Ager et al. 2010) is an example of a wildfire exposure scatter plot for structures within the Mt. Emily area. The scatter plots highlight changes in wildfire 

exposure for two treatment priorities, one to preserve large trees (SDEN) and the 

other to protect structures (RDEN), for three treatment intensities (treating 0, 20, 

and 66 percent, respectively).

Figure 7-11—Maps of probabilistic wildfire hazard for the no-treatment (A) and treat 20 percent (B) 

fuel treatment scenarios and a sampleprobabilistic wildfire hazard matrix (C).
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Because the mechanics behind creating wildfire hazard maps and summarizing wildfire hazard are the same for probabilistic wildfire hazard, they will not be 

demonstrated in this section. The example below will demonstrate the creation of 

a wildfire risk scatter plot using the no-treatment alternative; the same steps and 

processes can be completed for treatment alternatives for comparisons of fuel treatment effectiveness.

The steps required to do this type of analysis are:

1. Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary.

2. Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the no-treatment alternative.

3. Summarize fire behavior values by forest type.

4. Create the scatter plot.

The following example will complete the above steps with fire-modeled outputs (Exercises 6-1 and 6-3) for the no-treatment alternative (Exercise 4-20). If 

you have not done the exercises, please do so now, or use the files in the optional 

exercise outputs folder. The scatter plot will show the change in wildfire exposure 

for forest types within the landscape before and after treatment.

Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

The supplied LANDFIRE data will be used. For this scenario, they are assumed to 

be accurate and not in need of updating.

Step 2: Run FlamMap3 to obtain flame length and burn probability—

Before FlamMap3 can be run, the input LCP file must be built. The existing conditions LCP (lf_notreat.lcp) built in Exercise 4-20 from LANDFIRE data will be 

used in FlamMap3. 

Figure 7-12—Expected flame length and burn probability scatter plots showing values for individual 

structures. The stand density (SDEN) and residential density (RDEN) priorities for the no treatment, 20 

percent area treated, and 66 percent area treated are plotted. Points are averages of all pixels within a 45.7 

m radius around each structure (figure 12 from Ager et al. 2010).

Scatter plots of burn 

probability and flame 

length can be used to 

visualize the wildfire 

exposure of individual 

points or area units on 

a landscape.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

FlamMap3 was run to characterize flame length and burn probability for the 

no-treatment alternative (lf_nt_fl.asc and lf_nt_bp.asc) in Exercise 6-1 and 6-3.

Step 3: Summarize fire behavior values by forest type—

To do this, first a grid of forest types needs to be created using the ArcMap Polygon 

to Raster tool. Then the Zonal Statistics as Table tool in ArcMap will be used to 

summarize burn probability and flame length by forest type.

1. Batch convert the flame length and burn probability ASCII files to grids 

using the Batch Convert Ascii to Grid form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels 

ToolbarConversion Batch Convert Ascii to Grid).

a. Convert the lf_nt_fl.asc and lf_nt_bp.asc files as a Floating point with 

the Spatial Reference defined for both. The lf_nt_fl.asc was converted 

in the Evaluating Wildfire Hazard scenario; a replacement warning 

window will open if you completed that scenario.

2. Create a forest type grid using the Polygon to Raster tool (ArcToolbox 

Conversion ToolsTo RasterPolygon to Raster, fig. 7-13).

a. Input Features: select mt_emily_stands from the drop-down list.

b. Value field: select ForestType from the drop-down list.

c. Output Raster Dataset: save the grid as “forest_type” in the outputs 

folder.

d. Cell assignment type (optional): keep the default CELL_CENTER.

Figure 7-13—Polygon to Raster form set up to convert the forest type attribute of the stands polygon 

to a grid file.
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e. Priority field (optional): keep the default NONE.

f. Cellsize (optional): type “30” in the text box.

g. Click the Environments... button to open the Environments Settings

form.

i. Expand the General Settings option.

ii. Snap Raster: select stands from the drop-down list. You might have 

to scroll down to find this setting.

iii. Click OK to close the Environments Settings form.

iv. Click OK to create the forest_type grid.

3. Complete summary statistics of burn probability by forest type using the 

Zonal Statistics as Table tool in ArcMap (ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst 

ToolsZonal Zonal Statistics as Table, fig. 7-14).

a. Input raster or feature zone data: select forest_type from the dropdown list.

b. Zone field: select FORESTTYPE from the drop-down list.

c. Input value raster: select lf_nt_bp from the drop-down list.

d. Output Table: save the table as “lf_nt_bp_fortype_zonal” in the outputs folder.

e. Click OK to complete the process.

Figure 7-14—Zonal Statistics as Table form set to summarize burn probability by forest type.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

4. Repeat step 3 with the lf_nt_fl grid, saving the output table as “lf_nt_fl_fortype_zonal” in the outputs folder.

Step 4: Create the wildfire risk scatter plot—

1. Open the lf_nt_bp_fortype_zonal table (fig. 7-15). You will need switch to 

the Source tab at the bottom of the table of contents in ArcMap to see it, 

then right-click and chose Open. Within the table, burn probability values 

have been summarized (i.e., minimum, maximum, range) by forest type.

Figure 7-15—Zonal statistics table for forest type and burn probability.

Figure 7-16—Excel workbook with zonal statistics outputs filled in for both the 

no-treatment and treatment alternatives where about 20 percent of the landscape 

was treated.

2. Open the lf_nt_fl_fortype_zonal table to see the flame length summarization.

3. Create a new Excel workbook called “ForestTypeScatterPlot.xlxs” in the 

outputs folder. The information that will need to be copied into an Excel 

spreadsheet is FORESTTYPE and MEAN for burn probability and flame 

length (fig. 7-16).
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a. There are a number of ways to complete this; you can copy and paste 

individual cells from the zonal statistics table, type the values into the 

Excel spreadsheet, or export the zonal statistics table as a *.dbf file and 

open it with Excel.

4. In Excel, insert an XY scatter chart (Excel RibbonInsertScatter 

Scatter with only Markers). 

a. The x-axis values are burn probability and the y-axis values flame 

length (fig. 7-17a).

b. To get markers for each forest type, each forest type will need to be an 

individual series. To change the series within a chart, right-click in the 

chart and select Select Data from the menu and Add a new series. 

i. Series name: type “Grand fir” in the text box.

ii. Series X values: select cell of the Nt BP value for Grand fir. In figure 7-16, this would be B2.

iii. Series Y values: select cell of the Nt FL value for Grand fir. In figure 7-16, this would be C2.

iv. Repeat for all the forest types.

Figure 7-17—Scatter plot of wildfire exposure for forest types for the no-treatment (A) and treat 20 percent (B) fuel 

treatment alternatives.

Wildfire exposure was 

reduced by the fuel 

treatment alternative 

as can be seen by the 

points shifting down 

and to the left relative 

to the no-treatment 

values
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

The same process can be replicated for treatment alternatives for a comparison 

of wildfire exposure before and after treatment (fig. 7-17). Forest types lower and 

to the left (i.e., nonforested) have lower wildfire exposure than those in the upper 

righthand corner (i.e., lodgepole pine and subalpine fir) (fig 7-17b).

Designing Landscape Level Fuel Treatment Alternatives By 

Using Wildfire Exposure With FVS Data

A wildfire exposure assessment of current conditions coupled with other information can be a good start for fuel treatment planning. This scenario will build fuel 

treatment alternatives based on probabilistic wildfire hazard for the entire landscape 

and wildfire exposure of the various forest types. Finally, the effectiveness of the 

fuel treatment alternatives will be tested.

The steps required to do this type of analysis are:

1. Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary.

2. Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the existing conditions.

3. Create a wildfire exposure map to design fuel treatment alternatives.

4. Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the treatment alternatives.

5. Assess the effectiveness of the fuel treatment alternatives.

The following scenario will complete the above steps using a landscape 

file comprised of FVS run values surrounded by LANDFIRE grids to model 

fire behavior. 

Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

The data supplied by LANDFIRE, Mt_Emily_Database.mdb, and the mt_emily_

stands.shp are assumed to be accurate and not in need of updating.

Step 2: Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the existing conditions—

Before FlamMap3 can be run, the input LCP file must be built. The existing 

conditions LCP (fvs_lf_notreat.lcp) built in Exercise 4-22 from LANDFIRE and 

FFE-FVS data will be used in FlamMap3. FlamMap3 will be run to output crown 

fire activity, flame length, and burn probability. Rather than doing separate runs for 

flame length and crown fire activity and then burn probability, both can be run at 

once in FlamMap3.

1. Open FlamMap3, load the fvs_lf_notreat.lcp, and create a new run.

2. Select the Inputs tab (fig. 7-18).

a. Run name: type “Wildfire Exposure Alt” in the text box.

This scenario will 

require many steps 

within ArcMap. There 

are several ways to 

accomplish the steps 

provided. If you are 

more comfortable with 

another method, please 

do what you know.
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b. Fuel Moisture File (*.fms): navigate to and load the mtemily_fuelmoisture.FMS from the data folder.

c. Select the radio button to the left of Wind Direction.

i. Windspeed (MPH @20’): type “15” in the text box. 

ii. Azimuth (Degrees): type “225” in the text box.

d. Foliar Moisture Content (%): type “100” in the text box.

Figure 7-18— Inputs tab for a wildfire exposure run.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

e. Select the radio button to the left of Use Fuel Moisture Conditioning.

iii. Weather file (*.wtr): navigate to and load the mtemily_weather.wtr

from the data folder.

iv. Wind file (*.wnd): navigate to and load the mtemily_wind.wnd from 

the data folder.

v. Fuel Moisture Conditioning Period: set the Start date to “8/10” and 

the End date to “8/14.” Set the Start and End times to “13:00 PM.”

f. Click Apply.

3. Select the Fire Behavior Outputs tab (fig. 7-19).

a. Processor Usage and Memory/Disk Usage: leave the default values 

in place.

Figure 7-19—Fire Behavior Outputs tab for basic fire behavior run in FlamMap3.
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b. Output Grids: select Flame Length.

c. Crown Fire Calculation Method: select the radio button to the left of 

Scott/Reinhardt (2001).

d. Options: select the radio button to the left of Relative Spread Direction 

From Maximum; this is the default.

e. Click Apply. 

4. Select the Minimum Travel Time tab (fig. 7-20).

a. Select the radio button to the left of Random. Then set the Number of 

Random Ignitions to “5000.”

b. Resolution of calculations (distance): type “90” in the text box. 

c. Maximum Simulation Time: type “480” in the text box. 

Figure 7-20—Minimum Travel Time tab for a burn probability run in FlamMap3.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

d. Interval for Minimum Travel Paths (distance): type “500” in the text 

box; this is the default.

e. Click Apply and then click Launch. This might take 30–60 minutes 

depending on your computer.

f. Once the run has completed, click OK to close the run window.

5. Name the output ASCII files as “fvs_nt_fl” and “fvs_nt_bp” for flame 

length (change the units to ft) exposure and burn probability, respectively, 

and save them in the outputs folder.

Step 3: Create a wildfire exposure map to design fuel treatment alternatives—

In this step, a wildfire exposure map will be created from the flame length and 

burn probability outputs from FlamMap3. The process is similar to creating a 

wildfire hazard map. Once the map is created, it will be used to create two 

treatment alternatives.

• Alternative 1 will treat all forested areas of moderate, high, and 

extreme wildfire exposure, which is about 30 percent of the landscape. 

• Alternative 2 will treat all forested areas with high and extreme wildfire exposure, which is about 15 percent of the landscape. 

1. If not already in the ArcMap table of contents, add the forest_type grid. 

This was created in Wildfire risk assessment–Creating scatter plots and 

was saved in the outputs folder.

2. Convert the flame length and burn probability ASCII files to grids 

using the Batch Convert Ascii to Grid form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels 

ToolbarConversion Batch Convert Ascii to Grid).

a. Convert and add to the map the fvs_nt_fl.asc and fvs_nt_bp.asc files as 

Floating point with the Spatial Reference defined for both.

3. Reclassify flame length based on the hauling chart values (table 7-1) using 

the Reclassify tool in ArcMap (ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst Tools 

ReclassReclassify, fig. 7-21). 

a. Input raster: select fvs_nt_fl from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select Value from the drop-down list.

c. Click the Classify button to open the Classification form (fig. 7-4).

i. Method: select Equal Interval from the drop-down list to change 

the number of Classes.
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ii. Classes: select 5 from the drop-down list.

iii. Break values: highlight the values and type in “0,” “4,” “8,” and 

“11” for the first 4 values; leave the last value as it appears. After 

this is done, the Method will default to Manual (fig. 7-4).

iv. Click OK to apply the changes and return to the Reclassify form.

d. Set the New values to be the upper end (highest amount within its 

range of flame lengths) of the Old values, which correlates to the flame 

length categories used in the prior step (fig. 7-21).

e. Output raster: name the output raster “fvs_nt_fl_c” and save it in the 

outputs folder. The “c” at the end signifies that this is a classified version of the flame length output.

f. Click OK to close the Reclassify form and complete the reclassification.

Figure 7-21—Reclassify form set up to reclassify flame length into categories.
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4. Reclassify burn probability using the Reclassify tool in ArcMap 

(ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst ToolsReclassReclassify, fig. 7-22). This 

time we will create four quantile classes and then add a zero class. The quantile option creates classes with an equal number of features in each class. 

a. Input raster: select fvs_nt_bp from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select Value from the drop-down list.

c. Click the Classify button to open the Classification form (fig. 7-23).

i. Click the Exclusions... button and under the Value tab type “0” in 

the text box, then click OK to return to the Classification form. 

This excludes values where burn probability is 0 from the quantile 

classification.

ii. Method: select Quantile from the drop-down list.

iii. Classes: select 4 from the drop-down list.

iv. Click OK.

Figure 7-22—Reclassify form in ArcMap set to reclassify burn probability.
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d. Click Add Entry and add a new line where the Old values and New 

values fields are both “0” (fig. 7-22).

e. Click Save... (fig. 7-22) and save the classification as “fvs_nt_bp_quantiles” in the outputs folder for later use.

f. Output raster: name it “fvs_nt_bp_c” and save it to the outputs folder. 

g. Click OK to close the Reclassify form and complete the reclassification.

5. Create a wildfire exposure grid using the Combine tool in ArcMap 

(ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst ToolsLocalCombine, fig. 7-24).

a. Input rasters: fvs_nt_bp_c, fvs_nt_fl_c, and forest_type.

Figure 7-23—Setting the categories for a reclassification in ArcMap.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

b. Click Environments.... to set the output resolution to 30 m (fig. 7-25). 

i. Expand Raster Analysis Settings.

ii. Cell size: select As Specified Below from the drop-down list and 

type “30” in the text box below.

iii. Click OK to close the Environment Settings form and return to 

the Combine form.

c. Output raster: name it “fvs_nt_risk” and save it to the outputs folder.

d. Click OK to close the Combine form and complete the combine.

6. Open the attributes table for the fvs_nt_risk grid. 

a. Add a text field named “RISK” and update the field values using the 

probabilistic wildfire hazard matrix (fig. 7-11). 

b. Add a text field named “FOREST.” 

7. Join the forest_type grid to the fvs_nt_risk update the field with the 

forest names. 

a. In the ArcMap table of contents, right-click on the fvs_nt_risk grid.

Figure 7-24—Combine form with grids added to create wildfire exposure map.
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b. Select Joins and RelatesJoin to open the Join Data form (fig. 7-26).

i. What do you want to join to this layer: select Join attributes from a 

table from the drop-down list.

ii. 1. Choose the field in this layer that the join will be based on: select 

FOREST_TYPE from the drop-down list.

iii. 2. Choose the table to join to this layer, or load the table from disk: 

select forest_type from the drop-down list.

iv. 3. Choose the field in the bale to base the join on: select VALUE

from the drop-down list.

v. Join Options: select the radio button to the left of Keep all records.

vi. Click OK to complete the join.

Figure 7-25—Environment Settings form specifying the output grid resolution.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Return to the fvs_nt_risk attributes table to populate the FOREST field. 

i. Right-click on the FOREST field, which will now be called fvs_

nt_risk.vat:FOREST, and select Field Calculator from the menu to 

open the Field Calculator form (fig. 7-27).

ii. Update fvs_nt_risk.vat:FOREST select forest_type.

vat:FORESTTYPE from the Fields box or type “[forest_type.

vat:FORESTTYPE]” in the box.

iii. Click OK. 

Figure 7-26—Join form set up to join the forest_type grid attributes to the fvs_nt_

risk grid.
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8. Remove the join (right-click on fvs_nt_expos and select 

Joins and RelatesRemove Join(s)Remove All Joins).

9. In ArcMap, change the display of lf_nt_expos to show the EXPOSURE field 

(fig. 7-28). 

a. Right-click on the grid name in the table of contents, select Properties

from the list, and select the Symbology tab.

b. Show: select Unique Values from the options in the box.

c. Value field: select EXPOSURE from the drop-down list.

d. Set NONE to be black, LOW to be green, MODERATE to be yellow, 

HIGH to be orange, and EXTREME to be red to match that of the risk 

matrix (fig. 7-11).

e. Click OK to close the form.

Figure 7-27—Field Calculator form updating the forest type name field.
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11. Add two short integer fields “ALTERNATIVE_1” and 

“ALTERNATIVE_2” to the fvs_nt_expos grid attributes table. 

a. Select all forested areas (all types except Nonforested) of moderate, 

high, and extreme exposure and update the ALTERNATIVE_1 field to 

equal “1.”

b. Select all forested areas of high and extreme exposure and update the 

ALTERNATIVE_2 field to equal “1.”

12. Create new 0/1 grids from these two fields using the Reclassify tool in ArcMap 

(ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst ToolsReclassReclassify, fig. 7-29). 

a. Input raster: select fvs_nt_expos from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select ALTERNATIVE_1 from the drop-down list.

c. Output raster: name the grid “alt1” and “alt2” and save it to the outputs 

folder.

13. Repeat step 12 for ALTERNATIVE_2.

14. Assign the Combo.kcp to the stands requiring treatment using the Assign 

Prescriptions to Landscape form (ArcFuels ToolbarLandscape

Assign Prescriptions to Landscape, fig. 7-30). 

a. Target Scenario field name: select Alt1_Expos from the drop-down list.

Figure 7-28—Maps of flame length (A), burn probability (B), and probabilistic 

wildfire hazard (C) from LANDFIRE and FVS data.

The probabilistic 

wildfire hazard map 

gives information not 

only about the hazard 

but about the liklehood 

of a fire occurring.
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Figure 7-29—Reclassify form filled out to reclassify the ALTERNATIVE_1 field of the risk 

grid to create a 0/1 grid to assign fuel treatments using ArcFuels.

Figure 7-30—Assign Prescriptions form set up to assign prescriptions based on a wildfire 

exposure treatment alternative.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

b. Click Clear All KCPs From Scenario.

c. KCP filename to be assigned: select Combo.kcp from the drop-down list.

d. TOM Grid Layer: select alt1 from the drop-down list.

e. Threshold: treat stand if at least.... percent of pixels are marked treat: 

type “50” in the text box.

f. Click Assign Rx Using TOM Output Grid.

15. Repeat step 14 with the Alt2_Risk field and the alt2 grid.

16. Run FVS for the stands with treatments using the treatment field for both 

alternatives using the Run FVS form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels Toolbar 

LandscapeSimulate Landscape TreatmentsRun FVS, fig. 7-31). 

a. Input Database: the default database Mt_Emily_Database.mdb.

b. Stand Table: keep the default, stands.

c. Stand ID: keep the default, Stand_ID.

d. Output Database: use the navigation button to create a new output 

database named”Alt1_Risk.”

e. Scenario name: type “risk1” in the text box to the right. 

f. Stand selection: select the radio button to the left of Run stands with 

prescriptions. 

g. Prescription Source: click on the Add/Change Fields button and select 

the Alt1_Risk field using the Select KCP Fields form that opens.

h. Cycles: type”10” in the text box.

i. Years per cycle: type “1” into the text box. 

j. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

k. Check Execute, Overwrite DB, and make sure the rest are unchecked. 

l. Scenario Index: type “1” into the text box.

m. Click the Run FVS button to start the FVS simulation. Depending on 

your computer, this should take about 15 minutes.

17. Repeat step 16 for Alt2_Risk.

18. Create grids for both treatment alternatives Using FVS Database

form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarLandscapeBuild FlamMap 

LandscapeUsing FVS Database, fig. 7-32).
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a. Elevation: select elevation from the drop-down list.

b. Slope: select slope from the drop-down list.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Stand ID Grid: select stands from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.

Figure 7-31—FVS run window set to run only stands with prescriptions for the Alt1_Risk alternative.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio button, then select the stands grid from the drop-down list.

g. FVS Output Database: select the notreat.mdb from the outputs folder 

using the navigation button.

h. Output Table: select FVS_Compute from the drop-down list.

i. Stand ID Field: select StandID from the drop-down list.

j. Year: select 2005 from the drop-down list.

k. Scenario: select 1 from the drop-down list.

l. Fuel model: select FML from the drop-down list.

m. Canopy Cover: select CANOPY from the drop-down list.

n. Canopy Height: select HTT from the drop-down list.

Figure 7-32—Creating treated grids from two FVS databases for the Alt1_Risk alternative.
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o. Canopy Base Height: select HTLIVE from the drop-down list.

p. Canopy Bulk Density: select CBD from the drop-down list.

q. Apply Treatments: check the box to the left.

r. Treated Stands Database: navigate to and select the Alt1_Risk.mdb in 

the outputs folder.

s. Click Create Arc Grids.

i. Use “alt1_xxx” where xxx is cc, ch, cbh, cbd, or fm to name the 

new grids.

19. Repeat step 18 for Alt2_Risk.

20. Create an LCP with LANDFIRE and FVS treated data for the risk treatment 

alternative with the Using Multiple Sources form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels 

Toolbar LandscapeBuild FlamMap LandscapeUsing Multiple 

Sources, fig. 7-33).

Figure 7-33—Building a landscape file from FVS and LANDFIRE data.
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a. Slope: using the navigation button, select slope in degrees. 

b. Aspect: using the navigation button, select aspect in azimuth degrees.

c. Fuel Model: using the navigation button, select alt1_fm then lf_fbfm40. 

d. Canopy cover: using the navigation button, select alt1_cc in percent

then lf_cc in percent.

e. Canopy Height: using the navigation button, select alt1_ch in feet then 

lf_ch in meters*10.

f. Canopy Base Height: using the navigation button, select alt1_cbh in 

feet then lf_cbh in meters*10.

g. Canopy Bulk Density: using the navigation button, select alt1_cbd in 

kg/m^3 then lf_cbd in kg/m^3*100.

h. Latitude: type “45” in the text box.

i. The output boundaries are based on: select the radio button to the left 

of Grid Layer, then select elevation from the drop-down list.

j. LCP Output File: using the navigation button name the file “Alt1_Risk.lcp.”

k. Click the Build LCP button.

21. Repeat step 20 for Alt2_Risk

Step 4: Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the treatment alternatives—

Run FlamMap3 using the same settings as Step 2 with the Alt1_Expos.lcp and 

Alt2_Risk.lcp LCPs built in Step 3.

Step 5: Assess the effectiveness of the fuel treatment alternatives—

To assess the effectiveness of the fuel treatment alternatives, run FlamMap3, 

create exposure maps and summarize the data (fig. 7-34 and 7-35; table 7-3). For an 

example of how to create a wildfire exposure map, see Step 3. For an example of 

how to summarize by wildfire exposure category, refer to the Evaluating Wildfire 

Hazard section. For an example of how to create a scatter plot, refer to the Wildfire 

Risk Assessment: Creating a Wildfire Exposure Scatter Plot section.

Were the fuel treatment alternatives effective? Are there other areas that 

might benefit from treatment? Or perhaps using different fuel treatment prescriptions for different forest types (see the nonforested point in the scatter) would be 

more effective? 

Remember that the fuel treatment alternatives were based on risk and forest 

type only. If your objective was to protect lynx habitat or WUI, are the treatment 

alternatives still effective?
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Figure 7-34—Wildfire probabilistic wildfire hazard (PWH) maps for the 

three fuel treatment alternatives.

Figure 7-35—Scatter plots by forest type for the three fuel treatment alternatives.

Table 7-3—Wildfire exposure comparison for the existing conditions, alternative 

1 and alternative 2 for the entire landscape

Exposure No treatment Alternative 1 Alternative 2

Acres Percent Acres Percent Acres Percent

None 0 0 0 0 0 0

Low 18,967 47 26,634 66 25,424 63

Mod 7,264 18 3,228 8 5,650 14

High 4,843 12 3,228 8 3,228 8

Ext 8,878 22 6,860 17 6,053 15

Grand fir Nonforested Douglas-fir

Ponderosa pine Western larch Subalpine fir

Lodgepole pine Engelmann spruce

a) No treatment b) Alternative 1 c) Alternative 2

0

5

10

15

20

25

0.000 0.010 0.020

Flame length (ft)

Burn probability

0

5

10

15

20

25

0.000 0.010 0.020

Flame length (ft)

Burn probability

0

5

10

15

20

25

0.000 0.010 0.020

Flame length (ft)

Burn probability

Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir

Once maps are created 

they can be further 

analyzed in ArcMap. 

One useful step might 

be differencing the 

maps to see where the 

exposure increased or 

decreased as a result 

of treatment.
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Designing Landscape Level Fuel Treatment Alternatives By 

Using TOM With Grid and FVS Data 

As mentioned, the TOM in FlamMap3 locates treatments to block the fastest 

routes of travel and maximize the reduction in spread rate across a landscape per 

area treated. Because TOM uses an ideal landscape to define where treatments are 

allowed to occur, the output treatment grid can be used without having to further 

limit treatment area. However, there are a couple of limitations that should be 

shared: (1) the TOM treatment grid does often have single pixel (grid cell) treatment units that would not be practical to implement in the real world and should 

be scrutinized, and (2) the TOM treatment grid is designed for a single potential 

problem fire under specific fire weather conditions. Given the known limitations, 

TOM is a great tool to use as starting point for fuel treatment planning. However, 

without further editing, the TOM treatment grid might not be realistic. That said, 

the following scenario will be using the TOM treatment grid to locate stands needing treatment, then FVS to develop treatment adjustment factors.

The steps required to do this type of analysis are:

1. Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary.

2. Run the Treatment Optimization Model in FlamMap3.

3. Use the treatment grid and FVS/FFE-FVS to develop fuel treatment 

alternatives in ArcFuels.

4. Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the treatment alternatives.

5. Assess the effectiveness of the treatment alternatives.

The following scenario will complete the above steps using LANDFIRE grids 

to create the no-treatment alternative and ideal landscape LCP files for TOM 

modeling in FlamMap3. Tree list data will be run through FVS to determine treatment adjustment factors to be applied based on forest types. Landscape files will be 

built for two fuel treatment alternatives and a risk assessment will be completed to 

compare the no-treatment alternative to the two TOM treatment alternatives. 

Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

The data supplied by LANDFIRE are assumed to be accurate and not in need 

of updating. The supplied FVS data is also assumed to be accurate.

NOTE: The values in table 7-3 and scatter plots in figure 7-35 will be slightly 

different for each run because no burn probability runs are exactly the same.

When limited FVS data 

are available, they 

can be used to create 

treatment adjustment 

factors to update grid 

data. More often than 

not, FVS data will 

not be available for 

every stand in your 

landscape.
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Step 2: Run the Treatment Optimization Model in FlamMap3—

Before FlamMap3 can be run, the input LCP files must be built. The existing conditions LCP (lf_notreat.lcp) was created in Exercise 4-20 and the ideal landscape 

LCP (lf_ideal_treat.lcp) was created in Exercise 6-4. The Treatment Optimization 

Model was run in Exercise 6-4 and the treatment grid, lf_tom20.asc, was saved to 

the outputs folder. 

Step 3: Use the TOM treatment grid and FVS/FFE-FVS to develop a fuel 

treatment alternative in ArcFuels—

The treatment grid from TOM can be used a number of ways to create fuel treatment alternatives. We will use the TOM treatment grid to locate treatments and run 

FVS to derive treatment adjustment factors by forest type, which are then “applied” 

using the ArcFuels.

1. Convert the lf_tom20.asc as an integer type using the Convert Ascii to 

Grid form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarConversion Convert Ascii 

to Grid). Name the grid “lf_tom20” and save it in the outputs folder.

2. To use the lf_tom20 grid with tools in ArcFuels, it must be a grid with the 

same extent and resolution as other data. This will be completed using 

the Extract by Mask tool in ArcMap (ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst 

ToolsExtractionExtract by Mask, fig. 7-36).

Figure 7-36—Extract by Mask tool setup to mask the lf_tom20 grid by the 

stands grid.

a. Input raster: select lf_tom_20 from the drop-down list.

b. Input raster or feature mask data: select stands from the drop-down 

list.

c. Output raster: name the grid “lf_tom20_mask” and save it in the outputs folder.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

d. Set the output resolution to 30 m (Environments...Raster Analysis 

Settings, fig. 7-25). 

i. Cell size: select As Specified Below from the drop-down list and 

type “30” in the text box below.

ii. Click OK to save and apply the changes.

e. Click OK to create the new grid.

3. Assign prescriptions to stands where at least 33 percent of a stand is 

marked as “treated” by TOM (ArcFuels ToolbarLandscapeAssign 

Prescriptions to Landscape, fig. 7-37).

a. Target Scenario field name: select Alt1_TOM from the drop-down list.

b. Click Clear All KCPs From Scenario.

c. KCP filename to be assigned: select Combo.kcp from the drop-down list.

d. TOM Grid Layer: select lf_tom20_mask from the drop-down list.

Figure 7-37—Assign Prescriptions form setup to assign the Combo.kcp to stands where at least 33 percent was 

chosen as needing treatment in TOM.
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e. Threshold: treat stand if at least.... percent of pixels are marked treat: 

type “33” in the text box.

f. Click Assign Rx Using TOM Output Grid.

4. Run FVS for the stands with treatments using the treatment field using the 

Run FVS form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarLandscape Simulate 

Landscape TreatmentsRun FVS, fig. 7-38). 

Figure 7-38—FVS run tab set to run only stands with prescriptions for the Alt1_TOM alternative.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

a. Input Database: the default database Mt_Emily_Database.mdb.

b. Stand Table: keep the default, stands.

c. Stand ID: keep the default, Stand_ID.

d. Output Database: use the navigation button to create a new output 

database named”Alt1_TOM.”

e. Scenario name: type “tom1” in the text box to the right. 

f. Stand selection: select the radio button to the left of Run stands with 

prescriptions. 

g. Prescription Source: click on the Add/Change Fields button and select 

the Alt1_TOM field using the Select KCP Fields form that opens.

h. Cycles: type”10” in the text box.

i. Years per cycle: type “1” into the text box. 

j. Fuel model set: select 53 from the drop-down list.

k. Check Execute, Overwrite DB, and make sure the rest are unchecked. 

l. Scenario Index: type “1” into the text box.

m. Click the Run FVS button to start the FVS simulation. Depending on 

your computer, this should take about 15 minutes.

5. Join the FVS_Compute table from the Alt1_TOM.mdb to the mt_emily_

stands shapefile for 2005 using the Join FVS Outputs to Polygons form 

in ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarLandscapeSimulate Landscape 

TreatmentsJoin FVS Outputs to Polygons, fig. 7-39).

6. Open the mt_emily_stands attribute table and select all stands where joined 

data is not <Null> (ArcMapSelectionSelect By Attributes). These 

are the stands that received treatment. There should be 241 stands selected 

(fig. 7-40).

7. Run summary statistics on the treated stands to find the pretreatment 

average values for canopy cover, canopy height, canopy base height, 

and canopy bulk density by forest type using the Summary Statistics 

tool in ArcMap (ArcToolboxAnalysis ToolsStatisticsSummary 

Statistics, fig. 7-41).

a. Input Table: select mt_emily_stands from the drop-down list.

b. Output Table: name the table “mt_emily_stands_notreat_stats.dbf” and 

save it in the outputs folder.
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Figure 7-39—Joining FVS outputs to the Mt. Emily stands polygon.

Figure 7-40—ArcSelected stands that had at least 33 percent of their area needing treatment 

according to TOM.
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c. Statistics Field(s): select FVS_Compute2005.CANOPY, FVS_

Compute2005.HTT, FVS_Compute2005.HTLIVE, and FVS_

Compute2005.CBD from the drop-down list.

d. Statistic Type: select MEAN from the drop-down list for each Field. 

Click in the box to get the drop-down list to show.

e. Case field (optional): select mt_emily_stands.ForestType from the 

drop-down list.

f. Click OK to complete the summary statistics.

8. Remove the join using the Join FVS Outputs to Polygons form in 

ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarLandscapeSimulate Landscape 

TreatmentsJoin FVS Outputs to Polygons, fig. 7-39).

9. Join the FVS_Compute table from the notreat.mdb to the mt_emily_

stands shapefile for 2005 using the Join FVS Outputs to Polygons form 

in ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarLandscapeSimulate Landscape 

TreatmentsJoin FVS Outputs to Polygons).

Figure 7-41—Summary Statistics form to calculate the mean canopy characteristics by forest type.
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10. Repeat step 7 for the notreat.mdb, naming the output “mt_emily_stands_

untreated_statistics.dbf” and saving it to the outputs folder.

11. Using the File Explorer in ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarProjects and 

FilesFile Explorer) open the outputs folder.

12. Open the mt_emily_stands_notreat_statistics.dbf and mt_emily_stands_

treat_statistics.dbf files with Excel. Note that the headers were truncated 

(fig. 7-42). They are in the order selected in the Summary Statistics form: 

MEAN_FVS_C is canopy cover (CANOPY), MEAN_FVS_1 is canopy 

height (HTT), MEAN_FVS_2 is canopy base height (HTLIVE), and 

MEAN_FVS_3 is canopy bulk density (CBD).

13. Create a new Excel workbook named “ForestTypeTreatmentAdjustments” 

in the outputs folder.

a. Copy and paste the untreated and treated tables into the new workbook and relabel the columns (see step 12). Label each table so that you 

know which is which.

14. Within the Excel workbook, calculate the forest specific treatment adjustment factors. 

a. Adjustment factors can be replacements or multiplication factors. In 

this example, multiplication factors will be calculated. The formula for 

calculating the adjustment factors is: 

1-((no-treatment – treated) / no treatment).

b. For an example of how to do this, see Exercise 4-4.

15. Open the Treatment_adjustments.mdb in the data folder, copy and paste the 

example_treatment_adjustment table into the same Access database, and 

rename the table “forest_type.”

Figure 7-42—Untreated summary statistics table opened in Excel.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

a. Right-click on the table name and select Copy from the menu.

b. Right-click below the table name and select Paste from the menu. 

Rename it when the Paste Table As window opens.

16. Open the new forest_type table. 

a. Delete the old data by highlighting all the data lines and pressing 

Delete on your keyboard.

b. Add a new text field named “forest_type_name.” 

i. With the table open, switch to Design View (Access Ribbon 

ViewsDesign View).

ii. Under Field Name add a new line called “forest_type_name” 

(fig. 7-43).

Figure 7-43—Adding a text field to the Access data table.

c. Switch back to the Datasheet View (Access RibbonViews 

Datasheet View). When prompted to save the changes, click Yes.

d. Type the adjustment values into the table. Update the fm_adj to “181” 

for all forest types. Because the forest_type grid has a 0 value for the 

grand fir forest type we need to assign new values to the forest types to 

be able to use ArcFuels tools. Renumber treat_type based on numbering forest types alphabetically (i.e., Douglas-fir = 1, Englemann spruce 

= 2, etc., fig. 7-44).

17. Close the Treatment_adjustments.mdb database.

NOTE: The same process can be run when limited stand data is available. It 

is not necessary to have tree list data for every stand in the landscape to derive 

treatment adjustment factors. However, a sufficient sample should be available to 

represent the variance within a given landscape, forest type, etc.
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18. Combine the lf_tom20_mask and forest_type grids using the Combine tool 

(ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst ToolsLocalCombine, fig. 7-45).

a. Input rasters: lf_tom20_mask and forest_type.

b. Set the output resolution to 30 m (Environments...Raster Analysis 

Settings, fig. 7-25).

i. Cell size: select As Specified Below from the drop-down list and 

type “30” in the text box below.

c. Name the Output raster “tom_forest” and save it to the outputs folder

Figure 7-44—Forest specific treatment adjustment factors.

Figure 7-45—Combine from set to for combining the forest type and 

TOM grids.

After treatment 

adjustment factors are 

calculated, verify that 

the values are realistic. 

Is an 808 percent 

increase in canopy 

base height accurate 

for posttreatment in 

Engelmann spruce?
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

19. Open the attributes table for tom_forest and add a text field 

named “FOREST.”

20. Join the forest_type grid to the tom_forest grid to update the FOREST_

NAME field with the forest names. In the ArcMap table of contents, rightclick on the tom_forest grid.

a. Select Joins and Relates from the menu. 

b. Select Join and fill out as shown in figure 7-26.

c. Click OK.

21. Return to the tom_forest attributes table to populate the FOREST field. 

a. Right-click on the FOREST field, which will now be called tom_forest.

vat:FOREST, and select Field Calculator from the menu to open the 

Field Calculator form (fig. 7-27)

i. Update tom_ forest.vat:FOREST select forest_type.

vat:FORESTTYPE from the Fields box or type “[forest_type.

vat:FORESTTYPE]” in the box.

ii. Click OK. 

b. Add a short integer field named “TREAT_TYPE.” 

i. If LF_TOM20 has a value of 1 then update the TREAT_TYPE field 

with the new forest appropriate treat_type values from forest_type

stand table of the Treatment_adjustments.mdb database (fig. 7-44). 

ii. If LF_TOM20 has a value of 0 then update the TREAT_TYPE field 

with a 0.

22. Remove the join (right-click on tom_forestJoins and RelatesRemove 

Join(s)Remove All Joins).

23. Create a new treatment type grid from the tom_forest grid using 

the Reclassify tool (ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst Tools 

ReclassReclassify, fig. 7-46). 

a. Input raster: select tom_forest from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select TREAT_TYPE from the drop-down list.

c. Reclassification: have the new classes match the old classes.

d. Output raster: name the new grid “tom_trt_type” and save it to the 

outputs folder.

Look at the new treatment grid in ArcMap (fig. 7-47).
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Figure 7-46—Reclassify form to create the treatment type grid for use with ArcFuels.

Figure 7-47—Forest specific treatment plan based on TOM run 

completed in FlamMap3.

0 52.5

mi  ̧

0 - No treatment

1 - Douglas-fir

2 - Engelmann spruce

3 - Englemann spruce-subalpine fir

4 - Grand fir

5 - Lodgepole pine

6 - Nonforested

7 - Ponderosa pine

8 - Subalpine fir

9 - Western larch
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

24. Build a landscape file while applying treatments using treatment adjustment factors using the Using ArcGIS Grid Data form (ArcFuels 

ToolbarLandscape Build FlamMap LandscapeUsing ArcGIS 

Grid Data, fig. 7-48).

a. Elevation: select elevation and meters from the drop-down lists.

b. Slope: select slope and degrees from the drop-down lists.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Distance Units: select meters from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.

f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio button, then select elevation from the drop-down list.

Figure 7-48—Building the treated landscape from TOM and FVS modeling.

Without the Build 

FlamMap Landscape 

form Apply Treatment 

Adjustments option, 

each grid (canopy 

cover, canopy height, 

canopy bulk density, 

and fuel model) would 

need to be updated 

individually before 

building the LCP.
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g. Apply Treatment Adjustments: check the box to the left. This will make 

more options available.

i. Treatment Type Database: navigate to and select the Treatment_

adjustments.mdb in the data folder using the navigation button.

ii. Treatment Location Grid: select lf_tom20_mask from the dropdown list.

iii. Treatment Type Grid: select tom_trt_type from the drop-down list.

iv. Treatment Adjustment Table: select forest_type from the dropdown list.

v. Treatment Type ID Field: select treat_type from the drop-down list.

h. Fuel Model: select lf_fbfm40 and fm_adj from the drop-down lists.

i. Canopy Cover: select lf_cc, percent, and cc_adj from the drop-down 

lists.

j. Canopy Height: select lf_ch, meters,*10, and ch_adj from the dropdown lists.

k. Canopy Base Height: select lf_cbh, meters,*10, and cbh_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

l. Canopy Bulk Density: select lf_cbd, kg/m3,*100, and cbd_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

m. LCP Output File: using the navigation button name the LCP “tom_alt.”

n. Click Build LCP.

TROUBLESHOOTING: If you 

get an error message stating that the 

cell sizes do not match (fig. 7-49), 

check the properties of the Treatment 

Location and Treatment Type Grids. 

Chances are that one is 90 m and 

needs to be 30 m; both must be 30 m.

Figure 7-49—LCP building error window. 

Step 4: Run FlamMap3 fire behavior runs for the treatment alternatives—

In this step, FlamMap3 will be run for both the no-treatment and the TOM-derived 

alternatives. The same line ignition from the TOM run (Exercise 6-4) in FlamMap3 will be used to run MTT. In addition the no-treatment alternative LCP 

(lf_notreat.lcp) will be used (created in Exercise 4-20).
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

1. Open FlamMap3 and load the lf_notreat.lcp. Create a new run, and select 

the Inputs tab (fig. 7-50). 

a. Run name: type “No treat MTT” in the text box.

b. Fuel Moisture File (*.fms): navigate to and load the mtemily_fuelmoisture.FMS from the data folder.

c. Select the radio button to the left of Wind Direction.

i. Windspeed (MPH @20’): type “15” in the text box. 

ii. Azimuth (Degrees): type “225” in the text box.

Figure 7-50—FlamMap3 Inputs tab for the no-treatment alternative.
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d. Foliar Moisture Content (%): type “100” in the text box.

e. Select the radio button to the left of Use Fuel Moisture Conditioning.

i. Weather file (*.wtr): navigate to and load the mtemily_weather.wtr

from the data folder.

ii. Wind file (*.wnd): navigate to and load the mtemily_wind.wnd from 

the data folder.

iii. Fuel Moisture Conditioning Period: set the Start date to “8/10” and 

the End date to “8/14.” Set the Start and End times to “13:00 PM.”

f. Click Apply.

2. Select the Fire Behavior Outputs tab.

a. Processor Usage and Memory/Disk Usage: leave the default values in 

place.

b. Crown Fire Calculation Method: select the radio button to the left of 

Scott/Reinhardt (2001).

c. Click Apply.

3. Select the Minimum Travel Time tab (fig. 7-51).

a. Ignitions: load the ignition.shp file from the outputs folder.

b. Resolution of calculations: type “90” in the text box.

c. Maximum Simulation Time: type “0” in the text box.

d. Interval for Minimum Travel Paths: type “500” in the text box.

e. Outputs: select Rate of Spread Grid, Arrival Time Grid, Fire Intensity 

Map, and Major Paths.

f. Click Apply, then Launch.

4. Save the outputs.

a. Save the MTT Major Paths as “tom_nt_mtt_paths.shp” in the outputs 

folder.

b. Change the units for the MTT FLI Map to BTU/ft/sec and save it as 

“tom_nt_fli.asc” in the outputs folder. 

c. Contour the MTT Arrival Time to create a progression map.

i. To contour, right-click on the theme in the pane and select Contour

from the menu. 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

ii. Contour interval: set the interval to 480. This is 8 hr or 1 day.

iii. Minimum Distance between points on a contour line: set the distance to 90. This is the default and is equal to the resolution used in 

the FlamMap3 run.

iv. Click OK.

v. Expand Auxiliary Themes, then expand Contours. The created contour will be there. Save the contour file as “tom_nt_contour480.shp.”

5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 with the tom_alt.lcp saving the outputs as “tom_alt_.....”

Figure 7-51—FlamMap3 Minimum Travel Time tab for the no-treatment alternative.
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Step 5: Assess the effectiveness of the treatment alternatives—

To assess the effectiveness of the TOM treatment alternative, we will create two 

maps, one with the MTT travel paths and the treatment units, and another with the 

fire progression (contours) and treatment units. Next we will summarize fire severity using fireline intensity inside and outside of treatment units based on hauling 

chart (table 7-1) categories.

1. Add the tom_nt_mtt_paths.shp, tom_alt_mtt_paths.shp, tom_nt_contour480.shp, and tom_alt_contour480.shp layers from FlamMap3 to 

ArcMap from the outputs folder.

a. The outputs saved from FlamMap3 do not contain projection information; a warning window will open (fig. 7-52). Click OK.

Figure 7-52—Unknown Spatial Reference window from ArcMap.

2. Define the projection (NAD_1983_UTM_Zone_11N) of all four newly 

added FlamMap3 layers in ArcMap (ArcToolboxData Management 

ToolsProjections and TransformationsDefine Projection).

3. Display the MTT treatment paths over the tom_trt_type grid (fig. 7-53). 

Zoom into and out of different areas. Did the treatments affect fire spread?

4. Display the fire progression contours over the tom_trt_type grid (fig. 7-54). 

Did the treatments slow the daily fire spread?

5. Batch convert the tom_nt_fli.asc and tom_alt_fli.asc as integer types 

while defining the projection using the Batch Convert Ascii to Grid form 

(ArcFuels ToolbarConversion Batch Convert Ascii to Grid). 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

6. Reclassify tom_nt_fli according to the hauling chart (ArcFuels Toolbar 

Spatial Analyst ToolsReclassReclassify, table 7-1; fig. 7-55).

a. Input raster: select tom_nt_fli from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select VALUE from the drop-down list.

c. Reclassification: click Classify... to open the Classification form (fig. 

7-56).

i. Method: select Equal Interval from the drop-down list.

Figure 7-53—Minimum Travel Time paths for the no-treatment and TOM treatment alternatives 

over the treatment units for the whole landscape (A), and then zoomed in to show the differences 

between the no-treatment (B) and TOM alternative (C) for the same area. FlamMap MTT travel 

paths show how the 

fire moves across 

the landscape. When 

they are overlayed on 

treatment units, you 

can see the effect of 

the planned treatment 

alternatives on fire 

spread.
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ii. Classes: select 5 from the 

drop-down list.

iii. Break Values: set the values to 0, 100, 500, 1000

and the high value (11670

in the example).

iv. Click OK.

v. Set the New Values to 

match the high end of the 

Old values classes.

d. Output raster: name the grid 

“tom_nt_fli_c” and save it to 

the outputs folder.

7. Repeat step 6 with the tom_alt_fli

grid.

8. Tabulate the area and percentage 

of the landscape in each fireline 

intensity class inside and outside 

of treatment units for the no-treatment alternative using the tom_

nt_fli_c and lf_tom20_mask grids 

(ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst 

ToolsZonalTabulate Area, 

fig. 7-57).

a. Input raster or feature zone 

data: select lf_tom20_mask

from the drop-down list.

b. Zone field: select VALUE from the drop-down list.

c. Input raster of feature class data: select tom_nt_fli_c from the dropdown list.

d. Class field: select VALUE from the drop-down list.

Figure 7-54—Minimum Travel Time Arrival Time 

contours of daily (480 min) fire progression for the 

no-treatment and TOM treatment alternatives over 

the treatment units for the whole landscape.

The distance between 

contour lines (daily 

fire progression) show 

that the treatment 

alternative is effective 

at slowing fire growth. 

Because the simulation 

time was set to “0”

the whole landscape 

was burned for both 

treatment alternatives.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

Figure 7-55—Reclassify form filled out to reclassify fireline intensity based on hauling 

chart values.

Figure 7-56—Reclassify form used to set the number of classes and associated values.
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e. Output table: name the output “tom_nt_fli_area” and save it to the outputs folder.

f. Processing cell size (optional): leave the default “90,” which is the 

same resolution as the fireline intensity grid.

9. Repeat step 8 with tom_alt_fli_c and lf_tom20_mask grids.

10. Open the tom_nt_fli_area and tom_alt_fli_area tables (fig. 7-58). You will 

need to go to the Source tab in the ArcMap table of contents to see the new 

tables. The area units are m2

 and the row with VALUE equal to 0 are outside of treatment units and VALUE equal to 1 are inside. The VALUE_xx

columns are the fireline intensity categories where _xx is 0, 100, etc. relating to the reclassification classes.

Figure 7-57—Tabulate area tool from ArcMap setup to calculate the area inside and 

outside of treatment units for each fireline intensity category.

Figure 7-58—Tabulate area table with the area (m2

) inside (1) and outside (0) treatment units for fireline 

intensity classes based on the hauling chart (VALUE_X). 
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

11. Fill out table 7-4 with the values from tom_nt_fli_area and tom_alt_fli_

area and calculate percentages.

Because we used the MTT fireline intensity rather than the basic fire behavior 

fireline intensity, fire was modeled across the landscape from the ignition line. 

Modeling fire spread allows us to see how the fuel treatments affected fire behavior 

inside and outside of treatments.

Designing Landscape Level Fuel Treatment Alternatives By 

Using a Pre-existing Plan With Grid Data

Fuel treatment alternatives are often designed by planning teams. The treatment 

locations and changes are known and it is up to the fuels specialist to use this 

data to complete fire behavior modeling to compare the treatment alternatives for 

specialist reports, NEPA and EA documents, etc.

The steps required to do this type of analysis are:

1. Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary.

2. “Implement” the preexisting fuel treat alternative.

3. Run FlamMap3 for fire behavior.

4. Assess the effectiveness of the treatment alternatives.

The following scenario will complete the above steps using LANDFIRE grids 

to create the no-treatment and treated alternatives for fire behavior modeling in 

FlamMap3. 

Table 7-4—Area (m2) and total landscape percentage by fireline intensity class inside and outside of 

treatment units as well as for the landscape as a whole for the no-treatment and TOM alternatives

Fireline intensity class

Alternative Location 0 >0–100 100–500 500–1,000 >1,000

Square Percent Square Percent Square Percent Square Percent Square Percent meters meters meters meters meters

No-treatment Inside 900 0 738,900 5 985,500 6 56880 3 2,092,500 13

Outside 900 0 3,112,200 19 342,9900 21 1418400 9 4,005,900 24

Landscape 1,800 0 3,851,100 24 4415,400 27 198720 12 6,098,400 37

TOM alternative Inside 490,500 3 3,870,900 24 41,400 0 0 0 0 0

Outside 1,800 0 3,933,000 24 3,713,400 23 1,614,600 10 2,705,400 17

Landscape 492,300 3 7,803,900 48 3,754,800 23 1,614,600 10 2,705,400 17

NOTE: If you wanted to see the affect by treatment type, the Tabulate Area

form could have been used with the tom_treat_type grid rather than the 

lf_tom20_mask grid.

By using MTT the 

effect of treatments on 

fire behavior outside of 

the treatment units can 

be analyzed; this is not 

true of the basic fire 

behavior outputs.
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Step 1: Acquire existing condition data and update if necessary—

The data supplied by LANDFIRE are assumed to be accurate and not in need 

of updating.

Step 2: “Implement” the preexisting fuel treat alternatives—

The supplied treatment_units shapefile will be used in this exercise. It contains four 

fuel treatment alternatives: AltA_Low, AltB_Low, AltA_Mod, and AltB_Mod. 

The “Low” alternatives both treat about 20 percent of the landscape, and the “Mod” 

alternatives treat about 40 percent of the landscape. The primary goal of alternative 

A is to treat within the wildlands and alternative B is to protect the WUI. The treatment types within each alternative include hand thin and pile burn, mastication, 

prescribed fire, thin from below, thin from below and burn, and commercial thin 

(fig. 7-59). 

Figure 7-59—Hypothetical fuel treatment alternatives for Mt. Emily.

Your silvicultualist ran FFE-FVS from some stand exams that were representative of your project area and supplied you with information on how to alter the 

current conditions to represent posttreatment conditions (table 7-5).

You, the fuels specialist, then assigned fuel models that would represent posttreatment conditions (table 7-6). The first step in this process will be to create a 

treatment adjustments table. Once the table is created, treatment location and type 

grids will be built for each alternative. Then the treatment adjustments table and 

locations grids will be used to build landscape files for each alternative for use 

in FlamMap3.

Quite often the 

location and the 

type of treatment 

to be implemented 

is predetermined. 

ArcFuels can be 

used to “implement”

preplanned treatment 

alternatives.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

1. Export the treatment_units attributes to Excel using the Copy Attributes 

to Spreadsheet form in ArcFuels (ArcFuelsConversionCopy 

Attributes to Spreadsheet). 

a. Name the file “treatment_units.xls” and save it to the outputs folder.

b. If a warning window opens about the version of Excel, click Yes.

2. With treatment_units.xls open, add treatment adjustment fields for each 

alternative (fig. 7-60).

a. The headers are Alow_xx, Blow_xx, Amod_xx, and Bmod_xx, where 

xx is: cc, ch, cbh, cbd, and fm.

Table 7-5—Fuel treatment effects on canopy characteristics for various fuel 

treatment types

 Canopy Canopy

Treatment type Canopy cover Canopy height base height bulk density

Hand thin and Reduce 5% No change 6 ft No change

 pile burn

Prescribed burn Reduce 10% No change 10 ft Reduce 10%

Mastication Reduce 15% No change 10 ft Reduce 15%

Thin from below Reduce 25% No change 15 ft Reduce 20%

Thin from below Reduce 35% No change 20 ft Reduce 25%

 and burn

Commercial thin Reduce 50% Reduce 20% 6 ft Reduce 60%

Table 7-6—Posttreatment fuel model assignments

Treatment type Fuel model

Hand thin and pile burn TL8 (188) – long-needle litter

Prescribed burn TL1 (181) – low load compact conifer litter

Mastication SB1 (201) – low load activity fuel

Thin from below TU1 (161) – low load, dry climate timber-grass-shrub

Thin from below and burn TL1 (181) – low load compact conifer litter

Commercial thin GS1 (121) – low load, dry climate grass-shrub

Figure 7-60—Excel worksheet with treatment adjustments for the four fuel treatment alternatives; only the AltA low treatment adjustments are shown in the figure.
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b. Using tables 7-5 and 7-6, update the appropriate fields with the adjustments.

i. For canopy cover, canopy height, and canopy bulk density, the 

changes will be multiplication factors. So a reduction of 10 percent 

is a multiplication factor of 0.90.

ii. For canopy base height and fuel model, the changes are replacements. The LANDFIRE units for canopy base height are m*10; the 

replacement values need to be in the correct units. For example, 

hand thin and pile burn result in a canopy base height of 6 ft which 

is equivalent to 1.83 m, so the replacement value will be 18.

iii. Leave the fields blank that are not treated.

3. Open the Treatment_adjustments.mdb database in the data folder.

a. Copy and paste the example_treatment adjustments data table and 

rename it “AltA_Low.”

b. Copy and paste the corresponding columns from treatment_units.xls

into the data table (fig. 7-61). Only copy the fields where adjustment 

factors were required. For this alternative that is 214 stands.

Figure 7-61—Treatment adjustments table for the AltA Low alternative.

i. The treat_type column in the Mt_Emily_Alts is the StandID field 

in treatment_units.xls.

ii. When the Access window opens asking if you are sure you want 

to paste the records, click Yes. As verification that you are pasting 

them all it should be 214 records.

c. Close the Access database.

4. Repeat step 3 for the remaining alternatives.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

5. Select stands with treatments from the AltA_Low field in the treatment_

units shapefile.

6. Create a treatment location and type grid from the selected stands using the 

Polygon to Raster tool in ArcMap (ArcToolboxConversion ToolsTo 

RasterPolygon to Raster, fig. 7-62).

Figure 7-62—Polygon to Raster form used to create the AltA Low 

treatment alternative.

a. Input Features: select treatment_units from the drop-down list.

b. Value field: select StandID from the drop-down list.

c. Output Raster Dataset: name the grid “alta_low” and save it to the outputs folder.

d. Cell assignment type (optional): select CELL_CENTER from the dropdown list.

e. Priority field: select NONE from the drop-down list.

f. Cellsize: type “30” in the text box.

NOTE: The treatment adjustments data table can be created a number of ways. 

For example, the process can be done within Access using queries to update the 

treatment adjustments by treatment type for each alternative. Or the adjustments 

fields can be added to the attributes table in ArcMap and then exported as a *.dbf 

file opened in Excel and copied into Access.
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g. Click on Environments....

i. Expand the General Settings option.

ii. Scroll down to Snap Raster and select stands from the drop-down 

list.

iii. Click OK to return to the Polygon to Raster form.

h. Click OK to create the grid.

7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the remaining alternatives.

8. Build the LCP for the Alt A Low alternative using the treatment adjustments database, the treatment type and location grid, and the existing 

conditions LANDFIRE data using the Using ArcGIS Grid Data form in 

ArcFuels (ArcFuelsLandscapeBuild FlamMap Landscape Using 

ArcGIS Grid Data, fig. 7-63).

Figure 7-63—Using ArcGIS Grid Data form from ArcFuels setup to build the AltA Low fuel 

treatment alternative LCP.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

a. Elevation: select elevation and meters from the drop-down lists.

b. Slope: select slope and degrees from the drop-down lists.

c. Aspect: select aspect from the drop-down list.

d. Distance Units: select meters from the drop-down list.

e. Latitude: type “45” into the text box.

f. The output boundaries are based on: select the Grid Layer radio button, then select elevation from the drop-down list.

g. Apply Treatment Adjustments: check the box to the left. This will make 

more options available.

i. Treatment Type Database: navigate to and select the Treatment_

adjustments.mdb in the data folder using the navigation button.

ii. Treatment Location Grid: select alta_low from the drop-down list.

iii. Treatment Type Grid: select alta_low from the drop-down list.

iv. Treatment Adjustment Table: select AltA_Low from the dropdown list.

v. Treatment Type ID Field: select treat_type from the drop-down list.

h. Fuel Model: select lf_fbfm40 and fm_adj from the drop-down lists.

i. Canopy Cover: select lf_cc, percent, and cc_adj from the drop-down 

lists.

j. Canopy Height: select lf_ch, meters,*10, and ch_adj from the dropdown lists.

k. Canopy Base Height: select lf_cbh, meters,*10, and cbh_adj from the 

drop-down lists and select Replace.

l. Canopy Bulk Density: select lf_cbd, kg/m3,*100, and cbd_adj from the 

drop-down lists.

m. LCP Output File: using the navigation button name the LCP “Alt_A_

Low.”

n. Click Build LCP.

9. Repeat step 8 for the remaining three treatment alternatives.

Although not 

demonstrated, 

outputting the treated 

grid files is smart for 

archiving data for the 

treatment alternatives.
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Step 3: Run FlamMap3 for fire behavior—

For fuel treatment effectiveness, hazard and burn probability will be summarized 

and mapped for each alternative including the no-treatment alternative. All five 

treatment alternatives will be run through FlamMap3 to output flame length, crown 

fire activity, and burn probability.

1. Open FlamMap3 and load the lf_notreat.lcp. Create a new run and select 

the Inputs tab (fig. 7-64). 

a. Run name: type “Mt. Emily No Action” in the text box.

b. Fuel Moisture File (*.fms): navigate to and load the mtemily_fuelmoisture.FMS from the data folder.

Figure 7-64—FlamMap3 Inputs tab for the no-treatment alternative.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

c. Select the radio button to the left of Wind Direction.

iii. Windspeed (MPH @20’): type “15” in the text box. 

iv. Azimuth (Degrees): type “225” in the text box.

d. Foliar Moisture Content (%): type “100” in the text box.

e. Select the radio button to the left of Use Fuel Moisture Conditioning.

iv. Weather file (*.wtr): navigate to and load the mtemily_weather.wtr

from the data folder.

v. Wind file (*.wnd): navigate to and load the mtemily_wind.wnd from 

the data folder.

vi. Fuel Moisture Conditioning Period: set the Start date to “8/10” and 

the End date to “8/14.” Set the Start and End times to “13:00 PM.”

f. Click Apply.

2. Select the Fire Behavior Outputs tab.

a. Processor Usage and Memory/Disk Usage: leave the default values in 

place.

b. Output grids: select Flame Length and Crown Fire Activity.

c. Crown Fire Calculation Method: select the radio button to the left of 

Scott/Reinhardt (2001).

d. Options: select the radio button to the left of Relative Spread Direction 

From Maximum.

e. Click Apply.

3. Select the Minimum Travel Time tab.

a. Ignitions: select the radio button to the left of Random.

i. Number of Random Ignitions: type “2500” in the text box.

b. Resolution of calculations: type “90” in the text box.

c. Maximum Simulation Time: type “480” in the text box.

d. Interval for Minimum Travel Paths: type “500” in the text box.

e. Click Apply and then click Launch. Depending on your computer, this 

should take 30 to 60 minutes.
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4. Save the outputs.

a. Save the MTT Burn Probability as “no_act_bp.asc” in the outputs 

folder.

b. Save the Crown Fire Activity as “no act_cfa.asc” in the outputs folder.

c. Change the units on Flame Length to feet and save it as “no_act_fl.asc” 

in the outputs folder.

5. Repeat steps 1–4 with Alt_A_Low.lcp, Alt_B_Low.lcp, Alt_A_Mod.lcp, 

and Alt_B_Mod.lcp, saving the outputs as “a_low_...,” “b_low_...,” “a_

mod_...,” and “b_mod_...,” respectively.

Step 4: Assess the effectiveness of the treatment alternatives—

For fuel treatment effectiveness, hazard and burn probability will be summarized 

and mapped for each alternative including the no-treatment alternative for the Mt. 

Emily project area as a whole. We will use a different wildfire hazard matrix this 

round with only three categories: low, medium, and high (table 7-7), and three 

classes of burn probability: low, medium, and high.

1. Batch convert the crown fire activity ASCIIs as Integer data types and then 

batch convert flame length and burn probability ASCIIs as Floating point data 

types while defining the projection using the Batch Convert Ascii to Grid

form in ArcFuels (ArcFuels ToolbarConversion Batch Convert Ascii 

to Grid). 

2. Reclassify no_act_fl (ArcFuels ToolbarSpatial Analyst Tools 

ReclassReclassify, table 7-7; fig. 7-65).

a. Input raster: select no_act_fl from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select VALUE from the drop-down list.

c. Reclassification: click Classify... to open the Classification form 

(fig. 7-66).

i. Method: select Equal Interval from the drop-down list.

ii. Classes: select 4 from the drop-down list.

iii. Break Values: set the values to 4, 8, 11, and 139.

iv. Click OK.

d. Set the New Values to match the high end of the Old values classes.

e. Output raster: name the grid “no_act_fl_c” and save it to the outputs 

folder.

3. Repeat step 2 with the remaining four flame length grids.
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Figure 7-65—Reclassify form filled out to reclassify flame length.

Figure 7-66—Classification form used to set the number of classes and associated values.
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4. Reclassify no_act_bp (ArcFuels ToolbarSpatial Analyst Tools 

ReclassReclassify, fig. 7-67).

a. Input raster: select no_act_bp from the drop-down list.

b. Reclass field: select VALUE from the drop-down list.

c. Reclassification: click Classify... to open the Classification form.

i. Method: select Quantile from the drop-down list. Quanitles are categories with equal numbers of data.

ii. Classes: select 3 from the drop-down list.

iii. Click OK.

d. Click Save... and save the quantile classification as “no_act_bp_quantile” in the outputs folder for use with the remaining burn 

probability grids.

e. Output raster: name the grid “no_act_bp_c” and save it to the 

outputs folder.

Figure 7-67—Reclassify form filled out to reclassify fireline intensity based on hauling 

chart values.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

5. Repeat steps 4a and b with the remaining four burn probability grids. 

However, click Load... and select no_act_bp_quantile to reuse the same 

classes as the no-action alternative to keep the classification the same for 

all grids.

6. Combine the reclassified flame length and burn probability grids 

and the crown fire activity grid using the Combine tool in ArcMap 

(ArcToolboxSpatial Analyst ToolsLocalCombine, fig. 7-68).

a. Input rasters: select no_act_fl_c, no_act_bp_c and no_act_cfa from the 

drop-down list.

b. Output raster: name the grid “no_act_combo” and save it in the outputs folder. The “combo” at the end indicates this is the combined grid.

c. To include only areas within the Mt. Emily area and set the cell size, 

click Environments... and expand >>Raster Analysis Settings.

i. Cell Size: select As specified below from the drop-down list and 

type “30” in the text box below.

ii. Mask: select stands from the drop-down list. 

iii. Click OK to apply the changes. 

d. Click OK to complete the combine.

Figure 7-68—Combine form in ArcMap used to combine the reclassifed 

flame length and burn probability and crown fire activity grids.
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7. Open the attributes table for no_act_combo and add a text field 

(OptionsAdd Field) named “BP_HAZ.”

a. Using the Field Calculator (right-click on the BP_HAZ column and 

select Field Calculator from the menu), update the fields based on 

the burn probability categories (low = 1, medium = 2, and high = 3) 

and hazard (see table 

7-7). For example, burn 

probability class 1, 

crown fire activity class 

1 and flame length class 

4 would be “low-low” 

(fig. 7-69).

Table 7-7—Wildfire hazard matrix for the Mt. Emily 

fuel treatment project

Flame Surface Passive Active

length fire (0–1) crown fire (2) crown fire (3)

0–4 Low Low High

4–8 Low Medium High

8–11 Medium Medium High

11+ Medium High High

Figure 7-69—Attributes table with the burn probability and hazard (BP_HAZ) data populated.

8. Summarize the cell counts by BP_HAZ class. 

a. Open the attributes table for no_act_combo; right-click on the BP_

HAZ column and select Summarize (fig. 7-70).

i. Select a field to summarize: select BP_HAZ from the drop-down 

list.

ii. Choose one or more summary statistics to be included in the output 

table: expand COUNT and select Sum from the options.

iii. Specify output table: name the table “no_act_bp_haz.dbf” and save 

it in the outputs folder.

9. Repeat steps 6 through 8 with the remaining grids.
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Figure 7-70—Summarize window set to sum the grid cells by burn probability 

and hazard classes.

Table 7-8—Area (ac) by treatment alternative for burn probability and hazard

Burn No AltA 

probability Hazard action Low AltB Low AltA Mod AltB Mod

Acres Acres Acres Acres Acres

Low Low 452 1169 1184 2269 196

Medium 34 124 92 257 603

High 145 481 237 549 506

Medium Low 506 745 547 492 310

Medium 196 256 777 74 1159

High 603 964 2 401 630

High Low 630 83 373 0 34

Medium 310 36 189 0 145

High 1159 181 636 1 452

Pixel counts can be 

used to calculate 

percentages of the 

landscape rather 

than multiplying by a 

conversion factor to 

calculate acreage.
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10. Open no_act_bp_haz.dbf with Excel. BP_HAZ is the burn probability 

and hazard classes, Cnt_BP_HAZ is the number of times that class was 

assigned, and Sum_COUNT is the number of 30 m pixels that are within 

the hazard category. To calculate area in acres, multiply Sum_COUNT by 

0.0222394, because each pixel is 900 m2 (30 m by 30 m pixel) and 1 m2 is 

equal to 0.0002471044 ac.

a. Once the acres are calculated, fill out table 7-8.

11. Repeat step 10 with the remaining summaries.

Based on table 7-8, the AltA Mod alternative was the most effective at reducing burn probability and wildfire hazard. However, all four alternatives did reduce 

wildfire exposure compared to the no-action alternative.
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Running ArcFuels With Your Data

ArcFuels can be utilized with grid data, forest inventory data, or both. This section will explain where data can be obtained for your project area, how to format 

inventory data to run through FVS, and how to set up the Project Manager and 

ArcFuels folders for projects. 

Grid Data

Grid data are becoming more readily available for the United States. The LANDFIRE project (Rollins 2009) has 30-m resolution fuels, topographic, and vegetation 

data for the entire country. Lemma has created gradient nearest neighbor (GNN) 

data for the Pacific Northwest (Ohmann and Gregory 2002). The Wildland Fire 

Decision Support System (WFDSS) has grid data for land administered by the 

Forest Service. In addition, many forests derive grid data through cross-walking 

vegetation to fuels using field inventory data and remotely sensed data (such as 

LiDAR imagery and aerial photographs).

Regardless of the source of data used, a thorough critique is necessary, especially if the data will be used at the project-level. It is most likely that the data you 

use will, at minimum, need to be updated for recent management activities or recent 

wildfires. Establishing when and how your data were created, what sources were 

used to create the data (e.g., year of satellite imagery, vegetation layers, etc.), and 

whether it has been reviewed by managers will help you determine what level of 

critique and update is necessary. For example, your data could have been created in 

2006, but based on 2004 satellite imagery. Spending time researching these details 

will save you time in the long run. Stratton (2009) has written a general technical 

report that provides a comprehensive approach for critiquing data as well as several 

suggestions on how to make modest and more complex changes to LCP files or the 

individual grid components using various applications. The Modify Grid Values

tool within ArcFuels can be used to make simple modifications to grid data and the 

Apply Treatment Adjustments option in the Using ArcGIS Grid Data tab of the 

Build FlamMap Landscapes form can be used to make complicated modifications 

that are not discussed in Stratton (2009). 

ALL PROJECT DATA HAS TO HAVE THE SAME RESOLUTION (CELL 

SIZE), SPATIAL REFERENCE (E.G., PROJECTION), AND BE SNAPPED 

TOGETHER (ALL THE CELLS LINED UP, FIG. 8-1). This is very important, if 

any of the data is projected differently or is lacking spatial reference ArcFuels will 

not work. In addition, if data is not snapped together (fig. 8-1) ArcFuels will not work 

properly. Unlike other systems, the data do not all need to be the same patial extent.

Chapter 8

ArcFuels can be 

used with grid only 

data, FVS data with 

topography grids only, 

or both data sources.

For ArcFuels to 

function properly, 

all grid data must be 

snapped, have the 

same resolution, and 

be the same projection.
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Figure 8-1—ArcGIS grid layers that are not snapped together (A) and that are correctly snapped 

(B). Note that the grid cells do not line up correctly in (A).

Grid data list—

At a minimum data are required to characterize the fire landscape (items 1 to 8 in 

the list); however, additional data are needed for updating, creating fuel treatments, 

etc. The list below is not all-inclusive but should serve as a good guide for obtaining 

data.

1. Slope grid.

2. Aspect grid.

3. Elevation grid.

4. Fuel model grid.

5. Canopy cover grid.

6. Canopy base height grid.

7. Canopy bulk density grid.

8. Canopy height grid.

9. Project boundary polygon/grid.

10. Past disturbance layers—any layers that will be essential to updating 

the grid layers to represent current conditions. Examples include recent 

wildfire perimeters and recent vegetation management polygons.

11. Resource value layers—anything that affects treatment type and locations, such as old-growth forest, structures, threatened and endangered 

species, etc.

12. Treatment polygons/grids.

TIP: Make note of the units for all grid data. Inputting incorrect units when 

building the LCP will result in incorrect modeled outputs.
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GENERAL TECHNICAL REPORT PNW-GTR-877

LANDFIRE grid data—

Seamless grid data and landscape files with coverage throughout the United States 

(including Hawaii and Alaska) are available through the LANDFIRE project (http://

www.landfire.gov). There are many versions of the data, as outlined in table 8-1. 

Understand the differences and download the most appropriate data for your needs. 

Table 8-1—LANDFIRE data versions adapted from http://www.landfire.gov/

version_comparison.php

 Disturbance

Product Imagery image updates Description

National Original LANDFIRE data products, 

 (LF_1.0.0) 1999–2003 n/a used circa 2001 LANDSAT imagery.

Refresh 2001 1999–2003 n/a Enhanced LF_1.0.0 layers to allow

 (LF_1.0.5) comparison between the circa 2001

 Landsat based image data products

 and LF_1.1.0.

Refresh 2008 1999–2003 2000-2008 Updated LF_1.0.5 products to reflect

 (LF_1.1.0) vegetation changes and disturbances

 1999–2008.

The easiest way to download LANDFIRE data is to use the LANDFIRE Data 

Access Tool (LFDAT), which is an ArcMap extension. With this tool, it is easy to 

download the correct extent for your analysis area and the extent used can be saved 

for future data retrieval. The LFDAT tool is available on the LANDFIRE Web page 

and has a descriptive user’s guide.

Inventory Data for FVS

In addition to or in place of grid data, ArcFuels can be run using forest inventory 

data in an FVS-ready database format. ArcFuels can be used to run FVS in a nonspatial context; however, it is most often used in conjunction with spatial data. If 

you would like to use inventory data spatially, in addition to the FVS-ready database (which is described below), elevation, slope and aspect grids are required plus 

a shapefile and stand grid that are linked to the FVS data. 

FVS-ready databases—

FSVeg (Field Sampled Vegetation, http://www.fs.fed.us/nrm/fsveg/index.shtml) 

is a Forest Service-maintained data storage site containing inventory data about 

trees, fuels, and understory vegetation. Data collected during common stand exams, 

fuels-specific data collection, permanent grid inventories (such as the Forest Inventory and Analysis program) and other vegetation inventories are included. FSVeg is 

a resource for obtaining FVS-ready databases. 
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Not all inventory data are in FSVeg and the best data might be locally collected 

and maintained. It is possible that the FVS data from your local unit are not in a 

database form, but there are preprocessing tools available on the FVS Web site 

(http://www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/data.shtml) that are helpful in converting 

the text files used to run Suppose (the FVS GUI) into a database compatible with 

ArcFuels. Refer to the FVS database extension guide (Crookston et al. 2003) for 

more detailed information. 

An example database has been supplied with the demonstration data (Example_

FVS_input_database.mdb) that includes both the FSVeg data tables and additional 

tables for the minimum data required. 

Creating your own FVS database—

An example database has been supplied with 

the demonstration data (Example_FVS_input_

database.mdb) that includes both the FSVeg 

data tables and additional tables for the minimum data required (fig. 8-2). The FVS data 

field types are specific to the model needs; if 

you are creating your own database, start with 

the blank one supplied or from one created 

specifically for FVS using one of the database 

extensions or FSVeg. Blank FVS databases 

are also available on the FVS Web site (http://

www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/data.shtml).

For a description of all the fields in each data table, use the design view in 

Access (fig. 8-3). This outlines what each field means and other important information such as units. Additional information can be found in the FVS documentation.

Figure 8-2—Data tables in the example 

FVS database supplied with the Mt. Emily 

demonstration data. The database is named 

Example_FVS_input_database.mdb.

Figure 8-3—Design view of the FVS_TreeInit data table in the example FVS database. Not all fields are shown 

in the figure.
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The stand, optional plot, and tree data tables are all linked through a unique 

stand identifier, STAND_ID. This linkage is necessary when building your own 

database. Table 8-2 is a simplistic view of this linkage.

Table 8-2—Stand, plot, and tree data table linkage example

FVS_StandInit FVS_PlotInit FVS_TreeInit

STAND_ID NUM_PLOTS STAND_ID PLOT_ID STAND_ID PLOT_ID TREE_ID

1 3 1 1 1 1 100

1 2 1 1 101

1 3 1 2 200

1 2 201

1 2 202

 1 3 301

Note: All records in the stand, plot, and tree tables must be linked by a unique identifier (STAND_ID) for each stand. There can 

be multiple plots per stand and multiple trees per plot.

Spatial linkage between FVS database and stands—

This is often the hardest part for getting your data to work in ArcFuels. Regardless of the source of the FVS database obtained, properly linking the database to 

the stand polygon layer (and stand grid) is critical. There must be a relationship 

between the polygon identifier and the FVS stand table variable (STAND_ID). If 

data exist for every polygon, there will be a unique stand and tree list for every 

stand within the polygon (a one-to-one relationship). This is the case with the 

demonstration data (fig. 8-4). If imputation (i.e., Most Similar Neighbor (MSN), or 

Gradient Nearest Neighbor (GNN)) is used, a single stand and associated treelist 

will be used for multiple polygons (one-to-many relationship). 

NO MATTER WHAT THE RELATIONSHIP (ONE-TO-ONE OR ONETO-MANY), THERE MUST BE A FIELD IN THE STAND POLYGON 

(AND THE VALUE FIELD OF THE STAND GRID) THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THE FVS TABLES. IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT 

THIS BE THE STAND_ID FIELD. 

For future sorting and joining, it is recommended that a second stand identification field be added to the FVS data tables that is equal to the Stand_ID but 

is numeric. In the demonstration data (Mt_Emily_Database.mdb), this is the 

Stand_ID_NUM field.

NOTE: FSVeg databases include a field named “GIS_LINK” in the FVS_StandInit table. This link does not work in ArcFuels because the field is not also 

present in the FVS_PlotInit and FVS_TreesInint tables.

Spatially linking the 

FVS-ready database 

to the stand shapefile 

is one of the hardest 

steps in the data 

preparation phase. The 

link (i.e., STAND_ID) 

must be identical in the 

shapefile and FVS-data 

tables.
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Setting Up ArcFuels With Your Data

When setting up ArcFuels with your own data, it is recommended that you place 

your data and outputs folder within the same parent ArcFuels folder (i.e., C:/arcfuels/mydata and C:/arcfuels/myoutputs). Because the majority of programs are the 

same, you can use the existing ArcFuels programs and extra_programs folders. One 

important note is that you must download the proper FVS variant file when using 

the FVS functionality in ArcFuels. These can be found at the FVS Web site (http://

www.fs.fed.us/fmsc/fvs/software/variantinstaller.php).

Once your data are loaded into a new arcfuels9x.mxd, save it with your project 

name. Go to Projects and Files on the ArcFuels toolbar and select Manage Projects from the drop-down list. Create a new project by clicking the New Project button. Then fill out the tabs accordingly. For a refresher, see the Setting up ArcFuels 

with the Mt. Emily Demonstration Data section in this user guide.

Figure 8-4—Linkage between the GIS stand polygon layer and the FVS stand and tree data tables. All three are linked by 

a unique stand identification number. Having the imagery behind the stand polygon layer is a useful visual when looking 

at stand and tree data tables. In this example, stand 392 is densely stocked as can be seen by the 10 tree list entries and 

428 trees compared to stand 423 with two tree list entries and two trees.
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Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the Joint Fire Sciences Program (JFSP 03-4-1-04) and the Western 

Wildlands Environmental Threat Assessment Center for supplying much of the 

funding to develop and maintain ArcFuels. We thank the following people for 

development and testing: Dana Simon, Geoff Babb, Bridgett Naylor, Berni Bahro, 

Joe Sherlock, Deana Wall, and Nathan Amboy. We thank Michelle Day, Deana 

Wall, Carol Ewell, Brandon Collins, and Phil Bowden for numerous edits to this 

User Guide and Tutorial in its many iterations. 

Metric Equivalents

When you know: Multiply by: To find:

Inches (in) 2.54 Centimeters

Feet (ft) 0.305 Meters

Miles 1.609 Kilometers

Miles per hour (mph) 0.447 Meters per second

Square feet (ft2) 0.0929 Square meters

Acres (ac) 0.405 Hectares

Tons per acre (t/ac) 2.24 Tonnes or megagrams per hectare

Trees per acre 2.24 Trees per hectare

Pounds (lb) 0.454 Kilogram

Cubic feet (ft3) 0.283 Cubic meters
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