Properties of Bushfire Smoke:The Reduction in Visibility Resulting from Prescribed Fires in Forests

Abstract

Particulate concentrations in the smoke from a large prescribed fire in an Australian forest have been measured. Little agglomeration of the particles took place while the smoke was blown downwind. Using this information a simple model allows calculation of the minimum visibility likely to be experienced downwind of any large rural fire, if appropriate parameters such as fuel concentration, wind speed, and fire area are known.