Hayman Fire Case Study
Abstract
In 2002 much of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado was rich in dry vegetation as a result of fire exclusion and the droughty conditions that prevailed in recent years. These dry and heavy fuel loadings were continuous along the South Platte River corridor located between Denver and Colorado Springs on the Front Range. These topographic and fuel conditions combined with a dry and windy weather system centered over eastern Washington to produce ideal burning conditions. The start of the Hayman Fire was timed and located perfectly to take advantage of these conditions resulting in a wildfire run in 1 day of over 60,000 acres and finally impacting over 138,000 acres. The Hayman Fire Case Study, involving more than 60 scientists and professionals from throughout the United States, examined how the fire behaved, the effects of fuel treatments on burn severity, the emissions produced, the ecological (for example, soil, vegetation, animals) effects, the home destruction, postfire rehabilitation activities, and the social and economic issues surrounding the Hayman Fire. The Hayman Fire Case Study revealed much about wildfires and their interactions with both the social and natural environments. As the largest fire in Colorado history it had a profound impact both locally and nationally. The findings of this study will inform both private and public decisions on the management of natural resources and how individuals, communities, and organizations can prepare for wildfire events.
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Despite the critical role past fire scars have played in the suppression of large fires, extensive application of naturally ignited wildfires has not yet been well demonstrated outside large wilderness areas.
“Despite the critical role past fire scars have played in the suppression of large fires (Graham 2003;Cochrane et al. 2012), extensive application of the use of naturally ignited wildfires has not yet been well demonstrated outside large wilderness areas.”
From Negative consequences of positive feedbacks in US wildfire management (2015) · cites this paper as Graham 2003
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Expansion of the US wildland–urban interface
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- Authors
- Graham, R. T.
- Corresponding author
- Graham, Russell T.
- Published
- 2003
- OpenAlex
- W2607085067
- Cited by
- 165
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 7
- Type
- report
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Fire effects on ecosystems
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Disaster Management and Resilience
- Keywords
- Hayman Fire, wildfire behavior, fire suppression, fuel load, burn severity, fuel treatment, wildfire emissions, home destruction, wildfire preparedness, natural resource management, Front Range
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