Validation of variables for the creation of a descriptive fire potential model for the Southeastern Fire District of Mississippi

Forest fires demand personnel and financial resources. GIS can monitor ecological conditions that promote forest fire ignition. Visual representations of fire potential in the state could aid in staging firefighting personnel and equipment. This paper details the creation of a descriptive fire potential model for the Southeastern Fire District of Mississippi. The model includes the variables of fuels, ignition based on road density, and climate. No descriptive model of fire potential exists for Mississippi that includes a climate variable. The main objective of this research was to examine the influence of the dynamic climate variable on the model. Estimates of two water budgets were created to identify areas where evaporation exceeded precipitation and raised the potential for fires to occur. The study supported previous findings of road density as a significant variable for fire potential and validated the use of a climate variable in the model describing fire potential.