Does season affect fire behaviour in the Cerrado?

Fire season does not significantly influence fire behavior or intensity in the Cerrado's protected areas, such as Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks, contrary to initial hypotheses. The study found that fire intensity is primarily driven by the combination of dead biomass proportion and total fuel load, rather than the timing within the dry season. Researchers compared fire parameters across early, mid-, and late dry seasons, evaluating factors like dead fuel percentage, fuel moisture content, and fuel load. Surprisingly, even in areas with two years of fire exclusion, seasonal variations did not affect fire behavior. Instead, flame height was best explained by dead fuel percentage and fuel moisture content. This insight challenges conventional beliefs about fire management strategies, suggesting that biomass accumulation, rather than seasonality, is the critical factor in controlling fire intensity.

Rissi, M. N., Baeza, M. J., Gorgone-Barbosa, E., Zupo, T., & Fidelis, A. (2017). Does season affect fire behaviour in the Cerrado? International Journal of Wildland Fire, 26(5), 427. https://doi.org/10.1071/wf14210