Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP) User Manual. Texas A&M Forest Service

Transcription

1 Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP) User Manual Texas A&M Forest Service October 2012

2 Table of Contents 1 ABOUT TXWRAP ACCESSING TXWRAP GETTING SUPPORT... 8 Documentation... 8 Quick Help and Info... 8 Help Desk PROVIDING FEEDBACK USING THE RISK ASSESSMENT PORTAL HOME SUPPORT CONTACT LEARN MORE ABOUT THE APPLICATIONS PUBLIC VIEWER PROFESSIONAL VIEWER FIRE OCCURRENCE EXPLORER COMMUNITY EDITOR MOBILE APP WILDFIRE RISK DATA DOWNLOAD... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED REGISTRATION USING THE PUBLIC VIEWER SPLASH SCREEN USING TOOLBOXES GETTING STARTED TOUR NAVIGATING THE MAP Navigating to a Specific Location Zooming and Panning ZOOM TO ZOOM TO RESULTS SELECTING A BASE MAP EXPLORE MAP THEMES Reference Base Layers Wildfire Risk Themes Landscape Characteristics Historical Wildfire Occurrence MAP TOOLS Identify Measure Swipe October 2012 Page 2

3 Coordinates WHAT S YOUR RISK? Step 1: Location of Interest Step 2: Explore Map Themes Step 3: Identify Your Risk Step 4: Reduce Your Risk PRINT A MAP USING THE PROFESSIONAL VIEWER SIGNING IN USING TOOLBOXES GETTING STARTED TOUR NAVIGATING THE MAP Navigating to a Specific Location Zooming and Panning ZOOM TO ZOOM TO RESULTS SELECTING A BASE MAP EXPLORE MAP THEMES Reference Layers Wildfire Risk Themes Wildfire Behavior Outputs Landscape Characteristics Historical Wildfire Occurrence MAP TOOLS Identify Measure Swipe Coordinates MANAGE PROJECT AREAS Create on Map Create from Shapefile GENERATE A SUMMARY REPORT EXPORTING DATA ANALYZE IMPACTS Use project area Draw area Create Impact Report PRINT A MAP USING THE FIRE OCCURRENCE EXPLORER SIGNING IN USING TOOLBOXES GETTING STARTED TOUR NAVIGATING THE MAP Navigating to a Specific Location October 2012 Page 3

4 Zooming and Panning ZOOM TO ZOOM TO RESULTS SELECTING A BASE MAP EXPLORE MAP THEMES Reference Layers Wildfire Risk Themes Historical Wildfire Ignitions County Fire History Summaries MAP TOOLS Identify Measure Swipe Coordinates USING THE FIRE CAUSE ANALYZER Step 1: Choose Summary Area Step 2: Choose Date Range Step 3: Filter by Agency Type Step 4: Filter by Agency Step 5: Filter by Size Step 6: Filter by Cause/Subcause Optional Tools PRINT A MAP USING THE COMMUNITY EDITOR SIGNING IN USING TOOLBOXES NAVIGATING THE MAP Navigating to a Specific Location Zooming and Panning ZOOM TO ZOOM TO RESULTS SELECTING A BASE MAP EXPLORE MAP THEMES Reference Layers Wildfire Risk Themes Wildfire Behavior Outputs Landscape Characteristics MAP TOOLS Identify Measure Swipe Coordinates EDIT COMMUNITIES OR HAZARDOUS FUEL AREAS Step 1: Choose layer to edit Step 2: Add new features or select features October 2012 Page 4

5 Step 3: Edit Selected Features EDIT HOME ASSESSMENTS Step 1: Add new features or select features Step 2: Edit Selected Features EDIT POST-FIRE HOME ASSESSMENTS Step 1: Add new features or select features Step 2: Edit Selected Features USING TXWRAP MOBILE REGISTRATION AND LOGIN PUBLIC USING THE MOBILE APP Navigating the Map Fires Layers Tools MAP TYPES LAYER DESCRIPTIONS MORE INFORMATION REVISION HISTORY October 2012 Page 5

6 Table of Figures Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP) main page... 7 TxWRAP Applications Public Viewer splash screen Professional Viewer Sign In Page Manage Project Areas dialog Fire Occurrence Explorer Sign In Page Community Editor Sign In Page Community Assessment Form TxWRAP Mobile October 2012 Page 6

7 1 About TxWRAP 1.1 Accessing TxWRAP TxWRAP is located at and is accessible using Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Apple Safari. It is recommended that Firefox or Google Chrome be used with the application to optimize performance. Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP) main page October 2012 Page 7

8 1.2 Getting Support Support is available throughout the site in the following formats. Documentation User documentation is provided online. Click the Support link available on every page to access user manuals. Quick Help and Info Throughout the site, you will find and icons. Press these for quick information. Help Desk Help Desk support is available. Click the Support link available on every page to find out how to contact the Help Desk. 1.3 Providing Feedback The Texas A&M Forest Service invites you to provide feedback on TxWRAP. Please provide your comments and suggestions for improvement using the Contact page on the site. The Texas A&M Forest Service strives to prevent, mitigate and suppress wildfires and other natural disasters that endanger lives, property and the state s natural resources. This site is just one of the tools available to help create awareness and educate Texans about the risk from wildfire. October 2012 Page 8

9 2 Using the Risk Assessment Portal 2.1 Home The Home button is accessible from every page in TxWRAP. Click Home to return to the Risk Assessment Portal main page. 2.2 Support The Support button is accessible from every page in TxWRAP. Click Support to access support documentation, information about training, or help desk contact information. 2.3 Contact The Contact button is accessible from every page in TxWRAP. Click Contact to access the feedback form. 2.4 Learn More For more information about TxWRAP, the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment, and how the results can be used, press the Learn More button on the main page. 2.5 About the Applications TxWRAP is the primary mechanism for the Texas A&M Forest Service to deploy risk information and create awareness about wildfire issues across the state. It is comprised of a suite of applications tailored to support specific workflow and information requirements for the public, local community groups, government officials, professional hazard mitigation planners, and wildland fire managers. Collectively these applications will provide the baseline information needed to support mitigation and prevention efforts across the state. October 2012 Page 9

10 TxWRAP Applications 2.6 Public Viewer The Public Viewer is a web-mapping application designed to let users zoom to a place of interest, explore map themes and identify wildfire risk for a specific location on the map. The featured tool in this application is called What s Your Risk? It allows users to identify potential wildfire intensity near their home, or any other point of interest on the map, and provides a link to additional resources for users wanting to know how to reduce their risk. 2.7 Professional Viewer The Professional Viewer is a web-mapping application designed to support the community wildfire protection planning needs of government officials, hazard mitigation planners and wildland fire professionals. This application contains advanced functionality and additional map themes as compared to the Public Viewer. The key features of this application include the capability to define a project area, generate a detailed risk summary report, and export and download wildfire risk GIS data. Access to the Professional Viewer requires a valid user account from the Texas A&M Forest Service. October 2012 Page 10

11 2.8 Fire Occurrence Explorer The Fire Occurrence Explorer is a web-mapping application designed to analyze historical wildfire occurrence data from 2005 to The featured tool in this application is called the Fire Cause Analyzer. It allows users to interactively visualize and explore statewide or county fire statistics using dynamic charting and mapping capabilities in order to derive patterns related to fire cause. Access to the Fire Occurrence Explorer requires a valid user account from the Texas A&M Forest Service. 2.9 Community Editor The Community Editor is a web-mapping application that allows approved users to create and manage wildfire assessments at the community level. This includes community, home, and post-fire home assessments. All information is collected using standardized forms and is stored in a central database. Access to the Community Editor requires a valid user account from the Texas A&M Forest Service Mobile App The TxWRAP Mobile App provides capabilities to view key risk assessment and landscape characteristics map data using a mobile device, such as a smartphone (ie. iphone, Andriod, etc) or a tablet ( i.e. ipad, etc.). Simple use the web browser on your mobile device, such as Safari on iphone/ipad, and key in the main TxWRAP web address - TxWRAP will recognize that you are operating from a mobile device and present the Mobile App interface. Note that access to the TxWRAP Mobile App requires a valid user account from the Texas A&M Forest Service. A Public App is provided as well that does not require a login Registration Registration is required for use of the Professional Viewer, Fire Occurrence Explorer, and Community Editor. To register, click the sign-in link at the top of the page and the register link on the sign in page. Complete the form to create a new account. All fields are required. Account login information will be ed to the address specified immediately after submitting the form. You may request access to specific applications under Rationale for Access. TxWRAP administrators will review requests and respond accordingly. October 2012 Page 11

12 3 Using the Public Viewer 3.1 Splash Screen Public Viewer splash screen When the Public Viewer loads, the following splash screen appears on the screen. Click Get Started to start using the Public Viewer. The splash screen will automatically cycle through a series of Texas fire facts. This is intended to help the public user gain awareness of the historical fire conditions in Texas. 3.2 Using Toolboxes The toolboxes available from the Public Viewer are on the left side of the map. If you do not see the toolboxes, click Show Tools on the bar above the map. To use a toolbox, you must first click it to expand the menu. Click the toolbox again to close the menu. 3.3 Getting Started Tour The Getting Started tool provides help to guide you on how to use the TxWRAP Public Viewer application. Tools are provided to walk you through a step-by-step tutorial that describes how to explore the risk assessment map themes, identify a location of interest, and generate a summary of risk for the location you identified. To use the Getting Started guide, click the Getting Started toolbox to expand the tools, then click Take the Tour. The Getting Started Tour will pop up in the center of the screen. Use the left and right navigation arrows at the bottom of the screen to follow the tour. When you are done, click the X in the upper right corner to dismiss the window. October 2012 Page 12

13 3.4 Navigating the Map There are several ways to navigate around the map. You can zoom to a specific location by entering an address or you can manually zoom around the map using the zoom slider, your mouse, or the extent tools. TxWRAP incorporates the Microsoft Bing! Maps address search capability. Navigating to a Specific Location Using either the Zoom To... tool or the address bar at the top of the screen, enter an address or place name. All places matching that location will be listed in the Zoom To Results box. Click on any of the results to zoom the map to that location. Zooming and Panning There are several ways to zoom and pan around the map. These include using the Zoom Slider, Mouse, or the Zoom Extent tools. Navigation Controls Using the navigation controls, you can: Zoom to Texas use globe icon to zoom to full extent Pan use four-way arrows to pan map in any direction Zoom Previous/Next Extent use two-way arrows Zoom to Scale simply drag zoom slider to desired scale Incremental Zoom use the +/- on zoom slider Mouse You can use your mouse to easily zoom or pan the map. Pan use hand tool to click and drag map Rectangle Zoom use + or magnifying tools Incremental Zoom use mouse center scroll wheel Zoom in & Center double-click the map Note: mouse controls depend on mouse compatibility and may not work with a wireless mouse. 3.5 Zoom To... The Zoom To... tool allows you to select and zoom to a specific location. You can enter an address or location, or select a County or Incorporated City Name from the lists. When you enter a place name or address to search for a specific location, any search results will be presented in the Zoom To Results toolbox. The map will zoom to the extent of all search results. October 2012 Page 13

14 You can use the map navigation tools to zoom in or out, or pan the map without clearing your search results. Selecting a County or Incorporated City will zoom the map automatically to the extent of that place. 3.6 Zoom To Results The Zoom To Results tool presents the results of your search inquiry. Click on an individual result to zoom the map to that specific location. Press Clear to remove all results. Press Zoom to all to zoom the map extent to all results. 3.7 Selecting a Base Map You can view different base maps with the wildfire risk layers. Several options exist: Street Bing! Roads data source Aerial Bing! Aerial imagery source Topographic Esri topographic base map source Click the base map option you prefer to view. 3.8 Explore Map Themes The Explore Map Themes tool allows you to view key maps associated with the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment. The maps are organized into the following groups: Reference Base Layers This group is distinct from the other groups. Its primary purpose is to provide supporting map layers or reference information for viewing in conjunction with the other risk assessment maps. Use the check boxes to show or hide these layers. The maps include fire stations, city boundaries and county boundaries. The maps in the other groups are considered "active" map layers. They are called "active" layers because you can only view one layer at a time the one that is "active" or selected. To view an "active" layer, simply click on it to select it. Once a layer is selected, it will display in the map and a short description will show in the toolbox. You also have the option to view a more in-depth description by clicking on the Full Description link. You can adjust the transparency of the selected layer using the slider October 2012 Page 14

15 bar, which may be necessary to view the underlying base map. Click on the Show Legend/Hide Legend icon to toggle the legend for the "active" layer on and off. Wildfire Risk Themes This group contains the primary risk assessment results. The maps in this group are considered active layers. Landscape Characteristics This group describes Texas landscape characteristics. The maps in this group are considered active layers. Historical Wildfire Occurrence This group contains maps for all historical ignitions, only large fires over 500 acres, and wildfires with case study descriptions. The case studies provide detailed information about specific wildfires. You can click on these point locations to access the case study report. The maps in this group are considered active layers. 3.9 Map Tools Tools are provided that allow you to view and explore the map layers in more detail. These include: Identify use this tool to show the values of several map layers for a specific user defined location Measure use this tool to measure distance or area/perimeter on the map Swipe use this tool to visually compare two layers by choosing a layer to swipe over the top of the active layer Coordinates use this tool to show the current coordinates of the mouse pointer, show coordinates of a user-defined point on the map, or enter coordinates to search for a specific location October 2012 Page 15

16 Identify Click the Identify button to activate the tool. This tool can be used to show the values of several map layers for a specific location. Click Identify Layers and click a location on the map. A pop-up window will appear with names and values for each layer in the map. The pop-up window cannot be resized, but you can resize the columns or re-order the rows. Drag the column edge to resize or click the column header to re-order. Click Close on Identify Tool to dismiss both windows. Measure Click the Measure button to activate the tool. The measure ment tools allow you to measure distance or area on the map. Three distance and two area tools are available. You may specify units using the dropdown menus. Units may be specified before or after measuring. Use the Copy button to copy measurement results. After pressing Copy, you may paste this information into another application, such as a text editor. Click Close to dismiss the window. Swipe Click the Swipe button to activate the tool. The Swipe tool can be used to compare one layer with another. The bottom layer is the active layer selected in Explore Map Themes. The swipe layer is selected from the Swipe Tool dropdown menu. Your cursor will change into an arrow. Using your mouse, click somewhere on the map and hold the mouse button down. Next drag your mouse in the direction of the cursor arrows. You may swipe horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Transparency is not available when the Swipe Tool is active. Click Close to dismiss the window and disable swiping. Coordinates Click the Coordinates button to activate the tool. There are three ways to use the Coordinates Tool. Use the Mouse tab to determine coordinates for the location of your mouse on the map. Use the dropdown menu to change the format of the mouse coordinates. October 2012 Page 16

17 Use the Point tab to determine coordinates for a specific location on the map. Simply click the point tool to activate and click on the map. The coordinate format can be changed with the dropdown menu. Use the Copy tool to copy the coordinates and paste in another application, such as a text editor. Use the Search tab to enter your own coordinates. The map will zoom to the coordinates entered. You may change the format required for coordinates by using the dropdown menu. Press Search to zoom the map to the location of your coordinates. Click Close to dismiss the window What s Your Risk? The What s Your Risk (WYR) tool provides you the capability to select a location on the map and calculate the potential fire intensity for that location. It is intended to inform homeowners and business owners of the impending risk for their location based on surrounding conditions. You can use the Bing! Search tool to enter in a specific street address and zoom to that address, or simply use the map navigation tools to zoom into a specific location on the map. The tool will provide a description of the fire intensity potential based on the conditions within the general vicinity of the location you define. Basic recommendations are also provided for preparedness. To obtain more detailed information, it is highly recommended you contact a qualified local mitigation planner. A link is provided to connect you to the Texas A&M Forest Service mitigation web site where more information can be obtained. The tool uses the Fire Intensity Scale (FIS) layer to determine the potential fire intensity for the specified location. FIS quantifies potential fire intensity based on high to extreme weather conditions, fuels, and topography. It is similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, providing a standard scale to measure potential wildfire intensity by magnitude. FIS consist of 5 classes where the order of magnitude between classes is ten-fold. The minimum class, Class 1, represents very low wildfire intensities and the maximum class, Class 5, represents very high wildfire intensities. Fire Intensity Scale (FIS) Class 1 (Very Low) Class 2 (Low) Class 3 (Moderate) Class 4 (High) Class 5 (Very High) FIS data is modeled at 30-meter resolution. Accordingly, while this is accurate enough to provide general ratings, it is not appropriate for site specific recommendations. For site specific advice, please contact a October 2012 Page 17

18 local mitigation planner for help as they can incorporate local conditions not available in the risk assessment scale of data. Follow these steps to generate a summary: Step 1: Location of Interest Identify a specific location of interest, such as your house or place of work. You can use the address bar to search for a specific location, or use the general zoom tools to manually zoom and pan the map. Step 2: Explore Map Themes Once you have found your location of interest, you can use the Explore Map Themes tool to view the Fire Intensity Scale layer. Simply expand the Explore Map Themes toolbox and select a layer to view it. Step 3: Identify Your Risk Press the Draw Point tool in the What s Your Risk? toolbox to activate it and click on the map to determine potential wildfire intensity. A summary will be generated automatically. You may immediately click a new location on the map to generate a summary for a different location. Step 4: Reduce Your Risk Follow the link to find out more about prevention and mitigation options for homeowners, or to contact your local Texas A&M Forest Service mitigation planner. Close the summary box to clear the point location and disable the tool Print a Map The Print Map tool allows you to create a simple map matching the contents of your browser. The map is created as a PDF and is available for download. You can enter a Title and Subtitle for the map to customize it. Press Clear to clear the default text provided. Press Print to generate the PDF document. October 2012 Page 18

19 4 Using the Professional Viewer 4.1 Signing In Use of the Professional Viewer requires prior registration. If you have not signed in on the risk assessment portal, you will be required to sign in prior to accessing the Professional Viewer. Professional Viewer Sign In Page 4.2 Using Toolboxes The toolboxes available from the Professional Viewer are on the left side of the map. If you do not see the toolboxes, click Show Tools on the bar above the map. To use a toolbox, you must first click it to expand the menu. Click the toolbox again to close the menu. 4.3 Getting Started Tour The Getting Started tool provides help to guide you on how to use the TxWRAP Professional Viewer application. Tools are provided to walk you through a step-by-step tutorial that describes how to explore the risk assessment map themes, identify a location of interest, and generate a summary of risk for the location you identified. To use the Getting Started guide, click the Getting Started toolbox to expand the tools, then click Take the Tour. The Getting Started Tour will pop up in the center of the screen. Use the left and right navigation arrows at the bottom of the screen to follow the tour. When you are done, click the X in the upper right corner to dismiss the window. October 2012 Page 19

20 4.4 Navigating the Map There are several ways to navigate around the map. You can zoom to a specific location by entering an address or you can manually zoom around the map using the zoom slider, your mouse, or the extent tools. TxWRAP incorporates the Microsoft Bing! Maps address search capability. Navigating to a Specific Location Using either the Zoom To... tool or the address bar at the top of the screen, enter an address or place name. All places matching that location will be listed in the Zoom To Results box. Click on any of the results to zoom the map to that location. Zooming and Panning There are several ways to zoom and pan around the map. These include using the Zoom Slider, Mouse, or the Zoom Extent tools. Navigation Controls Using the navigation controls, you can: Zoom to Texas use globe icon to zoom to full extent Pan use four-way arrows to pan map in any direction Zoom Previous/Next Extent use two-way arrows Zoom to Scale simply drag zoom slider to desired scale Incremental Zoom use the +/- on zoom slider Mouse You can use your mouse to easily zoom or pan the map. Pan use hand tool to click and drag map Rectangle Zoom use + or magnifying tools Incremental Zoom use mouse center scroll wheel Zoom in & Center double-click the map Note: mouse controls depend on mouse compatibility and may not work with a wireless mouse. 4.5 Zoom To... The Zoom To... tool allows you to select and zoom to a specific location. You can enter an address or location, or select a County or Incorporated City Name from the lists. When you enter a place name or address to search for a specific location, any search results will be presented in the Zoom To Results toolbox. The map will zoom to the extent of all search results. You can use the map navigation tools to zoom in or out, or pan the October 2012 Page 20

21 map without clearing your search results. Selecting a County or Incorporated City will zoom the map automatically to the extent of that place. 4.6 Zoom To Results The Zoom To Results tool presents the results of your search inquiry. Click on an individual result to zoom the map to that specific location. Press Clear to remove all results. Press Zoom to all to zoom the map extent to all results. 4.7 Selecting a Base Map You can view different base maps with the wildfire risk layers. Several options exist: Street Bing! Roads data source Aerial Bing! Aerial imagery source Topographic Esri topographic base map source Click the base map option you prefer to view. 4.8 Explore Map Themes The Explore Map Themes tool allows you to view key maps associated with the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment. The maps are organized into the following groups: Reference Layers This group is distinct from the other groups. Its primary purpose is to provide supporting map layers or reference information for viewing in conjunction with the other risk assessment maps. Use the check boxes to show or hide these layers. The maps include fire stations, city boundaries and county boundaries. The maps in the other groups are considered "active" map layers. They are called "active" layers because you can only view one layer at a time the one that is "active" or selected. To view an "active" layer, simply click on it to select it. Once a layer is selected, it will display in the map and a short description will show in the toolbox. You also have the option to view a more in-depth description by clicking on the Full Description link. You can adjust the transparency of the October 2012 Page 21

22 selected layer using the slider bar, which may be necessary to view the underlying base map. Click on the Show Legend/Hide Legend icon to toggle the legend for the "active" layer on and off. Wildfire Risk Themes This group contains the primary risk assessment results including key intermediate input layers that have been derived. The maps in this group are considered active layers. Wildfire Behavior Outputs This group contains derived fire behavior outputs, which are influenced by three environmental factors - fuels, weather, and topography. Weather is by far the most dynamic variable as it changes frequently. To account for this variability, four percentile weather categories were created from historical weather observations to represent low, moderate, high, and extreme weather days for each weather influence zone in Texas. A weather influence zone is an area where, for analysis purposes, the weather on any given day is considered uniform. There are 22 weather influence zones in Texas. The characteristic output is the typical or representative wildfire behavior output of a potential fire based on a weighted average of four percentile weather categories. The maps in this group are considered active layers. Landscape Characteristics This group describes Texas landscape characteristics (i.e. vegetation, surface fuels, etc...). The maps in this group are considered active layers. Historical Wildfire Occurrence This group contains maps for all historical ignitions, large fires over 500 acres, and wildfires with case study descriptions. The case studies provide detailed information about specific wildfires. You can click on these point locations to access the case study report. The maps in this group are considered active layers. 4.9 Map Tools Tools are provided that allow you to view and explore the map layers in more detail. These include: Identify use this tool to show the values of several map layers for a specific user defined location Measure use this tool to measure distance or area/perimeter on the map Swipe use this tool to visually compare two layers by choosing a layer to swipe over the top of the active layer Coordinates use this tool to show the current coordinates of the mouse pointer, show coordinates of a user-defined point on the map, or enter coordinates to search for a specific location October 2012 Page 22

23 Identify Click the Identify button to activate the tool. This tool can be used to show the values of several map layers for a specific location. Click Identify Layers and click a location on the map. A pop-up window will appear with names and values for each layer in the map. The pop-up window cannot be resized, but you can resize the columns or re-order the rows. Drag the column edge to resize or click the column header to re-order. Click Close on Identify Tool to dismiss both windows. Measure Click the Measure button to activate the tool. The measure ment tools allow you to measure distance or area on the map. Three distance and two area tools are available. You may specify units using the dropdown menus. Units may be specified before or after measuring. Use the Copy button to copy measurement results. After pressing Copy, you may paste this information into another application, such as a text editor. Click Closeto dismiss the window. Swipe Click the Swipe button to activate the tool. The Swipe tool can be used to compare one layer with another. The bottom layer is the active layer selected in Explore Map Themes. The swipe layer is selected from the Swipe Tool dropdown menu. Your cursor will change into an arrow. Using your mouse, click somewhere on the map and hold the mouse button down. Next drag your mouse in the direction of the cursor arrows. You may swipe horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Transparency is not available when the Swipe Tool is active. Click Close to dismiss the window and disable swiping. October 2012 Page 23

24 Coordinates Click the Coordinates button to activate the tool. There are three ways to use the Coordinates Tool. Use the Mouse tab to determine coordinates for the location of your mouse on the map. Use the dropdown menu to change the format of the mouse coordinates. Use the Point tab to determine coordinates for a specific location on the map. Simply click the point tool to activate and click on the map. The coordinate format can be changed with the dropdown menu. Use the Copy tool to copy the coordinates and paste in another application, such as a text editor. Use the Search tab to enter your own coordinates. The map will zoom to the coordinates entered. You may change the format required for coordinates by using the dropdown menu. Press Search to zoom the map to the location of your coordinates. Click Close to dismiss the window. October 2012 Page 24

25 4.10 Manage Project Areas A few TxWRAP tools require the creation of a project area prior to using them. You must create a project area if you want to generate a risk summary report or export data. The Manage Project Areas tool allows you to create, delete, zoom to, and select a project area. Only one project area can be selected or active at a time. Multiple project areas can be created and saved across sessions; however they are only accessible from the computer and browser they were created on. The Manage Project Areas toolbox will tell you what project area is active. Check Show on map if you want to draw the project area boundary on the map. Click Zoom To to zoom the map to the project area boundary. Click Manage to open the Manage Project Areas dialog. Manage Project Areas dialog The Manage Project Areas dialog lists the project areas you have created and allows you to create new or delete existing project areas. This dialog can stay open while you work with the map. Simply drag the window to the side of the browser window if it is in the way. To zoom to a project area boundary, click the magnifying glass. To delete an existing project area, click the red X. You will be asked to confirm your decision. from Shapefile. There are two primary workflows to create a project area 1) Create on Map and 2) Create Project areas have a maximum size limit of 5,198,300 acres. October 2012 Page 25

26 Create on Map Press the Create button on the Manage Project Areas dialog and follow these basic steps: Step 1: Select Project Area Option County or Incorporated City This option requires you to select an existing county or city from the dropdown lists. Once you select a name, the map will zoom automatically to that area and the boundary will be drawn. Tip When you select a county, only the incorporated cities in that county will be shown in the incorporated city dropdown list. Custom This option allows you to draw a custom boundary on the map. To do so, follow these steps: Step 1a: Digitize Project Area You can draw a boundary on the map using the following options: o o o Draw a point and define a buffer Draw a polygon boundary Use single left-mouse clicks to digitize points and a double left-mouse click to finish the polygon boundary Draw a rectangle Press down on the map with the left-mouse button and drag the mouse to create a rectangle. Let go to finish. If you make a mistake, use the Clear Graphics button to start over. Step 1b: Define buffer distance You can use this option to define a buffer distance around the point or polygon you digitized. Check the box and define the number of miles you want as a buffer. A buffer is required for points. Step 2: Create Project Area Once you have defined the boundary for your Project Area, enter a name for the area and press the Define button. The Project Area feature will be created and drawn on the map. The map will zoom automatically to your new Project Area and the name and acreage of your area will be shown in the Manage Project Area dialog. October 2012 Page 26

27 Create from Shapefile You can also create a project area using the Create from Shapefile tool. This tool allows you to upload an existing shapefile from your computer. The shapefile must meet the following requirements: Shapefile must be in the USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic USGS coordinate system (wkid: ) Shapefile must be uploaded as a ZIP file that contains the following file types: SHP, DBF, and PRJ ZIP file must be 2MB or less Shapefiles may have multiple polygons, however you will need to select a single polygon to define your Project Area Multi-part polygons can be used to create a project area. Multi-part polygon project areas are compatible with all tools except Generate Summary Report. If you wish to generate a summary report, you must convert your multi-part polygon to single-part polygons prior to uploading. To use a shapefile as your Project Area, follow these steps: Step 1: Select Shapefile ZIP file Press the Create from Shapefile button and navigate to your zipped shapefile. Select the file and click Open. The application will unzip your shapefile and zoom the map to the full extent of all polygons within. Step 2: Select Polygon and enter name Use the mouse to click and select the polygon you want to use for your Project Area. Enter the Project Area name and click OK. Valid characters for Project Area names are A-Z, a-z, 0-9, comma, and space. October 2012 Page 27

28 4.11 Generate a Summary Report The Generate Summary Report tool will generate a comprehensive risk summary report for the active Project Area. You must define a Project Area before you can create a report. The Manage Project Areas toolbox will show you what project area is active. The risk summary report includes statistics, maps and charts of all key risk assessment input and output datasets. By default, the address associated with your user account will be shown. Ensure the address is correct, or provide a different address to receive the report download link. Press the Create button to create the report. Note that this is a very comprehensive report and accordingly may take more than an hour to complete. You will receive an when the report is ready to download. Once you have submitted your request, you can continue to use the Professional Viewer application or exit the application without interrupting the report generation. The report is provided in Microsoft Word.docx format. This affords easy integration with other documents Exporting Data The Export Data tool will create a zip file with the GIS datasets for the active Project Area. You must define a Project Area before you can create the zip file. The Manage Project Areas toolbox will show you what project area is active. The zip file will contain all key input and output assessment data. By default, the address associated with your user account will be shown. Ensure the address is correct or provide a different address to receive the download link. Press the Export button to create the zip file. Note that it may take more than an hour to complete this request. You will receive an when the zip file is completed and ready to download. Once you have submitted your request, you can continue to use the Professional Viewer application or exit the application without interrupting the data export. The GIS data is provided in an ESRI ArcGIS 9.3 file geodatabase. October 2012 Page 28

29 4.13 Analyze Impacts The Analyze Impacts tool allows you to analyze potential impacts to people and homes by summarizing demographic information for an existing project area or a custom area drawn on the map. Access to the Analyze Impacts toolbox requires additional permission from the TxWRAP administrator. If you do not see the Analyze Impacts toolbox, you will need to request permission. Use project area To use a project area, select the Use project area option and select your existing project area from the drop menu. Use the Zoom To button to zoom the map to the feature. Use the Clear button to clear the area of interest from the map. Draw area Alternately, you may draw an area of interest on the map using the tools provided. Click the icon for the type of boundary and follow the tooltips to create the area of interest. Use the Zoom To button to zoom the map to the feature. Use the Clear button to clear the area of interest from the map. Create Impact Report Once you define an area of interest, press Run Report to process the information and press View Report to open the report in a new browser tab. You can save the report to your computer using tools provided in your browser. The exact process for saving the report may vary depending on browser and associated PDF reader Print a Map The Print Map tool allows you to create a simple map matching the contents of your browser. The map is created as a PDF and is available for download. You can enter a Title and Subtitle for the map to customize it. Press Clear to clear the default text provided. Press Print to generate the PDF document. October 2012 Page 29

30 5 Using the Fire Occurrence Explorer 5.1 Signing In Use of the Fire Occurrence Explorer requires prior registration and a valid user account from the Texas A&M Forest Service. If you have not signed in on the risk assessment portal, you will be required to sign in prior to accessing the Fire Occurrence Explorer. Fire Occurrence Explorer Sign In Page 5.2 Using Toolboxes The toolboxes available from the Fire Occurrence Explorer are on the left side of the map. If you do not see the toolboxes, click Show Tools on the bar above the map. To use a toolbox, you must first click it to expand the menu. Click the toolbox again to close the menu. 5.3 Getting Started Tour The Getting Started tool provides help to guide you on how to use the TxWRAP Fire Occurrence Explorer application. Tools are provided to walk you through a step-by-step tutorial that describes how to use the Fire Cause Analyzer, which allows users to interactively visualize and explore statewide or county fire statistics using dynamic charting and mapping capabilities. It also demonstrates how to navigate to a location of interest and explore fire occurrence map themes. To use the Getting Started guide, click the Getting Started toolbox to expand the tools, then click Take the Tour. The Getting Started Tour will pop up in the center of the screen. Use the left and right navigation arrows at the bottom of the screen to follow the tour. When you are done, click the X in the upper right corner to dismiss the window. October 2012 Page 30

31 5.4 Navigating the Map There are several ways to navigate around the map. You can zoom to a specific location by entering an address or you can manually zoom around the map using the zoom slider, your mouse, or the extent tools. TxWRAP incorporates the Microsoft Bing! Maps address search capability. Navigating to a Specific Location Using either the Zoom To... tool or the address bar at the top of the screen, enter an address or place name. All places matching that location will be listed in the Zoom To Results box. Click on any of the results to zoom the map to that location. Zooming and Panning There are several ways to zoom and pan around the map. These include using the Zoom Slider, Mouse, or the Zoom Extent tools. Navigation Controls Using the navigation controls, you can: Zoom to Texas use globe icon to zoom to full extent Pan use four-way arrows to pan map in any direction Zoom Previous/Next Extent use two-way arrows Zoom to Scale simply drag zoom slider to desired scale Incremental Zoom use the +/- on zoom slider Mouse You can use your mouse to easily zoom or pan the map. Pan use hand tool to click and drag map Rectangle Zoom use + or magnifying tools Incremental Zoom use mouse center scroll wheel Zoom in & Center double-click the map Note: mouse controls depend on mouse compatibility and may not work with a wireless mouse. 5.5 Zoom To... The Zoom To... tool allows you to select and zoom to a specific location. You can enter an address or location, or select a County or Incorporated City Name from the lists. When you enter a place name or address to search for a specific location, any search results will be presented in the Zoom To Results October 2012 Page 31

32 toolbox. The map will zoom to the extent of all search results. You can use the map navigation tools to zoom in or out, or pan the map without clearing your search results. Selecting a County or Incorporated City will zoom the map automatically to the extent of that place. 5.6 Zoom To Results The Zoom To Results tool presents the results of your search inquiry. Click on an individual result to zoom the map to that specific location. Press Clear to remove all results. Press Zoom to all to zoom the map extent to all results. 5.7 Selecting a Base Map You can view different base maps with the wildfire risk layers. Several options exist: Street Bing! Roads data source Aerial Bing! Aerial imagery source Topographic Esri topographic base map source Click the base map option you prefer to view. 5.8 Explore Map Themes The Explore Map Themes tool allows you to view key maps associated with the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment. The maps are organized into the following groups: Reference Layers This group is distinct from the other groups. Its primary purpose is to provide supporting map layers or reference information for viewing in conjunction with the other risk assessment maps. Use the check boxes to show or hide these layers. The maps include fire stations, city boundaries and county boundaries. The maps in the other groups are considered "active" map layers. They are called "active" layers because you can only view one layer at a time the one that is "active" or selected. To view an "active" layer, simply click on it to select it. Once a layer is selected, it will display in the map and a short description will show in the toolbox. You also have the option to view a more in-depth description by clicking on the Full Description link. You can adjust the transparency of the selected layer using the slider bar, which may be necessary to view the October 2012 Page 32

33 underlying base map. Click on the Show Legend/Hide Legend icon to toggle the legend for the "active" layer on and off. Wildfire Risk Themes This group contains the primary risk assessment results including key intermediate input layers that have been derived. The maps in this group are considered active layers. Historical Wildfire Ignitions This group contains maps for all historical ignitions; large fires over 500 acres, and wildfires with case study descriptions. The case studies provide detailed information about specific wildfires. You can click on these point locations to access the case study report. The maps in this group are considered active layers. County Fire History Summaries This group contains county summaries of the historical wildfire ignitions data. The maps in this group are considered active layers. 5.9 Map Tools Tools are provided that allow you to view and explore the map layers in more detail. These include: Identify use this tool to show the values of several map layers for a specific user defined location Measure use this tool to measure distance or area/perimeter on the map Swipe use this tool to visually compare two layers by choosing a layer to swipe over the top of the active layer Coordinates use this tool to show the current coordinates of the mouse pointer, show coordinates of a user-defined point on the map, or enter coordinates to search for a specific location October 2012 Page 33

34 Identify Click the Identify button to activate the tool. This tool can be used to show the values of several map layers for a specific location. Click Identify Layers and click a location on the map. A pop-up window will appear with names and values for each layer in the map. The pop-up window cannot be resized, but you can resize the columns or re-order the rows. Drag the column edge to resize or click the column header to re-order. Click Close on Identify Tool to dismiss both windows. Measure Click the Measure button to activate the tool. The measure ment tools allow you to measure distance or area on the map. Three distance and two area tools are available. You may specify units using the dropdown menus. Units may be specified before or after measuring. Use the Copy button to copy measurement results. After pressing Copy, you may paste this information into another application, such as a text editor. Click Closeto dismiss the window. Swipe Click the Swipe button to activate the tool. The Swipe tool can be used to compare one layer with another. The bottom layer is the active layer selected in Explore Map Themes. The swipe layer is selected from the Swipe Tool dropdown menu. Your cursor will change into an arrow. Using your mouse, click somewhere on the map and hold the mouse button down. Next drag your mouse in the direction of the cursor arrows. You may swipe horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Transparency is not available when the Swipe Tool is active. Click Close to dismiss the window and disable swiping. October 2012 Page 34

35 Coordinates Click the Coordinates button to activate the tool. There are three ways to use the Coordinates Tool. Use the Mouse tab to determine coordinates for the location of your mouse on the map. Use the dropdown menu to change the format of the mouse coordinates. Use the Point tab to determine coordinates for a specific location on the map. Simply click the point tool to activate and click on the map. The coordinate format can be changed with the dropdown menu. Use the Copy tool to copy the coordinates and paste in another application, such as a text editor. Use the Search tab to enter your own coordinates. The map will zoom to the coordinates entered. You may change the format required for coordinates by using the dropdown menu. Press Search to zoom the map to the location of your coordinates. Click Close to dismiss the window Using the Fire Cause Analyzer The analyze fire causes toolbox allows you to interactively visualize fire statistics using dynamic charting and mapping capabilities to derive patterns related to fire cause. A specific workflow is provided to guide you through the process. Start with Step 1 and work sequentially through Step 6 to filter the fire records. Filters include selecting an area of interest, date range, agency types, agency, fire size, fire cause and subcause. When you are finished, you can choose to download a summary report that summarizes your filter criteria and the number of fires and acres burned. Filtered results can be downloaded as CSV, KML, and shapefile format. Follow the steps below to use the tool. Step 1: Choose Summary Area To begin the process, select an area of interest to analyze. You have the choice of simply selecting statewide or defining a custom area using county, TFS region, or TFS branch boundaries. Activate the Select/Unselect Features tool to select your boundaries of interest. October 2012 Page 35

36 You will need to deactivate the tool once you are finished with your selection. Use the Clear Selection tool to start over. Step 2: Choose Date Range Enter a date range directly in the From and To boxes or use the date pickers. The date range will default to the minimum and maximum date based on the summary area you defined in Step 1. Alternately, use the interactive charts to help guide your date range selection. Simply click on the bar chart button to access the Acres Burned and Number of Fires charts. October 2012 Page 36

37 The following interactive capabilities are provided: select date filter by agency type zoom and pan charts Note: Data is automatically rolled into grouped periods (i.e. month, week, and day) as you zoom in/out of the charts Step 3: Filter by Agency Type Click the check boxes to select which agency type you want to include in your analysis. Agency types with a checkmark will be included. Click on the pie chart button to access a chart that will show the distribution of the numbers of fires by agency type. Use this information to help guide your selection. Step 4: Filter by Agency Select No Filter from the dropdown list if you want to include all agencies or select a single agency to filter. Step 5: Filter by Size Enter a size range directly in the From and To boxes. The default values will be the minimum and maximum based on the filters defined in the previous steps. Click on the bar chart button to access a chart that will show the distribution of the number of fires by size class. Use this information to help guide your selection. Step 6: Filter by Cause/Subcause Select No Filter from the dropdown list to select all causes or select a single cause to filter. Once a cause is selected, you can select a subcause to filter. Alternately, click on the pie chart button to access an interactive chart that will show the distribution of the number of fires by cause and subcause. Use this information to help guide your selection. October 2012 Page 37

38 Once you have defined cause and/or subcause, the fire ignitions will automatically draw on the map and the Number of Fires and Acres Burned information box will populate. Optional Tools Four optional tools exist at the bottom of the Analyze Fire Causes toolbox. Once you have walked through the Analyze Fire Causes workflow, you may use these tools to zoom to the extent of the filtered ignition points, generate a downloadable summary report, export the ignitions as CSV, shapefile, or KML file, or toggle the selected summary area boundary on the map Print a Map The Print Map tool allows you to create a simple map matching the contents of your browser. The map is created as a PDF and is available for download. You can enter a Title and Subtitle for the map to customize it. Press Clear to clear the default text provided. Press Print to generate the PDF document. October 2012 Page 38

39 6 Using the Community Editor 6.1 Accessing the Community Editor The Community Editor application is not currently supported on Microsoft Internet Explorer. To use the Community Editor application, please use one of the following browsers: Mozilla Firefox Google Chrome Apple Safari 6.2 Signing In Community Editor Sign In Page Use of the Community Editor requires prior registration and a valid user account from the Texas A&M Forest Service. If you have not signed in on the risk assessment portal, you will be required to sign in prior to accessing the Community Editor. 6.3 Using Toolboxes The toolboxes available from the Community Editor are on the left side of the map and dependent on the permissions set in your user account. While the Community Editor includes tools to edit communities, hazardous fuel areas, home assessments and post-fire home assessments, you may not have access to all toolboxes. If you do not see any toolbox, click Show Tools on the bar above the map. To use a toolbox, you must first click it to expand the menu. Click the toolbox again to close the menu. October 2012 Page 39

40 6.4 Navigating the Map There are several ways to navigate around the map. You can zoom to a specific location by entering an address or you can manually zoom around the map using the zoom slider, your mouse, or the extent tools. TxWRAP incorporates the Microsoft Bing! Maps address search capability. Navigating to a Specific Location Using either the Zoom To... tool or the address bar at the top of the screen, enter an address or place name. All places matching that location will be listed in the Zoom To Results box. Click on any of the results to zoom the map to that location. Zooming and Panning There are several ways to zoom and pan around the map. These include using the Zoom Slider, Mouse, or the Zoom Extent tools. Navigation Controls Using the navigation controls, you can: Zoom to Texas use globe icon to zoom to full extent Pan use four-way arrows to pan map in any direction Zoom Previous/Next Extent use two-way arrows Zoom to Scale simply drag zoom slider to desired scale Incremental Zoom use the +/- on zoom slider Mouse You can use your mouse to easily zoom or pan the map. Pan use hand tool to click and drag map Rectangle Zoom use + or magnifying tools Incremental Zoom use mouse center scroll wheel Zoom in & Center double-click the map Note: mouse controls depend on mouse compatibility and may not work with a wireless mouse. 6.5 Zoom To... The Zoom To... tool allows you to select and zoom to a specific location. You can enter an address or location, or select a County or Incorporated City Name from the lists. When you enter a place name or address to search for a specific location, any search results will be presented in the Zoom To Results toolbox. The map will zoom to the extent of all search results. You can use the map navigation tools to zoom in or out, or pan the October 2012 Page 40

41 map without clearing your search results. Selecting a County or Incorporated City will zoom the map automatically to the extent of that place. 6.6 Zoom To Results The Zoom To Results tool presents the results of your search inquiry. Click on an individual result to zoom the map to that specific location. Press Clear to remove all results. Press Zoom to all to zoom the map extent to all results. 6.7 Selecting a Base Map You can view different base maps with the wildfire risk layers. Several options exist: Street Bing! Roads data source Aerial Bing! Aerial imagery source Topographic Esri topographic base map source Click the base map option you prefer to view. 6.8 Explore Map Themes The Explore Map Themes tool allows you to view key maps associated with the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment. The maps are organized into the following groups: Reference Layers This group is distinct from the other groups. Its primary purpose is to provide supporting map layers or reference information for viewing in conjunction with the other risk assessment maps. Use the check boxes to show or hide these layers. The maps include fire stations, city boundaries and county boundaries. The maps in the other groups are considered "active" map layers. They are called "active" layers because you can only view one layer at a time the one that is "active" or selected. To view an "active" layer, simply click on it to select it. Once a layer is selected, it will display in the map and a short description will show in the toolbox. You also have the option to view a more in-depth description by clicking on the Full Description link. You can adjust the transparency of the selected layer using the slider bar, which may be necessary to view the underlying base map. Click on the Show Legend/Hide Legend icon to toggle the legend for the "active" layer on and off. October 2012 Page 41

42 Wildfire Risk Themes This group contains the primary risk assessment results including key intermediate input layers that have been derived. The maps in this group are considered active layers. Wildfire Behavior Outputs This group contains derived fire behavior outputs, which are influenced by three environmental factors - fuels, weather, and topography. Weather is by far the most dynamic variable as it changes frequently. To account for this variability, four percentile weather categories were created from historical weather observations to represent low, moderate, high, and extreme weather days for each weather influence zone in Texas. A weather influence zone is an area where, for analysis purposes, the weather on any given day is considered uniform. There are 22 weather influence zones in Texas. The characteristic output is the typical or representative wildfire behavior output of a potential fire based on a weighted average of four percentile weather categories. The maps in this group are considered active layers. Landscape Characteristics This group describes Texas landscape characteristics (i.e. vegetation, surface fuels, etc...). The maps in this group are considered active layers. 6.9 Map Tools Tools are provided that allow you to view and explore the map layers in more detail. These include: Identify use this tool to show the values of several map layers for a specific user defined location Measure use this tool to measure distance or area/perimeter on the map Swipe use this tool to visually compare two layers by choosing a layer to swipe over the top of the active layer Coordinates use this tool to show the current coordinates of the mouse pointer, show coordinates of a user-defined point on the map, or enter coordinates to search for a specific location October 2012 Page 42

43 Identify Click the Identify button to activate the tool. This tool can be used to show the values of several map layers for a specific location. Click Identify Layers and click a location on the map. A pop-up window will appear with names and values for each layer in the map. The pop-up window cannot be resized, but you can resize the columns or re-order the rows. Drag the column edge to resize or click the column header to re-order. Click Close on Identify Tool to dismiss both windows. Measure Click the Measure button to activate the tool. The measure ment tools allow you to measure distance or area on the map. Three distance and two area tools are available. You may specify units using the dropdown menus. Units may be specified before or after measuring. Use the Copy button to copy measurement results. After pressing Copy, you may paste this information into another application, such as a text editor. Click Closeto dismiss the window. Swipe Click the Swipe button to activate the tool. The Swipe tool can be used to compare one layer with another. The bottom layer is the active layer selected in Explore Map Themes. The swipe layer is selected from the Swipe Tool dropdown menu. Your cursor will change into an arrow. Using your mouse, click somewhere on the map and hold the mouse button down. Next drag your mouse in the direction of the cursor arrows. You may swipe horizontally, vertically, and diagonally. Transparency is not available when the Swipe Tool is active. Click Close to dismiss the window and disable swiping. October 2012 Page 43

44 Coordinates Click the Coordinates button to activate the tool. There are three ways to use the Coordinates Tool. Use the Mouse tab to determine coordinates for the location of your mouse on the map. Use the dropdown menu to change the format of the mouse coordinates. Use the Point tab to determine coordinates for a specific location on the map. Simply click the point tool to activate and click on the map. The coordinate format can be changed with the dropdown menu. Use the Copy tool to copy the coordinates and paste in another application, such as a text editor. Use the Search tab to enter your own coordinates. The map will zoom to the coordinates entered. You may change the format required for coordinates by using the dropdown menu. Press Search to zoom the map to the location of your coordinates. Click Close to dismiss the window. October 2012 Page 44

45 6.10 Edit Communities or Hazardous Fuel Areas The edit communities or hazardous fuel areas tool allows you to create, search, select, edit or delete Community/Hazardous Fuel Areas polygons. Follow the steps below. Step 1: Choose layer to edit Start by choosing Communities or Hazardous Fuel Areas from the dropdown list. Step 2: Add new features or select features Adding Features You may add new features by clicking one of the polygon draw tools provided. Select the tool and follow the tooltips on the map to create a new feature. Searching for or Selecting Features Use the magnifying glass icon to search for an existing feature by name. A dropdown menu will appear and allow you to select an existing feature by name. The map will zoom to the extent of the selected feature. Alternately, you may select existing features from the map by using the select features tool. Simply click the tool to activate it and select a feature on the map. More than one feature may be selected at a time. You must deactivate the selection tool when finished. Use the clear feature selection tool to unselect all features. Attribute Summary and Photos When you have finished drawing the feature, the attribute summary popup window appears automatically. If you ve selected an existing feature, you must click the Edit Feature Attributes button available in Step 3 to see the attribute summary popup. Review the summary attributes on the Summary tab. Click the Photos tab to upload or view image files associated with the feature. Click Choose a file to attach and navigate to an image file on your computer to add a photo. Only one photo may be added at a time; however multiple photos may be uploaded to the feature. October 2012 Page 45

46 Open Assessment Form On the attribute summary popup, click Open Assessment Form. This will open the standard assessment form for the type of feature you selected in step 1. The assessment form is modal, meaning you cannot access the map or map tools until this window has been dismissed. Community Assessment Form Fill out each section of the form, ensuring you complete all required items that are marked with an asterisk (*). Click Save to save your information. If you have not completed required fields, you will be notified at this step. Sections that have been successfully completed will have a green checkmark. Sections that are missing required information will have a red X. the missing information. Open the red X sections for detailed information on Click Cancel to dismiss the form. October 2012 Page 46

47 Step 3: Edit Selected Features Edit existing features with the tools in this section. Simply select the tool and follow tooltips on screen to use. Edit Existing Community or Hazardous Fuel Area Features Polygon and Freehand polygon use these tools to draw new features on the map Search by name use this tool to find a feature by name Select feature use this tool to select individual features Clear feature selection and deactivate tool use this tool to clear selected features and deactivate the select features tool Edit feature attributes use this tool to open the attribute popup window to view attributes and view or add photos Edit feature vertices use this tool to edit individual vertices of a feature Reshape polygon use this tool to cut off a section of the polygon. The section with the largest area will remain Delete feature delete one or more features with this tool Create polygon from polygons this tool will create a polygon from the extent of all selected polygons. Selected polygons will be merged into one new feature Create multipart polygon this tool allows you to create a multipart polygon from more than one selected feature. Features retain their individual shapes but will be associated with one attribute form Explode multipart polygon use this tool to explode a multipart polygon into individual polygons. Any attributes for the multipart polygon will be lost Export Features use this tool to download all features assigned to you, or selected features only. Export format options include CSV, KML, and shapefile. October 2012 Page 47

48 6.11 Edit Home Assessments The edit home assessments tool allows you to create, search, select, edit or delete Home Assessment points. Tools are provided to edit attributes using a standardized form and export GIS data. Step 1: Add new features or select features Adding Features You may add new features with the add point tool. Select the tool and follow the tooltips on the map to create a new feature. Searching for or Selecting Features Use the magnifying glass icon to search for an existing feature. A dropdown menu will appear and allow you to select an existing feature by name. The map will zoom to the extent of the selected feature. Alternately, you may select existing features from the map by using the select features tool. The map must be zoomed to 1:36,112 or higher to select features. Use the Zoom to enable feature selection tool to zoom the map quickly to the required resolution. When zoomed to the correct level, simply click the select tool to activate it and select a feature on the map. More than one feature may be selected at a time. You must deactivate the selection tool when finished. Use the clear feature selection tool to unselect all features. Attribute Summary and Photos When you have finished drawing the feature, the attribute summary popup window appears automatically. If you ve selected an existing feature, you must click the Edit Feature Attributes button available in Step 2 to see the attribute summary popup. Review the summary attributes on the Summary tab. Click the Photos tab to upload or view image files associated with the feature. Click Choose a file to attach and navigate to an image file on your computer to add a photo. Only one photo may be added at a time; however multiple photos may be uploaded to the feature. Open Assessment Form On the attribute summary popup, click Open Assessment Form. This will open the standard assessment form for the type of feature you selected in step 1. The assessment form is modal, meaning you cannot access the map or map tools until this window has been dismissed. Fill out each sections of the form, ensuring you complete all required items that are marked with an asterisk (*). Click Save to save your information. If you have not completed required fields, you will be notified at this step. October 2012 Page 48

49 Sections that have been successfully completed will have a green checkmark. Sections that are missing required information will have a red X. the missing information. Open the red X sections for detailed information on Click Cancel to dismiss the form without saving. Step 2: Edit Selected Features Edit existing features with the tools in this section. Simply select the tool and follow tooltips on screen to use. The following tools are available to reshape or delete features: Move a point use this tool to move a point from one location to another without altering the feature s attributes Delete feature delete one or more features with this tool Additionally, the Export selected features button will allow you to export GIS data into CSV, KML, or Shapefile format. Edit Home Features Tools Add new features use this tool to add new features to the map Search by name use this tool to find a feature by name Zoom to enable feature selection feature selection is disabled until you zoom the map to 1:36,112 or higher. Use this tool to quickly zoom the map to the required resolution and enable the selection tools. Select feature use this tool to select individual features. You must be zoomed in to activate this tool. Use the Zoom to enable feature selection tool to set zoom level Clear feature selection and deactivate tool use this tool to clear selected features and deactivate the select features tool Edit feature attributes use this tool to open the attribute popup window October 2012 Page 49

50 Move feature use this tool to move a point to a new location Delete feature delete one or more features with this tool Export Features use this tool to download all features assigned to you, or selected features only. Export format options include CSV, KML, and shapefile Edit Post-Fire Home Assessments The edit post-fire home assessments tool allows you to create, search, select, edit or delete Post-Fire Home Assessment points. Tools are provided to edit attributes using a standardized form and export GIS data. Step 1: Add new features or select features Adding Features You may add new features with the add point tool. Select the tool and follow the tooltips on the map to create a new feature. Searching for or Selecting Features Use the magnifying glass icon to search for an existing feature. A dropdown menu will appear and allow you to select an existing feature by name. The map will zoom to the extent of the selected feature. Alternately, you may select existing features from the map by using the select features tool. The map must be zoomed to 1:36,112 or higher to select features. Use the Zoom to enable feature selection tool to zoom the map quickly to the required resolution. When zoomed to the correct level, simply click the select tool to activate it and select a feature on the map. More than one feature may be selected at a time. You must deactivate the selection tool when finished. Use the clear feature selection tool to unselect all features. Attribute Summary and Photos When you have finished drawing the feature, the attribute summary popup window appears automatically. If you ve selected an existing feature, you must click the Edit Feature Attributes button available in Step 2 to see the attribute summary popup. Review the summary attributes on the Summary tab. Click the Photos tab to upload or view image files associated with the feature. Click Choose a file to attach and navigate to an image file on your computer to add a photo. Only one photo may be added at a time; however multiple photos may be uploaded to the feature. October 2012 Page 50

51 Open Assessment Form On the attribute summary popup, click Open Assessment Form. This will open the standard assessment form for the type of feature you selected in step 1. The assessment form is modal, meaning you cannot access the map or map tools until this window has been dismissed. Fill out each sections of the form, ensuring you complete all required items that are marked with an asterisk (*). Click Save to save your information. If you have not completed required fields, you will be notified at this step. Sections that have been successfully completed will have a green checkmark. Sections that are missing required information will have a red X. the missing information. Open the red X sections for detailed information on Click Cancel to dismiss the form without saving. Step 2: Edit Selected Features Edit existing features with the tools in this section. Simply select the tool and follow tooltips on screen to use. The following tools are available to reshape or delete features: Move a point use this tool to move a point from one location to another without altering the feature s attributes Delete feature delete one or more features with this tool Additionally, the Export selected features button will allow you to export GIS data into CSV, KML, or Shapefile format. Edit Post-Fire Home Features Tools Add new features use this tool to add new features to the map Search by name use this tool to find a feature by name Zoom to enable feature selection feature selection is disabled until you zoom the map to 1:36,112 or higher. Use this tool to quickly zoom the map to the required resolution and enable the selection tools. October 2012 Page 51

52 Select feature use this tool to select individual features. You must be zoomed in to activate this tool. Use the Zoom to enable feature selection tool to set zoom level Clear feature selection and deactivate tool use this tool to clear selected features and deactivate the select features tool Edit feature attributes use this tool to open the attribute popup window Move feature use this tool to move a point to a new location Delete feature delete one or more features with this tool Export Features use this tool to download all features assigned to you, or selected features only. Export format options include CSV, KML, and shapefile. October 2012 Page 52

53 7 Using TxWRAP Mobile The TxWRAP Mobile App provides access to key risk information while staff is in the field. This is helpful during community assessment and field activities, in addition to response situations when staff is dispatched on-scene. The app integrates active fire locations data from the Texas dispatch system with key risk layers, such as surface fuels, to provide staff context while on-scene. Tools are provided to search for and locate active fires based on distance to the phone s GPS location, or by browsing on the map. Basic attributes about each fire are available. 7.1 Registration and Login Some use of the TxWRAP Mobile application requires prior registration. If you have not signed in on the risk assessment portal, you may be required to sign in prior to accessing TxWRAP Mobile. TxWRAP Mobile After receiving your registration approval, point your mobile device to the TxWRAP website through your mobile browser. TxWRAP will automatically recognize your mobile device and reformat the page as needed. Select the Login button and enter your information. The registered TxWRAP user site will load. 7.2 Public The public TxWRAP mobile tools are available without registration. Simply point your mobile device to the TxWRAP website through your mobile browser. TxWRAP will automatically recognize your mobile device and reformat the page as needed. Select the Public button to go to the Public TxWRAP Mobile map. 7.3 Using the Mobile App Navigating the Map Tap the zoom in (+) or zoom out (-) buttons to incrementally zoom the map in or out. Swipe with your fingers to pan the map. You may also pinch in or pinch out with your fingers to zoom. Press the Texas icon in the upper right to zoom the map to full extent. Press the GPS icon to zoom the map to your mobile device s GPS location. Note: Your GPS location is determined by your mobile device and the satellites it is able to contact. Your exact location may be different, depending on the strength of these connections. October 2012 Page 53

54 What s Your Risk? Mobile The What s Your Risk? tool that is available in the Public Viewer can also be found on TxWRAP Mobile. On any map page, press the lightning bolt icon on the top right and press anywhere on the map to find out your risk rating. Fires Press the Fires button to retrieve a list of current active fires in Texas. Fires may be sorted by your mobile device s GPS coordinates. You may also filter the fire list by entering keywords in the filter text box. Select a fire to zoom the map to that location. Press the fire symbol on the map to popup basic information about that fire. Dismiss the popup by pressing a non-fire location on the map. Layers Press the Layers button to open the Map Layers option window. You may select a base map from the options shown. You may also choose which layer to display on the map. The map layers available depend on your user level (registered vs. public). Press the map button to return to the map and view your selected layer. Press the legend button to view the map layer legends. Tools Press the Tools button available on the map page. The following tools are available: Measure Distance Select this tool to measure a distance on the map. On the map, press the start location and double press the finish location. The measured distance will appear in a popup. Measure Area Select this tool to measure the area of a location on the map. On the map, press the start of the area and continue pressing points on the map to create a shape. Double press the map to complete your feature. The measured area will appear in a popup. Clear Map Use this tool to clear drawn features from the map Manually zoom to location Enter decimal degrees or degrees minutes Latitude and Longitude coordinates in the boxes and press Zoom to Lat/Lon to zoom to your desired location. 7.4 Map Types In addition to the Public maps, registered users of TxWRAP Professional Viewer have access to maps from the Professional Viewer and Predictive Services information. These maps offer the same functionality as the Public maps, but include relevant map layers to their map types. Predictive Services includes weather and fire danger related information, such as wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and temperature. Additional layers may be available. October 2012 Page 54

55 8 Layer Descriptions Values Response Index The Values Response Index (VRI) layer reflects a rating of the potential impact of a wildfire on values or assets. The VRI is an overall rating that combines the impact ratings for Wildland Urban Interface (housing density) and Pine Plantations (pine age) into a single measure. The individual ratings for each value layer, Wildland Urban Interface and Pine Plantations, were derived using a Response Function modeling approach. Response functions are a method of assigning a net change in the value to a resource or asset based on susceptibility to fire at different intensity levels, such as flame length. These net changes can be negative (adverse) or positive (beneficial). The theoretical range of values is from -9 to 9, with 9 representing the most adverse impact and 9 representing the most positive impact. Zero reflects no impact. The practical range is typically much smaller, however. For the TWRA, the range of values is from -9 to1. Zero values are not included because they reflect no impact to the value or asset. Using the Response Function approach, a rating is calculated to estimate the expected impact to values/assets at different fire intensity levels. The measure of fire intensity used in the Texas assessment is flame length (ft). Response Function outputs are first derived for each input data set and then combined to derive the Values Response Index. Different weightings are used to combine the response function value outputs for Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) and Pine Plantations with the highest priority placed on protection of people and structures (i.e. WUI). Accordingly, WUI is given an 80% weighting and Pine Plantations a 20% weighting to calculate the statewide VRI. Response Function values and layer weightings were developed by a team of experts to reflect priorities for fire protection planning in Texas. All areas in Texas have the VRI calculated consistently, which allows for comparison and ordination of areas across the entire state. Data is modeled at a 30-meter cell resolution, which is consistent with other TWRA layers. WUI Response Index The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Response Index layer is a rating of the potential impact of a wildfire on people and their homes. The key input, WUI, reflects housing density (houses per acre) consistent with Federal Register National standards. The location of people living in the Wildland Urban Interface and rural areas is key information for defining potential wildfire impacts to people and homes. The WUI Response Index is derived using a Response Function modeling approach. Response functions are a method of assigning a net change in the value to a resource or asset based on susceptibility to fire at different intensity levels, such as flame length. The range of values is from -1 to -9, with 1 October 2012 Page 55

56 representing the least negative impact and -9 representing the most negative impact. For example, areas with high housing density and high flame lengths are rated -9 while areas with low housing density and low flame lengths are rated -1.To calculate the WUI Response Index, the WUI housing density data was combined with Flame Length data and response functions were defined to represent potential impacts. The response functions were defined by a team of experts led by the Texas A&M Forest Service mitigation planning staff. By combining flame length with the WUI housing density data, you can determine where the greatest potential impact to homes and people is likely to occur. Fire intensity data is modeled to incorporate penetration into urban fringe areas so that outputs better reflect real world conditions for fire spread and impact in urban interface areas. All areas in Texas have the WUI Response Index calculated consistently, which allows for comparison and ordination of areas across the entire state. Data is modeled at a 30-meter cell resolution, which is consistent with other TWRA layers. Pine Plantation Response Index The Pine Plantation Response Index layer is a rating of the potential impact of a wildfire on pine plantations. The key input, Pine Plantation Age, represents the age of pine plantations across Texas and reflects the potential susceptibility to damage from wildfire. The Pine Plantation Response Index is derived using a Response Function modeling approach. Response functions are a method of assigning a net change in the value to a resource or asset based on susceptibility to fire at different intensity levels, such as flame length. These net changes can be negative (adverse) or positive (beneficial). The theoretical range of values is from -9 to 9, with -9 representing the most adverse impact and 9 representing the most positive impact. Zero reflects no impact. The practical range is typically much smaller, however. For the TWRA, the range of values is from -9 to 3. Zero values are not included because they reflect no impact to the value or asset. For Pine Plantations, wildfire could have both adverse and beneficial impacts based on the age of the plantation and the corresponding fire intensity level. To calculate the Pine Plantations Response Index, the Pine Plantation Age data was combined with Flame Length data, and response functions were defined to represent potential impacts. The response functions were defined by a team of experts led by the Texas A&M Forest Service mitigation planning staff. By combining flame length with the Pine Plantation Age data, you can determine where the greatest potential impact to pine plantations is likely to occur. All areas in Texas have the Pine Plantation Index calculated consistently, which allows for comparison and ordination of areas across the entire state. Data is modeled at a 30-meter cell resolution, which is consistent with other TWRA layers. Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) layer reflects housing density depicting where humans and their structures meet or intermix with wildland fuels. WUI housing density is categorized based on the standard Federal Register and U.S. Forest Service Silvis data set categories. The number of housing October 2012 Page 56

57 density categories is extended to provide a better gradation of housing distribution to meet specific requirements of the states for their fire protection planning activities. While units of the data set are in houses per sq. km., which is consistent with other data such as USFS SILVIS, the data is presented as the number of houses per acre to aid with interpretation and use in Texas. For many states, this is the most important values impacted input data set. In the past, conventional wildland urban interface data sets, such as USFS SILVIS, have been used to reflect these concerns. However, USFS SILVIS and other existing data sources do not provide the level of detail needed by the Texas A&M Forest Service and local fire protection agencies. The new WUI dataset is derived using advanced modeling techniques based on the Where People Live dataset and LandScan population count data available from the Department of Homeland Security, HSIP Freedom Data Set. WUI is simply a subset of the Where People Live dataset. The primary difference is populated areas surrounded by sufficient non-burnable areas (i.e. interior urban areas) are removed from the Where People Live data set, as these areas are not expected to be directly impacted by a wildfire. To learn more about the Where People Live dataset, refer to its detailed description. Where People Live The Where People Live (WPL) layer reflects housing density depicting where people live in Texas. With recent advancements in data and analysis methods a new data set, Where People Live (WPL), has been developed to identify where people live in urban and wildland areas. WPL is compiled using housing density and categorized based on the standard Federal Register and U.S. Forest Service Silvis data set categories. The number of housing density categories was extended to provide a better gradation of housing distribution to meet specific requirements of the states for their fire protection planning activities. While units of the data set are in houses per sq. km., which is consistent with other data such as USFS SILVIS, the data is presented as the number of houses per acre to aid with interpretation and use in Texas. WPL is derived using advanced modeling techniques based on the LandScan population count data available from the Department of Homeland Security, HSIP Freedom Data Set. The HSIP Freedom dataset is available at no cost to U.S. local, state, territorial, tribal and federal government agencies. Developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, LandScan has been developed using sophisticated algorithms that integrate high-resolution imagery, nighttime lights imagery, and other local spatial data to identify daytime and nighttime population distributions. Refer to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory LandScan web site for more detailed information. October 2012 Page 57

58 Community Protection Zones Community Protection Zones (CPZ) represent those areas considered highest priority for mitigation planning activities. CPZs are based on an analysis of the Where People Live housing density data and surrounding fire behavior potential. Rate of Spread data is used to determine the areas of concern around populated areas that are within a 2-hour fire spread distance. General consensus among fire planners is that for fuel mitigation treatments to be effective in reducing wildfire hazard, they must be conducted within a close distance of a community. In Texas, the WUI housing density has been used to reflect populated areas in place of community boundaries. This ensures that CPZs reflect where people are living, not jurisdictional boundaries. CPZs represent a variable width buffer around populated areas that are within a 2-hour fire spread distance. Accordingly, CPZs will extend farther in areas where rates of spread are greater and less in areas where minimal rate of spread potential exists. CPZ boundaries inherently incorporate fire behavior conditions. All areas in Texas have the CPZs calculated consistently, which allows for comparison and ordination of areas across the entire state. Data is modeled at a 30-meter cell resolution, which is consistent with other TWRA layers. Wildfire Threat Wildfire Threat is the likelihood of a wildfire occurring or burning into an area. Threat is derived by combining a number of landscape characteristics including surface and canopy fuels, resultant fire behavior, historical fire occurrence, percentile weather derived from historical weather observations, and terrain conditions. These inputs are combined using analysis techniques based on established fire science. The measure of wildfire threat used in the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment (TWRA) is based on the Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index (WFSI). WFSI combines the probability of an acre igniting (Wildfire Ignition Density), and the expected final fire size based on rate of spread in four percentile weather categories. WFSI is defined as the likelihood of an acre burning. Since all areas in Texas have WFSI calculated consistently, it allows for comparison and ordination of areas across the entire state. For example, a high threat area in East Texas is equivalent to a high threat area in West Texas. The threat map is derived at a 30-meter resolution. This scale of data was chosen to be consistent with the accuracy of the primary surface fuels dataset used in the assessment. While not appropriate for site specific analysis, it is ideal for state and regional scale analysis. October 2012 Page 58

59 Wildfire Ignition Density Wildfire Ignition Density is the likelihood of a wildfire starting based on historical ignition patterns. Occurrence is derived by modeling historic wildfire ignition locations to create an average ignition rate map. The ignition rate is measured in the number of fires per year per 1000 acres. The measure of wildfire occurrence used in the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment (TWRA) is called the Wildfire Ignition Density. Since all areas in Texas have Ignition Density calculated consistently, it allows for comparison and ordination of areas across the entire state. For example, a high occurrence area in East Texas is equivalent to a high occurrence area in West Texas. Five years of historic fire report data was used to create the ignition points for all Texas fires. Data was obtained from federal, state and local fire department report data sources for the years 2005 to For East Texas, additional fire data was obtained for state fires for the years 2000 to The compiled wildfire occurrence database was cleaned to remove duplicate records and to correct inaccurate locations. The database was then modeled to create a density map reflecting historical fire ignition rates. The Ignition Density map is derived at a 30-meter resolution. This scale of data was chosen to be consistent with the accuracy of the primary surface fuels dataset used in the assessment. While not appropriate for site specific analysis, it is appropriate for regional, county or local planning efforts. Wildfire Behavior Outputs Characteristic Fire Intensity Scale Characteristic Fire Intensity Scale (FIS) specifically identifies areas where significant fuel hazards and associated dangerous fire behavior potential exist based on weighted average of four percentile weather categories. Similar to the Richter scale for earthquakes, FIS provides a standard scale to measure potential wildfire intensity. FIS consist of 5 classes where the order of magnitude between classes is ten-fold. The minimum class, Class 1, represents very low wildfire intensities and the maximum class, Class 5, represents very high wildfire intensities. Refer to descriptions below. 1. Class 1, Very Low: Very small, discontinuous flames, usually less than 1 foot in length; very low rate of spread; no spotting. Fires are typically easy to suppress by firefighters with basic training and non-specialized equipment. 2. Class2, Low: Small flames, usually less than two feet long; small amount of very short range spotting possible. Fires are easy to suppress by trained firefighters with protective equipment and specialized tools. October 2012 Page 59

60 3. Class 3, Moderate: Flames up to 8 feet in length; short-range spotting is possible. Trained firefighters will find these fires difficult to suppress without support from aircraft or engines, but dozer and plows are generally effective. Increasing potential for harm or damage to life and property. 4. Class 4, High: Large Flames, up to 30 feet in length; short-range spotting common; medium range spotting possible. Direct attack by trained firefighters, engines, and dozers is generally ineffective, indirect attack may be effective. Significant potential for harm or damage to life and property. 5. Class 5, Very High: Very large flames up to 150 feet in length; profuse short-range spotting, frequent longrange spotting; strong fire-induced winds. Indirect attack marginally effective at the head of the fire. Great potential for harm or damage to life and property. To aid in viewing on the map, FIS is presented in 1/2 class increments. Please consult the TxWRAP User Manual for a more detailed description of the FIS class descriptions. Wildfire Threat and Fire Intensity Scale are designed to complement each other. Unlike Wildfire Threat, the Fire Intensity Scale does not incorporate historical occurrence information. It only evaluates the potential fire behavior for an area, regardless if any fires have occurred there in the past. This additional information allows mitigation planners to quickly identify areas where dangerous fire behavior potential exists in relationship to nearby homes or other valued assets. Since all areas in Texas have fire intensity scale calculated consistently, it allows for comparison and ordination of areas across the entire state. For example, a high fire intensity area in East Texas is equivalent to a high fire intensity area in West Texas. Fire intensity scale is a fire behavior output, which is influenced by three environmental factors - fuels, weather, and topography. Weather is by far the most dynamic variable as it changes frequently. To account for this variability, four percentile weather categories were created from historical weather observations to represent low, moderate, high, and extreme weather days for each weather influence zone in Texas. A weather influence zone is an area where, for analysis purposes, the weather on any given day is considered uniform. There are 22 weather influence zones in Texas. The fire intensity scale map is derived at a 30-meter resolution. This scale of data was chosen to be consistent with the accuracy of the primary surface fuels dataset used in the assessment. While not appropriate for site specific analysis, it is appropriate for regional, county or local planning efforts. October 2012 Page 60

61 Fire Type - Extreme Fire Type Extreme represents the potential fire type under the extreme percentile weather category. The extreme percentile weather category represents the average weather based on the top three percent fire weather days in the analysis period. It is not intended to represent a worst case scenario weather event. Accordingly, the potential fire type is based on fuel conditions, extreme percentile weather, and topography. Canopy fires are very dangerous, destructive and difficult to control due to their increased fire intensity. From a planning perspective, it is important to identify where these conditions are likely to occur on the landscape so that special preparedness measure can be taken if necessary. The Fire Type Extreme layer shows the footprint of where these areas are most likely to occur. However, it is important to note that canopy fires are not restricted to these areas. Under the right conditions, it can occur in other canopied areas. There are two primary fire types surface fire and canopy fire. Canopy fire can be further subdivided into passive canopy fire and active canopy fire. A short description of each of these is provided below. Surface Fire - A fire that spreads through surface fuel without consuming any overlying canopy fuel. Surface fuels include grass, timber litter, shrub/brush, slash and other dead or live vegetation within about 6 feet of the ground. Passive Canopy Fire A type of crown fire in which the crowns of individual trees or small groups of trees burn, but solid flaming in the canopy cannot be maintained except for short periods (Scott & Reinhardt, 2001). Active Canopy Fire - A crown fire in which the entire fuel complex (canopy) is involved in flame, but the crowning phase remains dependent on heat released from surface fuel for continued spread (Scott & Reinhardt, 2001). The fire type - extreme map is derived at a 30-meter resolution. This scale of data was chosen to be consistent with the accuracy of the primary surface fuels dataset used in the assessment. While not appropriate for site specific analysis, it is appropriate for regional, county or local planning efforts. October 2012 Page 61

62 Characteristic Flame Length Characteristic Flame Length is the typical or representative flame length of a potential fire based on a weighted average of four percentile weather categories. Flame Length is defined as the distance between the flame tip and the midpoint of the flame depth at the base of the flame, which is generally the ground surface. It is an indicator of fire intensity and is often used to estimate how much heat the fire is generating. Flame length is typically measured in feet (ft). Flame length is the measure of fire intensity used to generate the response index outputs for the TWRA. Flame length is a fire behavior output, which is influenced by three environmental factors - fuels, weather, and topography. Weather is by far the most dynamic variable as it changes frequently. To account for this variability, four percentile weather categories were created from historical weather observations to represent low, moderate, high, and extreme weather days for each weather influence zone in Texas. A weather influence zone is an area where, for analysis purposes, the weather on any given day is considered uniform. There are 22 weather influence zones in Texas. Fire behavior outputs (fire type, rate of spread, flame length, and fireline intensity) are computed for each of these percentile weather categories in order to determine potential fire behavior under different weather scenarios. Characteristic Rate of Spread Characteristic Rate of Spread is the typical or representative rate of spread of a potential fire based on a weighted average of four percentile weather categories. Rate of spread is the speed with which a fire moves in a horizontal direction across the landscape, usually expressed in chains per hour (ch/hr) or feet per minute (ft/min). For purposes of the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment, this measurement represents the maximum rate of spread of the fire front. Rate of Spread is the metric used to derive the Community Protection Zones. Rate of spread is a fire behavior output, which is influenced by three environmental factors - fuels, weather, and topography. Weather is by far the most dynamic variable as it changes frequently. To account for this variability, four percentile weather categories were created from historical weather observations to represent low, moderate, high, and extreme weather days for each weather influence zone in Texas. A weather influence zone is an area where, for analysis purposes, the weather on any given day is considered uniform. There are 22 weather influence zones in Texas. Fire behavior outputs (fire type, rate of spread, flame length, and fireline intensity) are computed for each of these percentile weather categories in order to determine potential fire behavior under different weather scenarios. October 2012 Page 62

63 Landscape Characteristics Surface Fuels Surface fuels, or fire behavior fuel models as they are technically referred to, contain the parameters needed by the Rothermel (1972) surface fire spread model to compute surface fire behavior characteristics, such as rate of spread, flame length, fireline intensity, and other fire behavior metrics. Surface fuels include grass, timber litter, shrub/brush, slash and other dead or live vegetation within about 6 feet of the ground. Surface Fuels is created at 30-meter resolution. Surface fuels are typically categorized into one of four primary fuel types based on the primary carrier of the surface fire: 1) grass, 2) shrub/brush, 3) timber litter and 4) slash. There are two standard fire behavior fuel model sets published for use. The Fire Behavior Prediction System 1982 Fuel Model Set (Anderson, 1982) contains 13 fuel models and the Fire Behavior Prediction System 2005 Fuel Model Set (Scott & Burgan, 2005) contains 40 fuel models. The TWRA uses fuel models from both sets, as well as two additional custom fuel models devised by Texas A&M Forest Service. The two custom fire behavior fuel models include 9PPL and 9HWD, both of which are a variation of Fuel Model 9 from the 1982 Fuel Model Set. 9PPL is intended to model elevated fire behavior associated with dense pine plantations/ pine stands that have an increased timber litter fuel bed depth as compared to a Fuel Model 9. 9HWD is intended to model lower fire behavior for hardwood stands with a fluffy litter layer. The main difference from a Fuel Model 9 is the absence of pine litter in the fuel bed component. Vegetation The Vegetation map shows the general vegetation and landcover types across the state of Texas. In the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment (TWRA), the Vegetation dataset is used to support the development of the Surface Fuels, Canopy Cover, Canopy Stand Height, Canopy Base Height, and Canopy Bulk Density datasets. For the purposes of the TWRA, special consideration was given to mapping of evergreen forest types (i.e. pine, redcedar, juniper, live oak, and pinyon) due to their potential to support passive and active crowning. The Vegetation dataset is created at 30-meter resolution. October 2012 Page 63

64 Pine Age Pine Age is a map of pine and mixed pine/deciduous stands in Pine age is one the key inputs used in the development of several fuel datasets including: Surface Fuels, Canopy Ceiling Height/Stand Height, Canopy Base Height and Canopy Bulk Density. The pine age map is used to determine the age distribution and area for each age class, as well as their location on the landscape. In the pine forests of East Texas, pine stands are an important consideration in the overall wildfire management of the area. Many stands are planted and managed as a financial investment by private landowners, timber companies, timber management investment organizations (TIMOs), or real estate investment trusts (REITs). Other stands may be used for recreation and/or represent prime wildlife habitat for critical or endangered species. As wildland fire managers, it is our job to ensure these areas are properly protected from wildfires. Age is often used as an indicator of the potential fire behavior and value associated with pine stands, as well as the susceptibility of the stand to be damaged from wildfire. For example, young stands mixed with grass and smaller-sized trees have the potential to exhibit extreme fire behavior and are very susceptible to damage. However, these young stands typically have less value associated with them as compared to more mature pine stands. As a pine stand ages, it typically becomes less and less susceptible to damage from wildfires. The Pine Age dataset is created at 30-meter resolution. Pine Plantations Pine plantations are pine stands that are planted and actively managed for financial gain or other economic reasons. The Pine Plantations layer is a key input into the Fire Effects analysis. Planners use this map to identify where additional planning and analysis might be necessary to protect this valuable resource. Dataset is created at 30-meter resolution. The forest sector in Texas has a major impact to the Texas economy. It is the 3rd most important agricultural commodity in Texas, and the most important in 28 out of the 43 East Texas counties. It produces $22 billion in industry outputs and employs 80,000 workers. Managed plantations have a significant role in the forest sector, because they supply the majority of the timber needed by the mills to produce paper and lumber products. Plantations are planted by private landowners, timber companies, timber management investment organizations (TIMOs), and real estate investment trusts (REITs). October 2012 Page 64

65 Class definitions are: Pine Plantation (Established) 4-30 years of age and detectable via satellite imagery. Modeling techniques are used to distinguish pine plantations from natural pine stands. Pine Regeneration and Pine Deciduous Regeneration 0-10 years of age and not detectable via satellite imagery, however, the probability is high or moderate respectively for these classes to be considered pine plantation based on modeling using additional information. Dozer Operability Rating The Dozer Operability Rating (DOR) expresses how difficult it is to operate a dozer in an area based on limitations associated with slope and vegetation/fuel type. Using the fireline production rates published in the NWCG Fireline Handbook 3 (PMS 410-1) as a guide, operability values were assigned to a matrix based on 6 slope classes and 10 vegetation/fuels classes. The possible values range from 1 to 9, with 1 representing no limitations and 9 being inoperable. Percent Slope Percent Slope is a measurement of the rate of change of elevation over a given horizontal distance, in which the rise is divided by the run and then multiplied by one hundred. Percent slope is used to characterize the local conditions for operating equipment. Slope identifies the inclination at a single location based on the adjacent elevation values. Steep local conditions can severely restrict the movement of equipment and resources for suppression. This dataset is combined with Vegetation Operability data to derive the Dozer Operability Rating. Landforms The Landforms dataset provides a general characterization of topographic features in Texas. It is used to identify where certain topographic features (i.e. hills and mountains) may impact suppression resources in terms of suppression difficulty. The topographic features include: flat plains, smooth plains, irregular plains, rugged plains, breaks, low hills, hills, and mountains. October 2012 Page 65

66 Historical Wildfire Ignitions Wildfire Ignitions The Wildfire Ignitions dataset shows the point location of all fires from The fires are symbolized by the cause of the fire. The wildfire occurrence database was obtained from federal, state and local fire department report data sources for the years 2000 to The compiled fire occurrence database was cleaned to remove duplicate records and to correct inaccurate locations. The fire reports were gathered from the following data sources. Federal The federal category includes fires reported by US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. State The Texas A&M Forest Service fire occurrence database represents all state-reported fires. Local The local category includes fires reported via Texas A&M Forest Service's online fire department reporting system. It is a voluntary reporting system that includes fires reported by both paid and volunteer fire departments since Large Wildfires The Large Wildfires dataset shows the point location of fires greater than 500 acres from The fires are symbolized by size class. The wildfire occurrence database was obtained from federal, state and local fire department report data sources for the years 2000 to The compiled fire occurrence database was cleaned to remove duplicate records and to correct inaccurate locations. The fire reports were gathered from the following data sources. Federal The federal category includes fires reported by US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. State The Texas A&M Forest Service fire occurrence database represents all state-reported fires. Local The local category includes fires reported via Texas A&M Forest Service's online fire department reporting system. It is a voluntary reporting system that includes fires reported by both paid and volunteer fire departments since October 2012 Page 66

67 Wildfire Case Studies The Wildfire Case Studies map identifies where detailed post-fire assessments have been completed for specific wildfires. You can access the reports by simply clicking on the fire. County Wildfire History Summaries Number of Wildfires Reported The Number of Wildfires Reported map shows the sum of all fire ignitions reported from for each county in Texas. The five-year wildfire occurrence database was obtained from federal, state and local fire department report data sources for the years 2005 to The compiled fire occurrence database was cleaned to remove duplicate records and to correct inaccurate locations. The fire reports were gathered from the following data sources: Federal The federal category includes fires reported by US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. State The Texas A&M Forest Service fire occurrence database represents all state-reported fires. Local The local category includes fires reported via Texas A&M Forest Service's online fire department reporting system. It is a voluntary reporting system that includes fires reported by both paid and volunteer fire departments since Wildfire Acres Reported The Wildfire Acres Reported map shows the sum of all wildfire acres reported from for each county in Texas. The five-year wildfire occurrence database was obtained from federal, state and local fire department report data sources for the years 2005 to The compiled fire occurrence database was cleaned to remove duplicate records and to correct inaccurate locations. The fire reports were gathered from the following data sources. Federal The federal category includes fires reported by US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. State The Texas A&M Forest Service fire occurrence database represents all state-reported fires. October 2012 Page 67

68 Local The local category includes fires reported via Texas A&M Forest Service's online fire department reporting system. It is a voluntary reporting system that includes fires reported by both paid and volunteer fire departments since Average Wildfire Size The Average Wildfire Size map shows the average wildfire size from for each county in Texas. The unit of measure is acres. The five-year wildfire occurrence database was obtained from federal, state and local fire department report data sources for the years 2005 to The compiled fire occurrence database was cleaned to remove duplicate records and to correct inaccurate locations. The fire reports were gathered from the following data sources: Federal The federal category includes fires reported by US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. State The Texas A&M Forest Service fire occurrence database represents all state-reported fires. Local The local category includes fires reported via Texas A&M Forest Service's online fire department reporting system. It is a voluntary reporting system that includes fires reported by both paid and volunteer fire departments since Largest Wildfire Reported The Largest Wildfire Reported map shows the largest wildfire reported from for each county in Texas. The unit of measure is acres. The five-year wildfire occurrence database was obtained from federal, state and local fire department report data sources for the years 2005 to The compiled fire occurrence database was cleaned to remove duplicate records and to correct inaccurate locations. The fire reports were gathered from the following data sources: Federal The federal category includes fires reported by US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. State The Texas A&M Forest Service fire occurrence database represents all state-reported fires. October 2012 Page 68

69 Local The local category includes fires reported via Texas A&M Forest Service's online fire department reporting system. It is a voluntary reporting system that includes fires reported by both paid and volunteer fire departments since More Information TxWRAP has been developed by Data Transfer Solutions LLC (Orlando, FL) under contract to, and in collaboration with, the Texas A&M Forest Service. For more information about this project please contact Curt Stripling, Texas A&M Forest Service at [email protected] For more information about Texas A&M Forest Service please visit our web site at Detailed information about Fire & Emergency Response can be found at For more information about DTS please contact David Buckley at [email protected] or visit This document is provided under DIR Contract No. DIR-SDD-898, RPO No. P Revision History This document has undergone the following revisions. Version Date Revised By: Description of Revision 1 4/14/2011 Kate Sabourin Draft document 2 4/22/2011 Buck/Kate Revise text 3 7/5/2011 Kate Sabourin Incorporate TFS Revisions 4 7/21/2011 Kate Sabourin Added Data Description Appendix 5 9/30/2011 Kate Sabourin Added Enhancement Tools Pre-release 2/28/2012 David Buckley Minor revisions for Pre-Release training. Release 1 4/10/2012 Kate Sabourin Post-training edits Release 1 4/16/2012 David Buckley Final minor edits. Release 2 10/25/2012 Kate Sabourin Updated for site enhancements October 2012 Page 69