Spatial, Temporal, and Electrical Characteristics of Lightning in Reported Lightning-Initiated Wildfire Events.

ABSTRACT: Analysis was performed to determine if a lightning flash could be associated with every reported lightning-initiated wildfire that grew to at least 4 km². In total, 905 lightning-initiated wildfires within CONUS between 2012 and 2015 were analyzed. Fixed and fire radius search methods showed that 81-88% of wildfires had a corresponding lightning flash within a 14 day period prior to the report date. The two methods showed that 52-60% of lightning-initiated wildfire were reported on the same day as the closest lightning flash. The fire radius method indicated the most promising spatial results, where the median distance between the closest lightning and the wildfire start location was 0.83 km, followed by a 75^th percentile of 1.6 km, and a 95^th percentile of

SUBMITTER: Schultz CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6662225 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature