Fire managers need better estimates of fuel loading using techniques that are easy, fast, and reliable so they can more accurately predict the potential fire behavior and effects of alternative fuel and ecosystem restoration treatments. A new fuel sampling method, called the photoload sampling technique, has been developed to quickly and accurately estimate loadings for six common surface fuel components (1 hr, 10 hr, 100 hr, and 1000 hr down dead woody, shrub, and herbaceous fuels).

For more information, please visit the full project page at https://www.firelab.org/project/photoload

An example of a series of downward pointing pictures of graduated fuel loadings to estimate actual fuel loadings in the field.