The purpose of this project is to study and document the progression and fire behavior, from inception to containment, of the now called "Tunnel" Fire that occurred in the Oakland Hills in late 1991. It will involve basic combustion and heat transfer fundamentals, vegetational and structural analysis, and a concise overview incorporating all existing records. The issues to be addressed are concerned with: a) the response of domestic and wildland vegetation to weather and climate such as drought and wind, b) the heat transfer processes occurring during the fire, and c) the interaction of structural and vegetational fuels in fire. The results of the research will be useful in evaluating the hazards in the urban/wildland interface, the effects on these areas, vis a vis the fire risk, of extreme climatic and weather events, and the potential effectiveness of mitigation measures being proposed.
