Articles | Volume 18, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-18-157-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-18-157-2018
Research article
 | 
11 Jan 2018
Research article |  | 11 Jan 2018

Hydrometeorological conditions preceding wildfire, and the subsequent burning of a fen watershed in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Matthew C. Elmes, Dan K. Thompson, James H. Sherwood, and Jonathan S. Price

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AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (09 Nov 2017) by Mario Parise
AR by Matthew Elmes on behalf of the Authors (17 Nov 2017)
ED: Publish as is (22 Nov 2017) by Mario Parise
AR by Matthew Elmes on behalf of the Authors (22 Nov 2017)  Manuscript 
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Short summary
The infrequent coinciding of several hydrometeorological conditions common to the Western Boreal Plain, including low autumn soil moisture, modest snowpack, lack of spring precipitation, and high spring air temperatures and winds, ultimately led to the widespread Horse river fire in May of 2016. Monitoring antecedent soil moisture would aid management strategies in producing of more accurate overwintered Drought Code calculations, providing early warning signals ahead of spring wildfire seasons.
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