FireLog: An open-source, low-cost system for temperature logging during wildland fires with high spatial and temporal...

Area of Science:

• Fire Ecology and Management
• Environmental Monitoring
• Instrumentation and Sensor Technology

Background:

• Accurate temperature measurement is critical for wildland fire research and management.
• Existing systems for monitoring flame, air, and soil temperatures are often costly or lack user-friendliness.
• There is a need for economical, modular, and customizable open-source or commercial temperature logging systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, develop, and validate the FireLog system for measuring temperatures in wildland fire environments.
• To provide a user-friendly, economical, modular, and customizable temperature logging solution.
• To assess the accuracy, precision, repeatability, and robustness of the FireLog system.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory validation using furnace tests (20-1000 °C) comparing FireLog with a Campbell Scientific data logger.
• Field deployment and operational testing during prescribed burns.
• Analysis of measurement accuracy using coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE).

Main Results:

• Laboratory validation showed high accuracy (minimum R2 of 0.98) and precision.
• The system demonstrated robustness under controlled furnace conditions.
• Field deployments confirmed reliable performance in active fire environments, recording temperature dynamics accurately.

Conclusions:

• The FireLog system is a validated, accurate, and robust tool for measuring temperatures in wildland fire research.
• It offers a practical, scalable, and cost-effective solution for researchers and land managers.
• The system enhances capabilities in fire ecology, safety, and land management applications.