Plant fire ratings

A few years ago I remember running across a document/database that listed many North American trees and shrubs and their various characteristics including things like habitat, distribution, seasonal wildlife forage value, etc. Most importantly for what I’m ruminating about it included a ‘fire rating’. The fire rating, if that is the right term, was an assessment of how flammable or fire resistant a species was.

Is anyone familiar with this? For the life of me my aging brain can’t remember what this document was called. Any ideas?

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the USDA database has “Fire Resistant” as one of the characteristics captured in their plant profiles. for example, Abies grandis is listed as Fire Resistant = Yes. you can search the database for other plants listed as Fire Resistant.

I am finding state specific ones, like this for California native plants, which also features water use: http://firesafesdcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Comprehensive-Fire-Resistant-Plant-List.pdf

What state do you need?

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I think you are on the right track. It was undoubtedly a government or government funded initiative. However what I recall is a lot more text rather than simple yes’s and no’s. Wildlife forage suitability would include a paragraph or so about its suitability for deer and/or moose browse as an example. The fire rating included a number rating but also often a short text description.

maybe the USDA Fire Effects Information System (FEIS)?

here’s a plant profile for Juniperus virginiana from that system: https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/junvir/all.html.

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I think that is it. It certainly has the fire and species info I was looking for. Big thanks @pisum.

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