%0 Research article
%T Variation in forest fire ignition probability in Finland
%A Larjavaara, Markku
%A Kuuluvainen, Timo
%A Tanskanen, Heidi
%A Venäläinen, Ari
%D 2004
%J Silva Fennica
%V 38
%N 3
%R doi:10.14214/sf.414
%U https://silvafennica.fi/article/414
%X We examined climate-caused spatio-temporal variation of forest fire  ignition probability in Finland based on empirical ignition experiments  and 37 years of meteorological data from 26 meteorological stations  scattered across Finland. First, meteorological data was used in order  to estimate the variation in forest fuel moisture content with the model  of the Finnish forest fire risk index. Second, based on data from  empirical ignition experiments, fuel moisture content was linked with  forest fire ignition probability. In southern Finland average forest  fire ignition probability typically peaks in late May and early June,  whereas in the northern part of the country the peak occurs at the end  of June. There was a three-fold difference in the average annual  ignition probability between the north-eastern part (3%) and  south-western part of the country (9%). The observed differences in fire  ignition probability suggest that the characteristics of the natural  fire regime also vary considerably in the southern versus the northern  part of the country.