Live Fuel Moisture Content (LFMC) refers to the moisture level in living vegetation, expressed as a percent of the dry weight of that specific fuel, and is used to assess fire risk because drier vegetation is more flammable. It plays a key role in predicting wildfire behavior.
Technosylva's LFMC model relies on different inputs including weather data (vapor pressure deficit, precipitation, photoperiod, etc.), plant species, vegetation indexes captured with satellite-based sensors (e.g., MODIS, Sentinel-2, Landsat), and phenology. The model was trained through machine learning algorithms using the National Field Sample Database (FSD) that includes around 1,400 stations measuring bi-weekly real LFMC values across the United States. These values are gathered from field measurements, typically done by collecting vegetation samples (such as leaves or twigs), drying them, and calculating the moisture percentage.
Live fuel moisture metrics in Technosylva products include:
For more on LFMC, see the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG).