Energy Release Component

Idabel Broken Bow Mt. Herman Wister Talihina Clayton Cloudy Hugo Antlers Lane Durant Wilburton Stigler Sallisaw Webbers Falls Cookson Westville Tahlequah Eufaula McAlester Stuart Centrahoma Tishomingo Holdenville Madill Burneyville Ardmore Newport Fittstown Sulphur Haskell Porter Okmulgee Inola Bixby Tulsa Okemah Seminole Ada Byars Pauls Valley Ringling Hectorville Bristow Shawnee Ketchum Ranch Washington Norman Chandler Spencer OKC East Waurika Chickasha Acme Oilton Minco Guthrie Walters Apache Grandfield Medicine Park Fort Cobb Tipton Altus Hobart El Reno Hinton Perkins Marena Stillwater Lake Carl Blackwell Pawnee Red Rock Marshall Kingfisher Watonga Weatherford Bessie Jay Pryor Skiatook Wynona Burbank Miami Vinita Nowata Talala Copan Foraker Newkirk Blackwell Mangum Hollis Erick Putnam Butler Cheyenne Breckinridge Lahoma Fairview Seiling Camargo Medford Cherokee Alva May Ranch Freedom Woodward Arnett Buffalo Slapout Beaver Hooker Goodwell Boise City Kenton Elk City Valliant Eva Yukon
The Energy Release Component (ERC) is a measure of the available energy (BTU/square foot) released per unit area in the flaming zone at the head of the fire. It is the least variable of the indices on a day-to-day basis, being a function solely of the fuels. ERC is another index produced by the Oklahoma Fire Danger Model. Conditions producing an ERC value of 24 represent a potential heat release twice that of conditions resulting in an ERC value of 12. Since ERC represents the potential heat release per unit area in the flaming zone, it can provide guidance to several important fire activities. It may also be considered a composite fuel moisture value as it reflects the contribution that all live and dead fuels have to potential fire intensity. Especially for fuel complexes containing the heavier 100- and 1000-hour fuels, the ERC is a cumulative or build-up type of index. As live fuels cure and dead fuels dry, the ERC values get higher, thus providing a good reflection of drought conditions. ERC is a function of the fuel model being used, the live and dead fuel loads, and the live and dead fuel moistures. If the fuel types and loads are substantially different than those in the fuel model being used, there will be inaccuracies. The ERC map is updated every 15 minutes.