Dead or otherwise flammable material that provides a nexus between surface (ground) fuel layers (e.g., grasses) and aerial or canopy (e.g., trees) fuel layers. Ladder fuels are typically composed of immature trees, shrubs, or dead or downed branches.
Fuels that provide vertical continuity between the surface fuels and crown fuels in a forest stand, thus contributing to crown fires.
Fuels that allow a fire to travel from the surface into the crowns of trees or shrubs.
Fuels which provide vertical continuity between strata, thereby allowing fire to carry from surface fuels into the crowns of trees or shrubs with relative ease. They help initiate and assure the continuation of crowning.
Fuels, such as branches, shrubs or an understory layer of trees, which allow a fire to spread from the ground to the canopy.
Flammable vegetation that helps a ground fire move into the canopy.
Vegetation located below the crown level of forest trees which can carry fire from the forest floor to tree crowns. Ladder fuels may be low-growing tree branches, shrubs, or smaller trees. ( FS People's Glossary of Eco Mgmt Terms)
Vegetation located below the crown level of forest trees which can carry fire from the forest floor to tree crowns. Ladder fuels may be low-growing tree branches, shrubs. or smaller trees. Practice of fire suppression over the last 100 years has resulted in a dangerous accumulation of ladder fuels.
Fuels which provide vertical continuity between strata, thereby allowing fire to carry from surface fuels into the crowns of trees or shrubs with relative ease. They help start and continue crowning on a fire.
Fuels that provide vertical continuity between the ground and tree crowns, thus creating a pathway for a surface fire to move into the overstory tree crowns.
