Soil surface temperatures averaged 186, 398 and 393 degrees C for grass, shrub and forest communities, respectively. Higher temperatures were associated with head fires, more fuel and with woody fuels. Temperatures in headfires were higher but more variable than in backfires for the three types of vegetation. The aspen forest was found to be the most difficult to obtain complete burn coverage. Headfires and backfires went out more readily in this type than in shrubland or grassland.
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Bailey et al. (1980) studied this question.