An exploratory data analysis of the temperature fluctuations in a spreading fire

A series of fire experiments were carried out in a wind tunnel at the United States Forest Service’s Fire Science Laboratory in Missoula, Montana. The experiments involved tines cut out of pieces of cardboard. The pieces were laid out in comb-like strips parallel to each other along a testbed. They were ignited at the windward end of the testbed. The progress of the fire was monitored by thermocouples, recording temperature, set out equidistantly up the middle of the testbed. Goals of the experiment included improved understanding of wildfire spread and the development of practical tools for wild land fire managers to employ. There was to be a search for regular pulsing in the series and any other interesting phenomena. This paper presents the results of a variety of exploratory data analyses meant to elicit information concerning the series before commencing probability modeling. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.