Fire Weather Normals

Buildup Index

The Buildup Index is a component of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System. It is a numeric rating of the total amount of fuel available for combustion. It is based on the DMC and the DC. The BUI is generally less than twice the DMC value, and moisture in the DMC layer is expected to help prevent burning in material deeper down in the available fuel.

More information about the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System is available in the Background Information.

Fire Weather Normals represent the average value of a fire weather code or index over the 30-year period from 1981 to 2010.