diff --git a/BRAMS/Template/RAMSIN b/BRAMS/Template/RAMSIN
index ebf07b19c..6090e294f 100644
--- a/BRAMS/Template/RAMSIN
+++ b/BRAMS/Template/RAMSIN
@@ -2525,16 +2525,23 @@ $ED2_INFO
    !                       often  will never allow fires.                                  !
    !                   2.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and the total soil   !
    !                       water at the top 75 cm falls below a threshold.                 !
+   !                   3.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and accumulated      !
+   !                       30-day water deficit exceeds the threshold given by SM_FIRE.    !
+   !                       This is soil independent.                                       !
    ! FIRE_PARAMETER -- If fire happens, this will control the intensity of the disturbance !
    !                   given the amount of fuel (currently the total above-ground          !
    !                   biomass).                                                           !
-   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2.  The sign here matters.    !
-   !                   >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top 1m  !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.                          !
-   !                   <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top 1m   !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil        !
-   !                           potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE is   !
-   !                           greater than this value.                                    !
+   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2 or 3, and it has different  !
+   !                   meanings.  The sign here matters.                                   !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 2:                                              !
+   !                      >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top  !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.                    !
+   !                      <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top   !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil  !
+   !                              potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE   !
+   !                              is greater than this value.                              !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 3, only positive values are allowed.  This is   !
+   !                   the minimum water deficit, in kg/m2/30 days, to trigger fires.      !
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
    INCLUDE_FIRE    =     2,
    FIRE_PARAMETER  =   0.5,
diff --git a/BRAMS/run/RAMSIN b/BRAMS/run/RAMSIN
index 0cbc294b0..8ff1749af 100644
--- a/BRAMS/run/RAMSIN
+++ b/BRAMS/run/RAMSIN
@@ -2547,16 +2547,23 @@ $ED2_INFO
    !                       often  will never allow fires.                                  !
    !                   2.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and the total soil   !
    !                       water at the top 75 cm falls below a threshold.                 !
+   !                   3.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and accumulated      !
+   !                       30-day water deficit exceeds the threshold given by SM_FIRE.    !
+   !                       This is soil independent.                                       !
    ! FIRE_PARAMETER -- If fire happens, this will control the intensity of the disturbance !
    !                   given the amount of fuel (currently the total above-ground          !
    !                   biomass).                                                           !
-   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2.  The sign here matters.    !
-   !                   >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top 1m  !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.                          !
-   !                   <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top 1m   !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil        !
-   !                           potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE is   !
-   !                           greater than this value.                                    !
+   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2 or 3, and it has different  !
+   !                   meanings.  The sign here matters.                                   !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 2:                                              !
+   !                      >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top  !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.                    !
+   !                      <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top   !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil  !
+   !                              potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE   !
+   !                              is greater than this value.                              !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 3, only positive values are allowed.  This is   !
+   !                   the minimum water deficit, in kg/m2/30 days, to trigger fires.      !
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
    INCLUDE_FIRE    = 2,
    FIRE_PARAMETER  = 0.5,
diff --git a/ED/Template/Template/ED2IN b/ED/Template/Template/ED2IN
index 42940dda8..fa58f6b8b 100644
--- a/ED/Template/Template/ED2IN
+++ b/ED/Template/Template/ED2IN
@@ -1045,16 +1045,23 @@ $ED_NL
    !                       often  will never allow fires.                                  !
    !                   2.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and the total soil   !
    !                       water at the top 75 cm falls below a threshold.                 !
+   !                   3.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and accumulated      !
+   !                       30-day water deficit exceeds the threshold given by SM_FIRE.    !
+   !                       This is soil independent.                                       !
    ! FIRE_PARAMETER -- If fire happens, this will control the intensity of the disturbance !
    !                   given the amount of fuel (currently the total above-ground          !
    !                   biomass).                                                           !
-   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2.  The sign here matters.    !
-   !                   >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top 1m  !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.                          !
-   !                   <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top 1m   !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil        !
-   !                           potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE is   !
-   !                           greater than this value.                                    !
+   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2 or 3, and it has different  !
+   !                   meanings.  The sign here matters.                                   !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 2:                                              !
+   !                      >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top  !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.                    !
+   !                      <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top   !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil  !
+   !                              potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE   !
+   !                              is greater than this value.                              !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 3, only positive values are allowed.  This is   !
+   !                   the minimum water deficit, in kg/m2/day, to trigger fires.          !
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
    NL%INCLUDE_FIRE    = myfire
    NL%FIRE_PARAMETER  = myfuel
diff --git a/ED/Template/Template/plot_monthly.r b/ED/Template/Template/plot_monthly.r
index 06e3dcf17..c5f2e064e 100644
--- a/ED/Template/Template/plot_monthly.r
+++ b/ED/Template/Template/plot_monthly.r
@@ -335,6 +335,7 @@ for (place in myplaces){
    mmsqu.wflxgc    = NULL
    mmsqu.evap      = NULL
    mmsqu.transp    = NULL
+   water.deficit   = NULL
 
    #----- Cohort level lists. -------------------------------------------------------------#
    lightco      = list()
@@ -828,6 +829,13 @@ for (place in myplaces){
           #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 
 
+          #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+          #     Get the water deficit.                                                     #
+          #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+          water.deficit = c(water.deficit,sum(mymont$AVG.MONTHLY.WATERDEF * areapa))
+          #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+
+
           #--------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
           #    If this is a biomass initialisation, or a run with anthropogenic            #
           # disturbance, we must jitter the age so we can distinguish the patches.         #
@@ -2243,20 +2251,32 @@ for (place in myplaces){
          obsnow = paste("obs.",iata,sep="")
       }#end if
 
+      #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+      #     Last check to see if we should plot it or not.                                 #
+      #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
       plotit       = plotit && obsnow %in% ls()
+      if (plotit){
+         thisobs = get(obsnow)
+         obswhen = thisobs$tomonth
+         sel     = thismonth >= min(obswhen) & thismonth <= max(obswhen)
+         plotit  = any(sel)
+      }#end if
+      #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 
 
 
 
 
+      #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+      #     Enter here only if there is any overlap of time between observations and       #
+      # model.                                                                             #
+      #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
       if (plotit){
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
          #    Copy the observations to a scratch variable.                                 #
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
-         thisobs = get(obsnow)
          mnvar   = paste("emean",vname,sep=".")
          obsmean = thisobs[[mnvar]]
-         obswhen = thisobs$tomonth
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 
 
@@ -2272,15 +2292,14 @@ for (place in myplaces){
 
 
          #----- Define the number of layers. ----------------------------------------------#
-         sel       = thismonth >= min(obswhen) & thismonth <= max(obswhen)
-         thiswhen  = thismonth
-         thismean  = get(vname)
+         thiswhen  = thismonth [sel]
+         thismean  = get(vname)[sel]
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
 
 
 
          #----- Find the plot range. ------------------------------------------------------#
-         ylimit    = range(c(thismean[sel],obsmean),na.rm=TRUE)
+         ylimit    = range(c(thismean,obsmean),na.rm=TRUE)
          #----- Expand the upper range in so the legend doesn't hide things. --------------#
          if (ylimit[1] == ylimit[2]  & ylimit[1] == 0){
             ylimit[1] = -1
@@ -2411,6 +2430,28 @@ for (place in myplaces){
 
 
 
+         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+         #      Some observations do not have enough measurements to make a full year.  If #
+         # this is the case, then we must split the observations into smaller intervals so #
+         # the polygon works.  In case no observation is available, make the vectors NULL  #
+         # so we will not plot observations at all.                                        #
+         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+         if (all(is.na(obsmean+obssdev))){
+            obs.x     = NULL
+            obs.ylow  = NULL
+            obs.yhigh = NULL
+         }else{
+            #------ Find the periods with continous data. ---------------------------------#
+            ok        = is.finite(obsmean+obssdev)
+            obs.x     = montmont[ok]
+            obs.ylow  = obsmean [ok] - obssdev[ok]
+            obs.yhigh = obsmean [ok] + obssdev[ok]
+            #------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+         }#end if
+         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+
+
+
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
          #    Check whether the time series directory exists.  If not, create it.          #
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
@@ -2421,28 +2462,27 @@ for (place in myplaces){
 
 
 
-         #----- Define the number of layers. ----------------------------------------------#
-         thismean  = mont12mn[[vname]]
-         thissdev  = mont12sd[[vname]]
-         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
-
-
-
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
-         #    Some variables have no standard deviation in the model.  Make them 0 if this #
-         # is the case.                                                                    #
+         #    Define the number of layers.  Some variables have no standard deviation in   #
+         # the model, so Make them 0 if this is the case.                                  #
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
-         if (length(thissdev) == 0){
+         thismean  = mont12mn[[vname]]
+         thissdev = mont12sd[[vname]]
+         if (length(mont12sd[[vname]]) == 0){
             thissdev = 0. * thismean
+         }else{
+            thissdev = mont12sd[[vname]]
          }#end if
+         mod.x     = montmont
+         mod.ylow  = thismean - thissdev
+         mod.yhigh = thismean + thissdev 
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
 
 
 
          #----- Find the plot range. ------------------------------------------------------#
          if (plotsd){
-            ylimit    = range(c(thismean + thissdev ,thismean - thissdev
-                               ,obsmean  + obssdev  ,obsmean  - obssdev    ),na.rm=TRUE)
+            ylimit    = range(c(mod.ylow,mod.yhigh,obs.ylow,obs.yhigh),na.rm=TRUE)
          }else{
             ylimit    = range(c(thismean,obsmean),na.rm=TRUE)
          }#end if
@@ -2491,11 +2531,17 @@ for (place in myplaces){
                abline(v=montplot$levels,h=axTicks(side=2),col="gray52",lty="solid")
             }#end if
             if (plotsd){
-               err.x = c(montmont,rev(montmont),NA,montmont,rev(montmont))
-               err.y = c(thismean + thissdev,rev(thismean) - rev(thissdev),NA
-                        ,obsmean  + obssdev ,rev(obsmean ) - rev(obssdev )   )
-               polygon(x=err.x,y=err.y,col=errcolours,angle=angle,density=dens
-                      ,lty="solid",lwd=shwd)
+               if (is.null(obs.x)){
+                  err.x = c(mod.x,rev(mod.x))
+                  err.y = c(mod.ylow,rev(mod.yhigh))
+                  polygon(x=err.x,y=err.y,col=errcolours[1],angle=angle[1],density=dens[1]
+                         ,lty="solid",lwd=shwd[1])
+               }else{
+                  err.x = c(mod.x,rev(mod.x),NA,obs.x,rev(obs.x))
+                  err.y = c(mod.ylow,rev(mod.yhigh),NA,obs.ylow,rev(obs.yhigh))
+                  polygon(x=err.x,y=err.y,col=errcolours,angle=angle,density=dens
+                         ,lty="solid",lwd=shwd)
+               }#end if
             }#end if
             points(x=montmont,y=thismean,col=lcolours[1],lwd=llwd[1],type=ltype
                   ,pch=16,cex=1.0)
@@ -2578,6 +2624,20 @@ for (place in myplaces){
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 
 
+
+         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+         #      Some observations do not have enough measurements to make a full year.  If #
+         # this is the case, then we must split the observations into smaller intervals so #
+         # the polygon works.  In case no observation is available, make the vectors NULL  #
+         # so we will not plot observations at all.                                        #
+         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+         obs.ylow  = obsmean - obssdev
+         obs.yhigh = obsmean + obssdev
+         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+
+
+
+
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
          #    Check whether the time series directory exists.  If not, create it.          #
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
@@ -2590,33 +2650,28 @@ for (place in myplaces){
 
 
 
-         #----- Define the number of layers. ----------------------------------------------#
-         thismean  = dcyc12mn[[vname]]
-         thissdev  = dcyc12sd[[vname]]
-         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
-
-
 
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
-         #    Some variables have no standard deviation in the model.  Make them 0 if this #
-         # is the case.                                                                    #
+         #    Define the number of layers.  Some variables have no standard deviation in   #
+         # the model, so Make them 0 if this is the case.  We also append the last hour    #
+         # before the first one so 00 UTC appears in the left.                             #
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
-         if (length(thissdev) == 0){
+         thismean  = dcyc12mn[[vname]]
+         thismean  = cbind(thismean[,ndcycle],thismean)
+         if (length(dcyc12sd[[vname]]) == 0){
             thissdev = 0. * thismean
+         }else{
+            thissdev = dcyc12sd[[vname]]
+           thissdev  = cbind(thissdev[,ndcycle],thissdev)
          }#end if
-         #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
-
-
-         #----- Append the last hour before the first one. --------------------------------#
-         thismean  = cbind(thismean[,ndcycle],thismean)
-         thissdev  = cbind(thissdev[,ndcycle],thissdev)
+         mod.ylow  = thismean - thissdev
+         mod.yhigh = thismean + thissdev 
          #---------------------------------------------------------------------------------# 
 
 
          #----- Find the plot range. ------------------------------------------------------#
          if (plotsd){
-            ylimit    = range(c(thismean + thissdev ,thismean - thissdev
-                               ,obsmean  + obssdev  ,obsmean  - obssdev    ),na.rm=TRUE)
+            ylimit    = range(c(mod.ylow,mod.yhigh,obs.ylow,obs.yhigh),na.rm=TRUE)
          }else{
             ylimit    = range(c(thismean,obsmean),na.rm=TRUE)
          }#end if
@@ -2663,14 +2718,34 @@ for (place in myplaces){
                   abline(v=dcycplot$levels,h=axTicks(side=2),col="gray52",lty="solid")
                }#end if
                if (plotsd){
-                  err.x = c(thisday,rev(thisday),NA,thisday,rev(thisday))
-                  err.y = c(thismean[pmon,] + thissdev[pmon,]
-                           ,rev(thismean[pmon,]) - rev(thissdev[pmon,])
-                           ,NA
-                           ,obsmean[pmon,]      + obssdev[pmon,]
-                           ,rev(obsmean[pmon,]) - rev(obssdev[pmon,]))
-                  polygon(x=err.x,y=err.y,col=errcolours,angle=angle,density=dens
-                         ,lty="solid",lwd=shwd)
+                  mod.x.now     = thisday
+                  mod.ylow.now  = mod.ylow [pmon,]
+                  mod.yhigh.now = mod.yhigh[pmon,]
+                  #------ Find the periods with continous data. ---------------------------#
+                  ok        = is.finite(obs.ylow[pmon,]) & is.finite(obs.yhigh[pmon,])
+                  if (any(ok)){
+                     obs.x.now     = thisday       [ok]
+                     obs.ylow.now  = obs.ylow [pmon,ok]
+                     obs.yhigh.now = obs.yhigh[pmon,ok]
+                  }else{
+                     obs.x.now     = NULL
+                     obs.ylow.now  = NULL
+                     obs.yhigh.now = NULL
+                  }#end if
+                  #------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+
+                  if (is.null(obs.x.now)){
+                     err.x = c(mod.x.now,rev(mod.x.now))
+                     err.y = c(mod.ylow.now,rev(mod.yhigh.now))
+                     polygon(x=err.x,y=err.y,col=errcolours[1],angle=angle[1]
+                            ,density=dens[1],lty="solid",lwd=shwd[1])
+                  }else{
+                     err.x = c(mod.x.now,rev(mod.x.now),NA,obs.x.now,rev(obs.x.now))
+                     err.y = c(mod.ylow.now,rev(mod.yhigh.now),NA
+                              ,obs.ylow.now,rev(obs.yhigh.now))
+                     polygon(x=err.x,y=err.y,col=errcolours,angle=angle,density=dens
+                            ,lty="solid",lwd=shwd)
+                  }#end if
                }#end if
                points(x=thisday,y=thismean[pmon,],col=lcolours[1]
                      ,lwd=llwd[1],type=ltype,pch=16,cex=1.0)
diff --git a/ED/Template/epost.sh b/ED/Template/epost.sh
index e71ca7a1a..374330498 100755
--- a/ED/Template/epost.sh
+++ b/ED/Template/epost.sh
@@ -504,7 +504,8 @@ do
       sed -i s@mymetcycz@${metcycz}@g             ${here}/${polyname}/${script}
 
       #----- Run R to get the plots. ------------------------------------------------------#
-      comm="R CMD BATCH ${here}/${polyname}/${script} ${here}/${polyname}/${epostout}"
+      rbin="R CMD BATCH --no-save --no-restore"
+      comm="${rbin} ${here}/${polyname}/${script} ${here}/${polyname}/${epostout}"
 
       #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
       #      plot_eval_ed won't run all at once due to the sheer number of HDF5 files.     #
diff --git a/ED/Template/spawn_poly.sh b/ED/Template/spawn_poly.sh
index 85041e42a..e80d1697f 100755
--- a/ED/Template/spawn_poly.sh
+++ b/ED/Template/spawn_poly.sh
@@ -564,7 +564,7 @@ do
       #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
       case ${metdriver} in
       Bananal)
-         metdriverdb=${sitemet}'/Bananal_Island/Bananal_HEADER'
+         metdriverdb=${sitemet}'/Bananal/Bananal_HEADER'
          metcyc1=2004
          metcycf=2006
          imetavg=1
diff --git a/ED/run/ED2IN b/ED/run/ED2IN
index 9a92c280a..cf1744928 100644
--- a/ED/run/ED2IN
+++ b/ED/run/ED2IN
@@ -1039,16 +1039,23 @@ $ED_NL
    !                       often  will never allow fires.                                  !
    !                   2.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and the total soil   !
    !                       water at the top 75 cm falls below a threshold.                 !
+   !                   3.  Fire will be triggered with enough biomass and accumulated      !
+   !                       30-day water deficit exceeds the threshold given by SM_FIRE.    !
+   !                       This is soil independent.                                       !
    ! FIRE_PARAMETER -- If fire happens, this will control the intensity of the disturbance !
    !                   given the amount of fuel (currently the total above-ground          !
    !                   biomass).                                                           !
-   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2.  The sign here matters.    !
-   !                   >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top 1m  !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.                          !
-   !                   <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top 1m   !
-   !                           that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil        !
-   !                           potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE is   !
-   !                           greater than this value.                                    !
+   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2 or 3, and it has different  !
+   !                   meanings.  The sign here matters.                                   !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 2:                                              !
+   !                      >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top  !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.                    !
+   !                      <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top   !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil  !
+   !                              potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE   !
+   !                              is greater than this value.                              !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 3, only positive values are allowed.  This is   !
+   !                   the minimum water deficit, in kg/m2/30 days, to trigger fires.      !
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
    NL%INCLUDE_FIRE    = 0
    NL%FIRE_PARAMETER  = 0.5
diff --git a/ED/src/dynamics/fire.f90 b/ED/src/dynamics/fire.f90
index f61b8db04..8506a01df 100644
--- a/ED/src/dynamics/fire.f90
+++ b/ED/src/dynamics/fire.f90
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ subroutine fire_frequency(cgrid)
                             , dslz                   & ! intent(in)
                             , dslzi                  ! ! intent(in)
    use disturb_coms  , only : include_fire           & ! intent(in)
+                            , sm_fire                & ! intent(in)
                             , fire_dryness_threshold & ! intent(in)
                             , fire_smoist_depth      & ! intent(in)
                             , k_fire_first           & ! intent(in)
@@ -79,6 +80,12 @@ subroutine fire_frequency(cgrid)
             csite%avg_monthly_gndwater(ipa) = csite%avg_monthly_gndwater(ipa) * normfac
             !------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
 
+
+            !----- Normalise the monthly mean ground water. -------------------------------!
+            csite%avg_monthly_waterdef(ipa) = max(0.0,csite%avg_monthly_waterdef(ipa))
+            !------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+
+
             !----- Initialize patch fuel. -------------------------------------------------!
             fuel = 0.0
             !------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
@@ -145,51 +152,20 @@ subroutine fire_frequency(cgrid)
                   fire_intensity      = 0.0
                end if
                !---------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+
             case (3)
                !---------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-               !     The threshold not only determines whether fires will happen, it will  !
-               ! also control the fire intensity.                                          !
+               !     The threshold is independent on soil moisture.  We use climatological !
+               ! water deficit instead.                                                    !
                !---------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-               fire_wmass_threshold = 0.
-               avg_slpot            = 0.
-               do k = k_fire_first, nzg
-                  nsoil                = cpoly%ntext_soil(k,isi)
-                  fire_wmass_threshold = fire_wmass_threshold                              &
-                                       + soil(nsoil)%soilfr * dslz(k) * wdns
-               end do
-
-               if (csite%avg_monthly_gndwater(ipa) < fire_wmass_threshold) then
-                  nsoil          = cpoly%ntext_soil(nzg,isi)
-                  !----- Find the equivalent soil moisture. -------------------------------!
-                  avg_slmst      = max( soil(nsoil)%soilcp                                 &
-                                      , min( soil(nsoil)%slmsts                            &
-                                           , csite%avg_monthly_gndwater(ipa)               &
-                                             / ( wdns * abs(slz(k_fire_first)) ) ) )
-                  !------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-
-
-                  !----- Find the equivalent soil potential. ------------------------------!
-                  avg_slpot      = soil(nsoil)%slpots                                      &
-                                 / ( avg_slmst / soil(nsoil)%slmsts ) ** soil(nsoil)%slbs
-                  !------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-
-
-                  !----- Find the scale to reduce or amplify fires. -----------------------!
-                  fire_scale     = log(          avg_slpot / soil(nsoil)%slpotwp)          &
-                                 / log(soil(nsoil)%slpotfr / soil(nsoil)%slpotwp)
-                  fire_intensity = max(0.0, fire_parameter * (1.0 - fire_scale) )
-                  !------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-
+               if (csite%avg_monthly_waterdef(ipa) > sm_fire) then
+                  fire_intensity      = fire_parameter
+                  mean_fire_intensity = mean_fire_intensity                                &
+                                      + fire_intensity * csite%area(ipa)
                else
-                  fire_intensity = 0.0
+                  fire_intensity      = 0.0
                end if
                !---------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-
-               !---------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-               !     Find the contribution of this patch to fires.                         !
-               !---------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-               mean_fire_intensity = mean_fire_intensity + fire_intensity * csite%area(ipa)
-               !---------------------------------------------------------------------------!
             end select
             !------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
 
diff --git a/ED/src/dynamics/hybrid_driver.f90 b/ED/src/dynamics/hybrid_driver.f90
index ee9445146..6d35094e4 100644
--- a/ED/src/dynamics/hybrid_driver.f90
+++ b/ED/src/dynamics/hybrid_driver.f90
@@ -700,7 +700,7 @@ subroutine copy_fb_patch(sourcep, targetp, cpatch)
    integer                         :: k
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
 
-  targetp%can_enthalpy     = sourcep%can_enthalpy
+   targetp%can_enthalpy     = sourcep%can_enthalpy
    targetp%can_theta        = sourcep%can_theta
    targetp%can_temp         = sourcep%can_temp
    targetp%can_shv          = sourcep%can_shv
@@ -757,6 +757,9 @@ subroutine copy_fb_patch(sourcep, targetp, cpatch)
    targetp%cwd_rh           = sourcep%cwd_rh
    targetp%rh               = sourcep%rh
 
+   targetp%water_deficit    = sourcep%water_deficit
+
+
    do k=rk4site%lsl,nzg      
       targetp%soil_water            (k) = sourcep%soil_water            (k)
       targetp%soil_energy           (k) = sourcep%soil_energy           (k)
@@ -878,6 +881,7 @@ subroutine copy_fb_patch(sourcep, targetp, cpatch)
       targetp%avg_drainage           = sourcep%avg_drainage
       targetp%avg_drainage_heat      = sourcep%avg_drainage_heat
 
+
       do k=rk4site%lsl,nzg
          targetp%avg_sensible_gg(k) = sourcep%avg_sensible_gg(k)
          targetp%avg_smoist_gg(k)   = sourcep%avg_smoist_gg(k)
@@ -1059,6 +1063,8 @@ subroutine inc_fwd_patch(rkp, inc, fac, cpatch)
    rkp%qpwp = rkp%qpwp + fac * inc%qpwp
    rkp%cpwp = rkp%cpwp + fac * inc%cpwp
 
+   rkp%water_deficit   = rkp%water_deficit      + fac * inc%water_deficit
+
    do ico = 1,cpatch%ncohorts
       rkp%leaf_water (ico) = rkp%leaf_water (ico) + fac * inc%leaf_water (ico)
       rkp%leaf_energy(ico) = rkp%leaf_energy(ico) + fac * inc%leaf_energy(ico)
@@ -1118,6 +1124,7 @@ subroutine inc_fwd_patch(rkp, inc, fac, cpatch)
       rkp%avg_sensible_gc    = rkp%avg_sensible_gc    + fac * inc%avg_sensible_gc
       rkp%avg_sensible_ac    = rkp%avg_sensible_ac    + fac * inc%avg_sensible_ac
 
+
       do k=rk4site%lsl,nzg
          rkp%avg_sensible_gg(k)  = rkp%avg_sensible_gg(k)  + fac * inc%avg_sensible_gg(k)
          rkp%avg_smoist_gg(k)    = rkp%avg_smoist_gg(k)    + fac * inc%avg_smoist_gg(k)  
diff --git a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_derivs.F90 b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_derivs.F90
index 7390caeed..ff6882bfa 100644
--- a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_derivs.F90
+++ b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_derivs.F90
@@ -1797,6 +1797,15 @@ subroutine canopy_derivs_two(mzg,initp,dinitp,csite,ipa,hflxgc,wflxgc,qwflxgc,de
 
    initp%wflxac = wflxac
 
+
+
+   !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+   !     Water deficit.                                                                    !
+   !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+   dinitp%water_deficit = - (wflxac + rk4site%pcpg)
+   !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+
+
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
    !     Integrate diagnostic variables - These are not activated unless fast file-type    !
    ! outputs are selected. This will speed up the integrator.                              !
diff --git a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_driver.F90 b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_driver.F90
index 394681f51..770927e3a 100644
--- a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_driver.F90
+++ b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_driver.F90
@@ -399,9 +399,11 @@ subroutine initp2modelp(hdid,initp,csite,ipa,wbudget_loss2atm,ebudget_netrad
       real(kind=8)                    :: gnd_water
       real(kind=8)                    :: psiplusz
       real(kind=8)                    :: mcheight
+      real(kind=4)                    :: step_waterdef
       real(kind=4)                    :: can_rvap
       !----- Local contants ---------------------------------------------------------------!
-      real        , parameter         :: tendays_sec=10.*day_sec
+      real        , parameter         :: tendays_sec    = 10. * day_sec
+      real        , parameter         :: thirtydays_sec = 30. * day_sec
       !----- External function ------------------------------------------------------------!
       real        , external          :: sngloff
       !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
@@ -546,6 +548,15 @@ subroutine initp2modelp(hdid,initp,csite,ipa,wbudget_loss2atm,ebudget_netrad
 
 
 
+      !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+      !     Update the water deficit.  This is done as a 30-day running average.           !
+      !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+      step_waterdef                   = sngloff(initp%water_deficit,tiny_offset)
+      csite%avg_monthly_waterdef(ipa) = csite%avg_monthly_waterdef(ipa) + step_waterdef
+      !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+
+
+
       !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
       !     This variable is the monthly mean ground water that will be used to control    !
       ! fire disturbance.                                                                  !
diff --git a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_integ_utils.f90 b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_integ_utils.f90
index 3f1193de7..7b70dd9bc 100644
--- a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_integ_utils.f90
+++ b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_integ_utils.f90
@@ -390,7 +390,8 @@ subroutine inc_rk4_patch(rkp, inc, fac, cpatch)
    rkp%virtual_water   = rkp%virtual_water   + fac * inc%virtual_water
    rkp%virtual_depth   = rkp%virtual_depth   + fac * inc%virtual_depth
 
-  
+   rkp%water_deficit   = rkp%water_deficit   + fac * inc%water_deficit
+
    rkp%upwp = rkp%upwp + fac * inc%upwp
    rkp%wpwp = rkp%wpwp + fac * inc%wpwp
    rkp%tpwp = rkp%tpwp + fac * inc%tpwp
@@ -1251,6 +1252,8 @@ subroutine copy_rk4_patch(sourcep, targetp, cpatch)
    targetp%cwd_rh           = sourcep%cwd_rh
    targetp%rh               = sourcep%rh
 
+   targetp%water_deficit    = sourcep%water_deficit
+
    do k=rk4site%lsl,nzg      
       targetp%soil_water            (k) = sourcep%soil_water            (k)
       targetp%soil_energy           (k) = sourcep%soil_energy           (k)
diff --git a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_misc.f90 b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_misc.f90
index acd4e242c..643899b8b 100644
--- a/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_misc.f90
+++ b/ED/src/dynamics/rk4_misc.f90
@@ -429,6 +429,12 @@ subroutine copy_patch_init(sourcesite,ipa,targetp)
       targetp%wbudget_loss2drainage = 0.d0
       targetp%wbudget_loss2runoff   = 0.d0
    end if
+   !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
+
+
+   !----- Water deficit, always start with zero. ------------------------------------------!
+   targetp%water_deficit = 0.d0
+   !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
 
 
    if (print_detailed) call reset_rk4_fluxes(targetp)
diff --git a/ED/src/init/ed_params.f90 b/ED/src/init/ed_params.f90
index 8f9fb4ac7..1018b981f 100644
--- a/ED/src/init/ed_params.f90
+++ b/ED/src/init/ed_params.f90
@@ -1843,9 +1843,9 @@ subroutine init_decomp_params()
    rh_decay_high  = 0.60
    rh_low_temp    = 18.0 + t00
    rh_high_temp   = 45.0 + t00
-   rh_decay_dry   = 12.0
-   rh_decay_wet   = 72.0
-   rh_dry_smoist  = 0.48
+   rh_decay_dry   = 10.0
+   rh_decay_wet   = 60.0
+   rh_dry_smoist  = 0.36
    rh_wet_smoist  = 0.96
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
 
diff --git a/ED/src/init/ed_type_init.f90 b/ED/src/init/ed_type_init.f90
index 176761a27..8cc7860f5 100644
--- a/ED/src/init/ed_type_init.f90
+++ b/ED/src/init/ed_type_init.f90
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ subroutine init_ed_patch_vars(csite,ip1,ip2,lsl)
    
    csite%avg_daily_temp      (ip1:ip2) = 0.0
    csite%avg_monthly_gndwater(ip1:ip2) = 0.0
+   csite%avg_monthly_waterdef(ip1:ip2) = 0.0
 
    csite%mean_rh(ip1:ip2) = 0.0
    csite%mean_cwd_rh(ip1:ip2) = 0.0
diff --git a/ED/src/io/ed_init_full_history.F90 b/ED/src/io/ed_init_full_history.F90
index 400fbd327..57c91a193 100644
--- a/ED/src/io/ed_init_full_history.F90
+++ b/ED/src/io/ed_init_full_history.F90
@@ -2151,6 +2151,7 @@ end subroutine hdf_getslab_i
    call hdf_getslab_r(csite%rough,'ROUGH ',dsetrank,iparallel,.true.,foundvar)
    call hdf_getslab_r(csite%avg_daily_temp,'AVG_DAILY_TEMP ',dsetrank,iparallel,.true.,foundvar)  
    call hdf_getslab_r(csite%avg_monthly_gndwater,'AVG_MONTHLY_GNDWATER ',dsetrank,iparallel,.true.,foundvar)  
+   call hdf_getslab_r(csite%avg_monthly_waterdef,'AVG_MONTHLY_WATERDEF ',dsetrank,iparallel,.true.,foundvar)  
    call hdf_getslab_r(csite%mean_rh,'MEAN_RH ',dsetrank,iparallel,.true.,foundvar)
    call hdf_getslab_r(csite%mean_cwd_rh,'MEAN_CWD_RH ',dsetrank,iparallel,.true.,foundvar)
 
diff --git a/ED/src/io/ed_opspec.F90 b/ED/src/io/ed_opspec.F90
index 7349c6fa6..5c2416e56 100644
--- a/ED/src/io/ed_opspec.F90
+++ b/ED/src/io/ed_opspec.F90
@@ -1895,14 +1895,26 @@ subroutine ed_opspec_misc
       end if
    end if
 
-   
-   if (sm_fire < -3.1 .or. sm_fire > 1.) then
-      write (reason,fmt='(a,1x,es12.5,a)')                                                 &
-                    'Invalid SM_FIRE, it must be between -3.1 and 1.  Yours is set to'     &
-                    ,sm_fire,'...'
-      call opspec_fatal(reason,'opspec_misc')
-      ifaterr = ifaterr +1
-   end if
+   select case (include_fire)
+   case(3)
+      if (sm_fire < 0.) then
+         write (reason,fmt='(a,1x,a,1x,i4,a,1x,es12.5,a)')                                 &
+                        'Invalid SM_FIRE, it must be non-negative'                         &
+                       ,'when INLCUDE_FIRE is ',include_fire,'.  Your SM_FIRE is set to'   &
+                       ,sm_fire,'...'
+         call opspec_fatal(reason,'opspec_misc')
+         ifaterr = ifaterr +1
+      end if
+   case(0:2)
+      if (sm_fire < -3.1 .or. sm_fire > 1.) then
+         write (reason,fmt='(a,1x,a,1x,i4,a,1x,es12.5,a)')                                 &
+                        'Invalid SM_FIRE, it must be between -3.1 and 1.0'                 &
+                       ,'when INLCUDE_FIRE is ',include_fire,'.  Your SM_FIRE is set to'   &
+                       ,sm_fire,'...'
+         call opspec_fatal(reason,'opspec_misc')
+         ifaterr = ifaterr +1
+      end if
+   end select
 
    if (ianth_disturb < 0 .or. ianth_disturb > 1) then
       write (reason,fmt='(a,1x,i4,a)') &
diff --git a/ED/src/memory/disturb_coms.f90 b/ED/src/memory/disturb_coms.f90
index 754c208be..d06600879 100644
--- a/ED/src/memory/disturb_coms.f90
+++ b/ED/src/memory/disturb_coms.f90
@@ -160,9 +160,17 @@ module disturb_coms
    real :: fire_dryness_threshold 
 
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
-   !     Fire may occur when the total water (ground + underground) converted to           !
-   ! equivalent average soil moisture is below this threshold and include_fire is 2.       !
-   ! Units: relative fraction.                                                             !
+   ! SM_FIRE        -- This is used only when INCLUDE_FIRE = 2 or 3, and it has different  !
+   !                   meanings.  The sign here matters.                                   !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 2:                                              !
+   !                      >= 0. - Minimum relative soil moisture above dry air of the top  !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.                    !
+   !                      <  0. - Minimum mean soil moisture potential in MPa of the top   !
+   !                              1m that will prevent fires to happen.  The dry air soil  !
+   !                              potential is defined as -3.1 MPa, so make sure SM_FIRE   !
+   !                              is greater than this value.                              !
+   !                   When INCLUDE_FIRE = 3, only positive values are allowed.  This is   !
+   !                   the minimum water deficit, in kg/m2/30 days, to trigger fires.      !
    !---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
    real :: sm_fire
 
diff --git a/ED/src/memory/ed_state_vars.f90 b/ED/src/memory/ed_state_vars.f90
index f47afbcd8..852335796 100644
--- a/ED/src/memory/ed_state_vars.f90
+++ b/ED/src/memory/ed_state_vars.f90
@@ -727,6 +727,9 @@ module ed_state_vars
      ! Average monthly ground water [kg/m2], used for fire ignition
      real , pointer,dimension(:) :: avg_monthly_gndwater
 
+     ! Average monthly water deficit [kg/m2], used for fire ignition
+     real , pointer,dimension(:) :: avg_monthly_waterdef
+
      ! average of rh and cwd_rh [umol/m2/s] over FRQSTATE
      real , pointer,dimension(:) :: mean_rh
      real , pointer,dimension(:) :: mean_cwd_rh
@@ -3134,6 +3137,7 @@ subroutine allocate_sitetype(csite,npatches)
 
     allocate(csite%avg_daily_temp(npatches))  
     allocate(csite%avg_monthly_gndwater(npatches))  
+    allocate(csite%avg_monthly_waterdef(npatches))  
     allocate(csite%mean_rh(npatches))
     allocate(csite%mean_cwd_rh(npatches))
     allocate(csite%mean_nep(npatches))
@@ -4356,6 +4360,7 @@ subroutine nullify_sitetype(csite)
     nullify(csite%A_c_max) 
     nullify(csite%avg_daily_temp)
     nullify(csite%avg_monthly_gndwater)
+    nullify(csite%avg_monthly_waterdef)
     nullify(csite%mean_rh)
     nullify(csite%dmean_rh)
     nullify(csite%mmean_rh)
@@ -5583,6 +5588,7 @@ subroutine deallocate_sitetype(csite)
 
     if(associated(csite%avg_daily_temp               )) deallocate(csite%avg_daily_temp               )
     if(associated(csite%avg_monthly_gndwater         )) deallocate(csite%avg_monthly_gndwater         )
+    if(associated(csite%avg_monthly_waterdef         )) deallocate(csite%avg_monthly_waterdef         )
     if(associated(csite%mean_rh                      )) deallocate(csite%mean_rh                      )
     if(associated(csite%dmean_rh                     )) deallocate(csite%dmean_rh                     )
     if(associated(csite%qmean_rh                     )) deallocate(csite%qmean_rh                     )
@@ -6078,6 +6084,7 @@ subroutine copy_sitetype(isite,osite,ipaa,ipaz,opaa,opaz)
          osite%wai(opa)                         = isite%wai(ipa)
          osite%avg_daily_temp(opa)              = isite%avg_daily_temp(ipa)
          osite%avg_monthly_gndwater(opa)        = isite%avg_monthly_gndwater(ipa)
+         osite%avg_monthly_waterdef(opa)        = isite%avg_monthly_waterdef(ipa)
          osite%mean_rh(opa)                     = isite%mean_rh(ipa)
          osite%mean_cwd_rh(opa)                 = isite%mean_cwd_rh(ipa)
          osite%mean_nep(opa)                    = isite%mean_nep(ipa)
@@ -6386,6 +6393,7 @@ subroutine copy_sitetype_mask(sitein,siteout,logmask,masksz,newsz)
     siteout%wai(1:inc)                  = pack(sitein%wai,logmask)
     siteout%avg_daily_temp(1:inc)       = pack(sitein%avg_daily_temp,logmask)
     siteout%avg_monthly_gndwater(1:inc) = pack(sitein%avg_monthly_gndwater,logmask)
+    siteout%avg_monthly_waterdef(1:inc) = pack(sitein%avg_monthly_waterdef,logmask)
     siteout%mean_rh(1:inc)              = pack(sitein%mean_rh,logmask)
     siteout%mean_cwd_rh(1:inc)          = pack(sitein%mean_cwd_rh,logmask)
     siteout%mean_nep(1:inc)             = pack(sitein%mean_nep,logmask)
@@ -12713,6 +12721,13 @@ subroutine filltab_sitetype(igr,ipy,isi,init)
          call metadata_edio(nvar,igr,'No metadata available','[NA]','NA') 
       end if  
 
+      if (associated(csite%avg_monthly_waterdef)) then
+         nvar=nvar+1
+           call vtable_edio_r(npts,csite%avg_monthly_waterdef,nvar,igr,init,csite%paglob_id, &
+           var_len,var_len_global,max_ptrs,'AVG_MONTHLY_WATERDEF :31:hist:anal:dail:mont:dcyc') 
+         call metadata_edio(nvar,igr,'Running average of water deficit','[kg/m2/30days]','NA') 
+      end if  
+
       if (associated(csite%co2budget_plresp)) then
          nvar=nvar+1
            call vtable_edio_r(npts,csite%co2budget_plresp,nvar,igr,init,csite%paglob_id, &
diff --git a/ED/src/memory/rk4_coms.f90 b/ED/src/memory/rk4_coms.f90
index 93cc7df83..61dc12fcf 100644
--- a/ED/src/memory/rk4_coms.f90
+++ b/ED/src/memory/rk4_coms.f90
@@ -272,6 +272,8 @@ module rk4_coms
       real(kind=8),pointer,dimension(:) :: avg_sensible_gg   ! Soil heat flux between layers
       real(kind=8)                      :: avg_drainage      ! Drainage at the bottom.
       real(kind=8)                      :: avg_drainage_heat ! Drainage at the bottom.
+      !----- Water deficit. ---------------------------------------------------------------!
+      real(kind=8) :: water_deficit     ! Step water deficit
       !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
       !     Fast time flux variables for each time step.  These variables will be defined  !
       ! only when the user is debugging.                                                   !
@@ -1060,6 +1062,8 @@ subroutine zero_rk4_patch(y)
       y%avg_drainage                   = 0.d0
       y%avg_drainage_heat              = 0.d0
 
+      y%water_deficit                  = 0.d0
+
       y%flx_carbon_ac                  = 0.d0
       y%flx_carbon_st                  = 0.d0
       y%flx_vapor_lc                   = 0.d0
@@ -1521,7 +1525,6 @@ subroutine reset_rk4_fluxes(y)
       type(rk4patchtype), target :: y
       !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!
 
-
       y%flx_carbon_ac                  = 0.d0
       y%flx_vapor_lc                   = 0.d0
       y%flx_vapor_wc                   = 0.d0
@@ -1587,7 +1590,6 @@ subroutine norm_rk4_fluxes(y,hdid)
       !----- Find the inverse of the time step. -------------------------------------------!
       hdidi = 1.d0 / hdid
 
-
       y%flx_carbon_ac     = y%flx_carbon_ac     * hdidi
       y%flx_vapor_lc      = y%flx_vapor_lc      * hdidi
       y%flx_vapor_wc      = y%flx_vapor_wc      * hdidi
diff --git a/ED/src/utils/fuse_fiss_utils.f90 b/ED/src/utils/fuse_fiss_utils.f90
index fbdfd26f0..61fb4d1c7 100644
--- a/ED/src/utils/fuse_fiss_utils.f90
+++ b/ED/src/utils/fuse_fiss_utils.f90
@@ -3484,6 +3484,12 @@ subroutine fuse_2_patches(csite,donp,recp,mzg,mzs,prss,lsl,ntext_soil,green_leaf
                                           * csite%area                 (donp)              &
                                           + csite%avg_monthly_gndwater (recp)              &
                                           * csite%area                 (recp) )
+
+      csite%avg_monthly_waterdef (recp) = newareai                                         &
+                                        * ( csite%avg_monthly_waterdef (donp)              &
+                                          * csite%area                 (donp)              &
+                                          + csite%avg_monthly_waterdef (recp)              &
+                                          * csite%area                 (recp) )
       !------------------------------------------------------------------------------------!