scholarly journals A Review of Fire Interactions and Mass Fires

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Finney ◽  
Sara S. McAllister
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Velocity Pulsation ◽  
Interactive Behavior ◽  
Life Saving ◽  
Column Dynamics ◽  
Burning Rates ◽  
In Fire

The character of a wildland fire can change dramatically in the presence of another nearby fire. Understanding and predicting the changes in behavior due to fire-fire interactions cannot only be life-saving to those on the ground, but also be used to better control a prescribed fire to meet objectives. In discontinuous fuel types, such interactions may elicit fire spread where none otherwise existed. Fire-fire interactions occur naturally when spot fires start ahead of the main fire and when separate fire events converge in one location. Interactions can be created intentionally during prescribed fires by using spatial ignition patterns. Mass fires are among the most extreme examples of interactive behavior. This paper presents a review of the detailed effects of fire-fire interaction in terms of merging or coalescence criteria, burning rates, flame dimensions, flame temperature, indraft velocity, pulsation, and convection column dynamics. Though relevant in many situations, these changes in fire behavior have yet to be included in any operational-fire models or decision support systems.

Review of Basic Models in Fire Dynamics

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeong-Jin Kim ◽  
David G. Lilley
Keyword(s):  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Scientific Understanding ◽  
Fire Dynamics ◽  
Topic Area ◽  
Background Theory ◽  
Burning Rates ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Structural Fires ◽  
In Fire

Abstract The ultimate goal of this study is to improve scientific understanding of fire behavior leading to flashover in structural fires. This document summarizes important information in five topic areas: burning rates, radiant ignition, fire spread rates, ventilation limit imposed by size of opening, and flashover criteria. These are the main components related to the scientific understanding of the fire growth and flashover problem involved in real-world structural fires. Within each topic area, there are four subsections dealing with background, theory, comments, and references. Main components of the study are to develop improved mathematical simulations so as to improve the accuracy of theoretical calculation and to develop and extend the range of knowledge and modeling capability so as to extend the range of available experimental data.

Basic Models in Fire Development

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyeong-Jin Kim ◽  
David G. Lilley
Keyword(s):  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Scientific Understanding ◽  
Topic Area ◽  
Background Theory ◽  
Mathematical Simulations ◽  
Burning Rates ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Structural Fires ◽  
In Fire

Abstract The ultimate goal of this study is to improve scientific understanding of fire behavior leading to flashover in structural fires. This document summarizes important information in five topic areas: burning rates, radiant ignition, fire spread rates, ventilation limit imposed by size of opening, and flashover criteria. These are the main components related to the scientific understanding of the fire growth and flashover problem involved in real-world structural fires. Within each topic area, there are four subsections dealing with background, theory, comments, and references. Main components of the study are to develop improved mathematical simulations so as to improve the accuracy of theoretical calculation and to develop and extend the range of knowledge and modeling capability so as to extend the range of available experimental data.

scholarly journals The Impact of Fuel Treatments on Wildfire Behavior in North American Boreal Fuels: A Simulation Study Using FIRETEC

Fire ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ginny Marshall ◽  
Dan Thompson ◽  
Kerry Anderson ◽  
Brian Simpson ◽  
Rodman Linn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Natural Forests ◽  
Spread Rate ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
In Fire ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Common Tree

Current methods of predicting fire spread in Canadian forests are suited to large wildfires that spread through natural forests. Recently, the use of mechanical and thinning treatments of forests in the wildland-urban interface of Canada has increased. To assist in community wildfire protection planning in forests not covered by existing operational fire spread models, we use FIRETEC to simulate fire spread in lowland black spruce fuel structures, the most common tree stand in Canada. The simulated treatments included the mechanical mulching of strips, and larger, irregularly shaped areas. In all cases, the removal of fuel by mulch strips broke up the fuels, but also caused wind speed increases, so little decrease in fire spread rate was modelled. For large irregular clearings, the fire spread slowly through the mulched wood chips, and large decreases in fire spread and intensity were simulated. Furthermore, some treatments in the black spruce forest were found to be effective in decreasing the distance and/or density of firebrands. The simulations conducted can be used alongside experimental fires and documented wildfires to examine the effectiveness of differing fuel treatment options to alter multiple components of fire behavior.

Numerical Prediction of the Fire Spread in Vegetative Fuels Using NISTWFDS Model

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 177-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hadj Miloua
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fires ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Radiation Heat Transfer ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Reaction Diffusion ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Forest Stands ◽  
Fire Dynamics ◽  
Wind Climate

Current study focuses to the application of an advanced physics-based (reaction–diffusion) fire behavior model to the fires spreading through surface vegetation such as grasslands and elevated vegetation such as trees present in forest stands. This model in three dimensions, called Wildland Fire Dynamics Simulator WFDS, is an extension, to vegetative fuels, of the structural FDS developed at NIST. For simplicity, the vegetation was assumed to be uniformly distributed in a tree crown represented by a well defined geometric shape. This work on will focus on predictions of thermal function such as the radiation heat transfer and and thermal function for diverse cases of spatial distribution of vegetation in forest stands. The influence of wind, climate characteristics and terrain topography will also be used to extend and validate the model. The results obtained provide a basis to carry out a risk analysis for fire spread in the studied vegetative fuels in the Mediterranean forest fires.

A preliminary study of wildland fire pattern indicator reliability following an experimental fire

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 359-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Simeoni ◽  
Zachary C Owens ◽  
Erik W Christiansen ◽  
Abid Kemal ◽  
Michael Gallagher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Fire Investigation ◽  
Experimental Protocol ◽  
Fire Dynamics ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Infrared Cameras

An experimental fire was conducted in 2016, in the Pinelands National Reserve of New Jersey, to assess the reliability of the fire pattern indicators used in wildland fire investigation. Objects were planted in the burn area to support the creation of the indicators. Fuel properties and environmental data were recorded. Video and infrared cameras were used to document the general fire behavior. This work represents the first step in the analysis by developing an experimental protocol suitable for field studies and describing how different fire indicators appeared in relation to fire behavior. Most of the micro- and macroscale indicators were assessed. The results show that some indicators are highly dependent on local fire conditions and may contradict the general fire spread. Overall, this study demonstrates that fire pattern indicators are a useful tool for fire investigators but that they must be interpreted through a general analysis of the fire behavior with a good understanding of fire dynamics.

Examining fire behavior in mesquite - acacia shrublands

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara J. Streeks ◽  
M. Keith Owens ◽  
Steve G. Whisenant
Keyword(s):  
Flame Temperature ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Flame Length ◽  
South Texas ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Vegetation Shift ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Behavior Systems

The vegetation of South Texas has changed from mesquite savanna to mixed mesquite–acacia (Prosopis–Acacia) shrubland over the last 150 years. Fire reduction, due to lack of fine fuel and suppression of naturally occurring fires, is cited as one of the primary causes for this vegetation shift. Fire behavior, primarily rate of spread and fire intensity, is poorly understood in these communities, so fire prescriptions have not been developed. We evaluated two current fire behavior systems (BEHAVE and the CSIRO fire spread and fire danger calculator) and three models developed for shrublands to determine how well they predicted rate of spread and flame length during three summer fires within mesquite–acacia shrublands. We also used geostatistical analyses to examine the spatial pattern of net heat, flame temperature and fuel characteristics. The CSIRO forest model under-predicted the rate of fire spread by an average of 5.43 m min−1 and over-predicted flame lengths by 0.2 m while the BEHAVE brush model under-predicted rate of spread by an average of 6.57 m min−1 and flame lengths by an average of 0.33 m. The three shrubland models did not consistently predict the rate of spread in these plant communities. Net heat and flame temperature were related to the amount of 10-h fuel on the site, but were not related to the cover of grasses, forbs, shrubs, or apparent continuity of fine fuel. Fuel loads were typical of South Texas shrublands, in that they were uneven and spatially inconsistent, which resulted in an unpredictable fire pattern.

Towards improving wildland firefighter situational awareness through daily fire behaviour risk assessments in the US Northern Rockies and Northern Great Basin

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (7) ◽  
pp. 574 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Matt Jolly ◽  
Patrick H. Freeborn
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fire Danger ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Radiative Power ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Fire Danger Indices

Wildland firefighters must assess potential fire behaviour in order to develop appropriate strategies and tactics that will safely meet objectives. Fire danger indices integrate surface weather conditions to quantify potential variations in fire spread rates and intensities and therefore should closely relate to observed fire behaviour. These indices could better inform fire management decisions if they were linked directly to observed fire behaviour. Here, we present a simple framework for relating fire danger indices to observed categorical wildland fire behaviour. Ordinal logistic regressions are used to model the probabilities of five distinct fire behaviour categories that are then combined with a safety-based weight function to calculate a Fire Behaviour Risk rating that can plotted over time and spatially mapped. We demonstrate its development and use across three adjacent US National Forests. Finally, we compare predicted fire behaviour risk ratings with observed variations in satellite-measured fire radiative power and we link these models with spatial fire danger maps to demonstrate the utility of this approach for landscape-scale fire behaviour risk assessment. This approach transforms fire weather conditions into simple and actionable fire behaviour risk metrics that wildland firefighters can use to support decisions that meet required objectives and keep people safe.

scholarly journals Wildland Fire Behaviour Case Studies and Fuel Models for Landscape-Scale Fire Modeling

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul-Antoine Santoni ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Filippi ◽  
Jacques-Henri Balbi ◽  
Frédéric Bosseur
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Fuel Models

This work presents the extension of a physical model for the spreading of surface fire at landscape scale. In previous work, the model was validated at laboratory scale for fire spreading across litters. The model was then modified to consider the structure of actual vegetation and was included in the wildland fire calculation system Forefire that allows converting the two-dimensional model of fire spread to three dimensions, taking into account spatial information. Two wildland fire behavior case studies were elaborated and used as a basis to test the simulator. Both fires were reconstructed, paying attention to the vegetation mapping, fire history, and meteorological data. The local calibration of the simulator required the development of appropriate fuel models for shrubland vegetation (maquis) for use with the model of fire spread. This study showed the capabilities of the simulator during the typical drought season characterizing the Mediterranean climate when most wildfires occur.

scholarly journals A Multi-Fidelity Framework for Wildland Fire Behavior Simulations over Complex Terrain

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Marcos Vanella ◽  
Kevin McGrattan ◽  
Randall McDermott ◽  
Glenn Forney ◽  
William Mell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immersed Boundary Method ◽  
Complex Terrain ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Chemical Species ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Immersed Boundary ◽  
Finite Volume Scheme ◽  
Boundary Method

A method for the large-eddy simulation (LES) of wildfire spread over complex terrain is presented. In this scheme, a cut-cell immersed boundary method (CC-IBM) is used to render the complex terrain, defined by a tessellation, on a rectilinear Cartesian grid. Discretization of scalar transport equations for chemical species is done via a finite volume scheme on cut-cells defined by the intersection of the terrain geometry and the Cartesian cells. Momentum transport and heat transfer close to the immersed terrain are handled using dynamic wall models and a direct forcing immersed boundary method. A new “open” convective inflow/outflow method for specifying atmospheric wind boundary conditions is presented. Additionally, three basic approaches have been explored to model fire spread: (1) Representing the vegetation as a collection of Lagrangian particles, (2) representing the vegetation as a semi-porous boundary, and (3) representing the fire spread using a level set method, in which the fire spreads as a function of terrain slope, vegetation type, and wind speed. Several test and validation cases are reported to demonstrate the capabilities of this novel wildfire simulation methodology.

scholarly journals A High Resolution Coupled Fire-Atmosphere Forecasting System to Minimize the Impacts of Wildland Fires: Applications to the Chimney Tops II Wildland Event

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro A. Jiménez ◽  
Domingo Muñoz-Esparza ◽  
Branko Kosović
Keyword(s):  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Economic Impacts ◽  
Weather Prediction ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Horizontal Resolution ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Wildland Fires ◽  
Forecasting System ◽  
Nwp Model

Wildland fires are responsible for large socio-economic impacts. Fires affect the environment, damage structures, threaten lives, cause health issues, and involve large suppression costs. These impacts can be mitigated via accurate fire spread forecast to inform the incident management team. We show that a fire forecast system based on a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model coupled with a wildland fire behavior model can provide this forecast. This is illustrated with the Chimney Tops II wildland fire responsible for large socio-economic impacts. The system is run at high horizontal resolution (111 m) over the region affected by the fire to provide a fine representation of the terrain and fuel heterogeneities and explicitly resolve atmospheric turbulence. Our findings suggest that one can use the high spatial resolution winds, fire spread and smoke forecast to minimize the adverse impacts of wildland fires.

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