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.

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.

scholarly journals Coupling Terrestrial Laser Scanning with 3D Fuel Biomass Sampling for Advancing Wildland Fuels Characterization

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Rowell ◽  
E. Louise Loudermilk ◽  
Christie Hawley ◽  
Scott Pokswinski ◽  
Carl Seielstad ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Terrestrial Laser Scanning ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Field Sampling ◽  
Volume Porosity

AbstractThe spatial pattern of surface fuelbeds in fire-dependent ecosystems are rarely captured using long-standing fuel sampling methods. New techniques, both field sampling and remote sensing, that capture vegetation fuel type, biomass, and volume at super fine-scales (cm to dm) in three-dimensions (3D) are critical to advancing forest fuel and wildland fire science. This is particularly true for computational fluid dynamics fire behavior models that operate in 3D and have implications for wildland fire operations and fire effects research. This study describes the coupling of new 3D field sampling data with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) data to infer fine-scale fuel mass in 3D. We found that there are strong relationships between fine-scale mass and TLS occupied volume, porosity, and surface area, which were used to develop fine-scale prediction equations using TLS across vegetative fuel types, namely grasses and shrubs. The application of this novel 3D sampling technique to high resolution TLS data in this study represents a major advancement in understanding fire-vegetation feedbacks in highly managed fire-dependent ecosystems.

Current approaches to modelling the spread of wildland fire: a review

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. L.W. Perry
Keyword(s):  
Information Technologies ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Accurate Estimation ◽  
Fire Event ◽  
Fire Modelling ◽  
Modelling Techniques

This review considers the development of some of the models and modelling approaches designed to predict the spread and spatial behaviour of wildland fire events. Such events and their accurate prediction are of great importance to those seeking to understand and manage fire-prone ecosystems. The key problem which fire modelling seeks to address is outlined. Models predicting the rate of fire spread may be classified as physical, semi-physical or empirical according to the nature of their construction. The benefits and shortcomings of each type of model are considered with reference to specific examples of each type. It is shown that there are problems with current operational models which restrict their effective use. However, the development of rigorous physical models as replacements is impeded by conceptual and practical difficulties. Accurate estimation of the rate of spread and the intensity of a fire allows prediction of the final shape and area of a fire event. The modelling techniques used to estimate the shape and area of a fire are considered including the development of sophisticated computer-based simulations of fire spread. Spatial information technologies such as remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) offer great potential for the effective modelling of wildland fire behaviour. While such spatial information technologies have been frequently used in the evaluation of fire danger risk, their use for the simulation of the spatiotemporal behaviour of wildland fire is not common. The way in which spatial information technologies and decision-support systems are used for fire risk evaluation and fire spread simulation is discussed. Two research areas of great importance if fire modelling techniques are to improve are a better understanding of fire-dependent phenomena and the development of a ‘new generation’ of fire spread models; current trends in these areas of research are evaluated.

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.

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.

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

Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro 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 was illustrated with the Chimney Tops II wildland fire responsible for large socio-economic impacts. The system was 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.

Simulation of the Big Elk Fire using coupled atmosphere - fire modeling

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice L. Coen
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Atmospheric Model ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Colorado Front Range ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Computational Performance ◽  
Rigorous Testing ◽  
Wide Range

Models that simulate wildland fires span a vast range of complexity; the most physically complex present a difficult supercomputing challenge that cannot be solved fast enough to become a forecasting tool. Coupled atmosphere–fire model simulations of the Big Elk Fire, a wildfire that occurred in the Colorado Front Range during 2002, are used to explore whether some factors that make simulations more computationally demanding (such as coupling between the fire and the atmosphere and fine atmospheric model resolution) are needed to capture wildland fire parameters of interest such as fire perimeter growth. In addition to a Control simulation, other simulations remove the feedback to the atmospheric dynamics and use increasingly coarse atmospheric resolution, including some that can be computed in faster than real time on a single processor. These simulations show that, although the feedback between the fire and atmosphere must be included to capture accurately the shape of the fire, the simulations with relatively coarse atmospheric resolution (grid spacing 100–500 m) can qualitatively capture fire growth and behavior such as surface and crown fire spread and smoke transport. A comparison of the computational performance of the model configured at these different spatial resolutions shows that these can be performed faster than real time on a single computer processor. Thus, although this model still requires rigorous testing over a wide range of fire incidents, it is computationally possible to use models that can capture more complex fire behavior (such as rapid changes in intensity, large fire whirls, and interactions between fire, weather, and topography) than those used currently in the field and meet a faster-than-real-time operational constraint.

scholarly journals The Hot-Dry-Windy Index: A New Fire Weather Index

Atmosphere ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Srock ◽  
Joseph Charney ◽  
Brian Potter ◽  
Scott Goodrick
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Wildland Fire ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Meteorological Variables ◽  
Fire Weather ◽  
Weather Index ◽  
Fire Weather Index ◽  
Complex Interactions

Fire weather indices are commonly used by fire weather forecasters to predict when weather conditions will make a wildland fire difficult to manage. Complex interactions at multiple scales between fire, fuels, topography, and weather make these predictions extremely difficult. We define a new fire weather index called the Hot-Dry-Windy Index (HDW). HDW uses the basic science of how the atmosphere can affect a fire to define the meteorological variables that can be predicted at synoptic-and meso-alpha-scales that govern the potential for the atmosphere to affect a fire. The new index is formulated to account for meteorological conditions both at the Earth’s surface and in a 500-m layer just above the surface. HDW is defined and then compared with the Haines Index (HI) for four historical fires. The Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) is used to provide the meteorological data for calculating the indices. Our results indicate that HDW can identify days on which synoptic-and meso-alpha-scale weather processes can contribute to especially dangerous fire behavior. HDW is shown to perform better than the HI for each of the four historical fires. Additionally, since HDW is based on the meteorological variables that govern the potential for the atmosphere to affect a fire, it is possible to speculate on why HDW would be more or less effective based on the conditions that prevail in a given fire case. The HI, in contrast, does not have a physical basis, which makes speculation on why it works or does not work difficult because the mechanisms are not clear.

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