scholarly journals Forest Fire Spreading Using Free and Open-Source GIS Technologies

Geomatics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-64
Author(s):  
Michele Mangiameli ◽  
Giuseppe Mussumeci ◽  
Annalisa Cappello
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Ignition Point ◽  
Gis Technologies ◽  
Spread Model ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Fire Front ◽  
Fire Spreading

Forest fires are one of the most dangerous events, causing serious land and environmental degradation. Indeed, besides the loss of a huge quantity of plant species, the effects of fires can go far beyond: desertification, increased risk of landslides, soil erosion, death of animals, etc. For these reasons, mathematical models able to predict fire spreading are needed in order to organize and optimize the extinguishing interventions during fire emergencies. This work presents a new system to simulate and predict the movement of the fire front based on free and open source Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies and the Rothermel surface fire spread model, with the adjustments made by Albini. We describe the mathematical models used, provide an overview of the GIS design and implementation, and present the results of some simulations at Etna volcano (Sicily, Italy), characterized by high geomorphological heterogeneity, and where the native flora and fauna may be preserved and perpetuated. The results consist of raster maps representing the progress times of the fire front starting from an ignition point and as a function of the topography and wind directions. The reliability of results is strictly affected by the correct positioning of the fire ignition point, by the accuracy of the topography that describes the morphology of the territory, and by the setting of the meteorological conditions at the moment of the ignition and propagation of the fire.

Preliminary Study of Fire Spread in Cities and Forests, Using PMMA Specimen as a Fuel in CFD Simulations

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koyu Satoh ◽  
Naian Liu ◽  
Qiong Liu ◽  
K. T. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Experiment ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
Cfd Simulations ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Fire Propagation ◽  
Fire Spreading

It is important to examine the behavior of forest fires and city fires to mitigate the property damages and victims by fires. There have been many previous studies on forest fires where the fire spreading patterns were investigated, utilizing artificial satellite pictures of forest fires, together with the use of corresponding weather data and GIS data. On the other hand, large area city fires are very scarce in the world, particularly in modern cities where high-rise concrete buildings are constructed with sufficient open spaces. Thus, the examples of city fires to be referred are few and detailed investigations of city fires are limited. However, there have still been existing old cities where traditional houses built with flammable material such as wood, maybe historically important, only separated with very small open spacing. Fires may freely spread in those cities, once a big earthquake happens there and then water supply for the fire brigade is damaged in the worst case along with the effect of strong wind. There are some fundamental differences between the forest fires and city fires, as the fuel may distribute either continuously or discretely. For instance, in forest fires, the dead fallen leaves, dry grasses and trees are distributed continuously on the ground, while the wooden houses in cities are discretely distributed with some separation of open spacing, such as roads and gardens. Therefore, the wooden houses neighboring the burning houses with some separation are heated by radiation and flames to elevate the temperatures, thus causing the ignition, and finally reaching a large city fire. The authors have studied the forest fire spread and are planning to start a laboratory experiment of city fire spreading. In the preliminary investigation, a numerical study is made to correlate with the laboratory experiment of city fire propagation, utilizing the three-dimensional CFD simulations. Based on the detailed experimental analysis, the authors are attempting to modify the three dimensional CFD code to predict the forest fires and city fires more precisely, taking into account the thermal heating and ignition processes. In this study, some fundamental information on the city fire propagation has been obtained, particularly to know the safe open spacing distances between the houses in the cities and also the wind speed.

scholarly journals PROPAGATOR: An Operational Cellular-Automata Based Wildfire Simulator

Fire ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Andrea Trucchia ◽  
Mirko D’Andrea ◽  
Francesco Baghino ◽  
Paolo Fiorucci ◽  
Luca Ferraris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fire Fighting ◽  
Fuel Moisture ◽  
Time Step ◽  
Ignition Point ◽  
The Real ◽  
Fire Propagation ◽  
Spread Model ◽  
Fuel Moisture Content

PROPAGATOR is a stochastic cellular automaton model for forest fire spread simulation, conceived as a rapid method for fire risk assessment. The model uses high-resolution information such as topography and vegetation cover considering different types of vegetation. Input parameters are wind speed and direction and the ignition point. Dead fine fuel moisture content and firebreaks—fire fighting strategies can also be considered. The fire spread probability depends on vegetation type, slope, wind direction and speed, and fuel moisture content. The fire-propagation speed is determined through the adoption of a Rate of Spread model. PROPAGATOR simulates independent realizations of one stochastic fire propagation process, and at each time-step gives as output a map representing the probability of each cell of the domain to be affected by the fire. These probabilities are obtained computing the relative frequency of ignition of each cell. The model capabilities are assessed by reproducing a set of past Mediterranean fires occurred in different countries (Italy and Spain), using when available the real fire fighting patterns. PROPAGATOR simulated such scenarios with affordable computational resources and with short CPU-times. The outputs show a good agreement with the real burned areas, demonstrating that the PROPAGATOR can be useful for supporting decisions in Civil Protection and fire management activities.

Physical modelling of forest fire spreading through heterogeneous fuel beds

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Simeoni ◽  
Pierre Salinesi ◽  
Frédéric Morandini
Keyword(s):  
Field Experiments ◽  
Heterogeneous Medium ◽  
Reaction Diffusion ◽  
Physical Modelling ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Fire Intensity ◽  
Fire Behaviour ◽  
Fire Front ◽  
Fire Spreading

Vegetation cover is a heterogeneous medium composed of different kinds of fuels and non-combustible parts. Some properties of real fires arise from this heterogeneity. Creating heterogeneous fuel areas may be useful both in land management and in firefighting by reducing fire intensity and fire rate of spread. The spreading of a fire through a heterogeneous medium was studied with a two-dimensional reaction–diffusion physical model of fire spread. Randomly distributed combustible and non-combustible square elements constituted the heterogeneous fuel. Two main characteristics of the fire were directly computed by the model: the size of the zone influenced by the heat transferred from the fire front and the ignition condition of vegetation. The model was able to provide rate of fire spread, temperature distribution and energy transfers. The influence on the fire properties of the ratio between the amount of combustible elements and the total amount of elements was studied. The results provided the same critical fire behaviour as described in both percolation theory and laboratory experiments but the results were quantitatively different because the neighbourhood computed by the model varied in time and space with the geometry of the fire front. The simulations also qualitatively reproduced fire behaviour for heterogeneous fuel layers as observed in field experiments. This study shows that physical models can be used to study fire spreading through heterogeneous fuels, and some potential applications are proposed about the use of heterogeneity as a complementary tool for fuel management and firefighting.

scholarly journals Recent advances and applications of WRF–SFIRE

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2829-2845 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Mandel ◽  
S. Amram ◽  
J. D. Beezley ◽  
G. Kelman ◽  
A. K. Kochanski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Wrf Model ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Fuel Moisture ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Ignition Point ◽  
Recent Advances ◽  
Operational Testing ◽  
Spread Model

Abstract. Coupled atmosphere–fire models can now generate forecasts in real time, owing to recent advances in computational capabilities. WRF–SFIRE consists of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with the fire-spread model SFIRE. This paper presents new developments, which were introduced as a response to the needs of the community interested in operational testing of WRF–SFIRE. These developments include a fuel-moisture model and a fuel-moisture-data-assimilation system based on the Remote Automated Weather Stations (RAWS) observations, allowing for fire simulations across landscapes and time scales of varying fuel-moisture conditions. The paper also describes the implementation of a coupling with the atmospheric chemistry and aerosol schemes in WRF–Chem, which allows for a simulation of smoke dispersion and effects of fires on air quality. There is also a data-assimilation method, which provides the capability of starting the fire simulations from an observed fire perimeter, instead of an ignition point. Finally, an example of operational deployment in Israel, utilizing some of the new visualization and data-management tools, is presented.

Experimental analysis of fire spread across a two-dimensional ridge under wind conditions

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Raposo ◽  
S. Cabiddu ◽  
D. X. Viegas ◽  
M. Salis ◽  
J. Sharples
Keyword(s):  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Experimental Analysis ◽  
Dynamic Effect ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Laboratory Scale ◽  
Lateral Spread ◽  
Two Dimensional ◽  
Vortex Strength ◽  
Fire Spreading

Results from a laboratory-scale investigation of a fire spreading on the windward face of a triangular-section hill of variable shape with wind perpendicular to the ridgeline are reported. They confirm previous observations that the fire enlarges its lateral spread after reaching the ridgeline, entering the leeward face with a much wider front. Reference fire spread velocities were measured and analysed, putting in evidence the importance of the dynamic effect due to flow velocity and its associated horizontal-axis separation vortex strength without dependence on hill geometry. Similar parameters estimated from three forest fires compared favourably with the laboratory-scale measurements.

Swissfire: technisch modernisiert und dank Archivrecherchen inhaltlich erweitert

2019 ◽  
Vol 170 (5) ◽  
pp. 234-241
Author(s):  
Gianni Boris Pezzatti ◽  
Mark Bertogliati ◽  
Sylvain Gache ◽  
Michael Reinhard ◽  
Marco Conedera
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Supplementary Information ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Core Element ◽  
Ignition Point ◽  
Federal Institute

Swissfire: technically updated and enhanced through archive research The Swiss forest fire database Swissfire is a core element of the national forest fire strategy. The multilingual database has been built progressively thanks to the cooperation of the Swiss federal institute for forest, snow and landscape research (WSL), the Federal office for the environment and the Cantons. Swissfire uses the free open source database software PostgreSQL and allows the online collection and management of event-specific information on forest fires as well as the generation of forest fire statistics. The associated web applications were developed using the WSL open source platform Box. Parameters such as date, location, extent, type and cause of the fire as well as forest-related parameters such as the affected forest type are recorded. Overall aim is the record of all Swiss forest fire data in the most comprehensive and standardized way possible. Historical events are therefore also of interest and are usually retrieved through archive researches. In a pilot project for evaluating the potential for historic fires in online and electronic newspaper archives, 779 events were retrieved throughout Switzerland, as well as supplementary information on additional 80 known events. Thanks to available online geoportals, it was possible to locate precisely the ignition point of 640 fires in Ticino and Misox, for which only the place name was known. Fire brigade archives are also valuable sources of information: since 1938, 870 forest fire events were retrieved based on fire-fighting reports, for which no notification to the cantonal forest service existed. Based on such archive researches, analyses of past and present fire regimes become possible: the formerly very large differences in fire frequency between the southern and northern sides of the Alps seem to have diminished in recent decades. However, there are still considerable differences among the contributions of single municipalities to Swissfire in the frame of the archive researches, suggesting that there is still potential for adding so far unregistered fire events.

scholarly journals A study on fire spreading model for the safety distance between the neighborhood occupancies and historical buildings in Taiwan

2015 ◽  
Vol XL-5/W7 ◽  
pp. 73-78
Author(s):  
C.H Chen ◽  
S.W Chien ◽  
M.C Ho
Keyword(s):  
Fire Spread ◽  
Historic Buildings ◽  
Historical Buildings ◽  
Fire Dynamics ◽  
Historical Building ◽  
Safety Distance ◽  
Spread Model ◽  
Taipei City ◽  
Fire Spreading ◽  
Fire Outbreak

Cultural heritages and historical buildings are vulnerable against severe threats from fire. Since the 1970s, ten fire-spread events involving historic buildings have occurred in Taiwan, affecting a total of 132 nearby buildings. Developed under the influence of traditional Taiwanese culture, historic buildings in Taiwan are often built using non-fire resistant brick-wood structure and located in proximity to residential occupancies. Fire outbreak in these types of neighborhood will lead to severe damage of antiquities, leaving only unrecoverable historical imagery. This study is aimed to investigate the minimal safety distance required between a historical building and its surroundings in order to reduce the risk of external fire. This study is based on literature analysis and the fire spread model using a Fire Dynamics Simulator. The selected target is Jingmei Temple in Taipei City. This study explored local geography to identify patterns behind historical buildings distribution. In the past, risk reduction engineering for cultural heritages and historical buildings focused mainly on fire equipment and the available personnel with emergency response ability, and little attention was given to external fire risks and the affected damage. Through discussions on the required safety distance, this research provides guidelines for the following items: management of neighborhoods with historical buildings and consultation between the protection of cultural heritages and disaster prevention, reducing the frequency and extent of fire damages, and preserving cultural resource.

scholarly journals Mathematical modeling of the initiation and spread of forest fires and their impact on buildings and structures

2020 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 54-61
Author(s):  
V.A. Perminov ◽  
◽  
K.O. Fryanova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Modeling ◽  
Forest Fire ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Control Volume ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Discrete Analogue ◽  
Temperature Fields ◽  
Emergency Situations ◽  
Volume Method ◽  
Fire Spreading

Currently, methods of mathematical modeling are used to study processes in emergency situations. Forest fires are extremely complex and destructive natural phenomena which depend on availability of fuel, meteorological and other conditions. Mathematical model of forest fire is based on an analysis of known experimental data and using concept and methods from reactive media mechanics. In this paper the theoretical study of the problems of crown forest fire spread in windy condition and their thermal impact on the wooden building were carried out. The research was based on numerical solution of two-dimensional Reynolds equations. The boundary-value problem is solved numerically using the method of splitting according to physical processes. A discrete analogue for the system of equations was obtained by means of the control volume method. A study of forest fire spreading made it possible to obtain a detailed picture of the change of the component concentration of gases and temperature fields in forest fire and on the wall of building with time. It let to determine the limiting distances between forest fire and building for possibility of wooden walls ignition for different meteorology conditions, size of building and intensity of fire impact.

Using a statistical model of past wildfire spread to quantify and map the likelihood of fire reaching assets and prioritise fuel treatments

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Owen F. Price ◽  
Michael Bedward
Keyword(s):  
Fire Spread ◽  
R Package ◽  
Wildland Urban Interface ◽  
Ignition Probability ◽  
Spread Model ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Asset Location ◽  
Wildfire Spread ◽  
Fire Spreading

We present a method to quantify and map the probability of fires reaching the vicinity of assets in a wildfire-prone region, by extending a statistical fire spread model developed on historical fire patterns in the Sydney region, Australia. It calculates the mean probability of fire spreading along sample lines around assets, weights the probability according to ignition probability and also estimates the change in spread probability that fuel reduction in treatment blocks would achieve. We have developed an R package WildfireRisk to implement the analysis and demonstrate it with two case studies in forested eastern Australia. The probability of a fire reaching the vicinity of an asset was highest in the heavily forested parts of each case study, but when weighted for ignition probability, the high probability shifted to the wildland–urban interface. Further, when weighted by asset location, high-priority areas for treatment were in blocks next to the wildland–urban interface. This method is objective, fast and based on the behaviour of real historical fires. We recommend its use in wildfire risk planning, as an adjunct to heuristic methods and simulations. Additional functionality can be incorporated into our method, for instance via a function for building impact.

Dynamic modelling of upslope fire growth

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.A. Santoni ◽  
J.H. Balbi ◽  
J.L. Dupuy
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Fire Spread ◽  
Nous Obtenons ◽  
Rate Of Spread ◽  
Nous Permet ◽  
Modèle Bidimensionnel ◽  
Fire Front ◽  
Fire Spreading ◽  
Pin Maritime

A two-dimensional non-stationary model of fire spread including slope effects is proposed. The numerical study of this model allows us to predict the rate of spread, the fire front perimeter and the temperature distribution for a fire spreading across a fuel bed under slope conditions. The numerical results are compared with success to experimental data generated from two laboratory point-ignition fire experiments which were conducted on dehydrated Pinus pinaster litter with slopes of 20 and 30°. Résumé Nous proposons un modèle bidimensionnel évolutif de propagation de feu prenant en compte les effets de la pente. L’étude numérique du modèle présenté ici nous permet de prédire la vitesse de propagation, le perimètre du front de feu ainsi que la distribution de température pour un feu se propageant dans une litière en présence d’une pente. Les résultats numériques que nous obtenons sont comparés avec succés aux données expérimentales issues de deux expériences qui furent réaliseés dans une litière de pin maritime avec un allumage ponctuel pour des pentes de 20 et 30 degrés.

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