Program


Program

This event is the premier in-person convening on Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Engineering, bringing together academics, industry, research organizations, local officials, first responders, and many other stakeholders to learn and collaborate on issues of mutual interest. Join us to hear from world-renowned leaders and be part of shaping the future of fire engineering and related fields. The program committee has assembled an exceptional program, featuring 35+ speakers across 20+ presentations, keynote sessions, and plenary panels.  

CURRENT PROGRAM

 SPEAKER BIOS & ABSTRACTS
Featured Sessions: 
  • Opening Keynote - What is the WUI fire problem? Steve Kerber, PhD, UL Fire Safety Research Institute
  • Keynote #2 - Insurance Approaches to WUI Risk Assessment and Modeling: Research Gaps and Opportunities for Engineers. Pete Abbate, Milliman
  • Keynote #3 - Why WUI Fire Engineering Needs Social Scientists Jeannette Sutton, PhD, The Warn Room
  • Keynote #4 - How Is New Technology Making a Difference? Speaker Invited
  • Plenary Panel #1 - Understanding the Impact of WUI Fires.
    • Moderator: Fernando Raffan-Montoya, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park
    • Kimiko Barrett, PhD, Alliance for Wildfire Resilience
    • Erica Fischer, PhD, Oregon State University
    • Christine Wiedinmyer, PhD, University of Colorado, Boulder and University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
  • Plenary Panel #2 - How can engineers help drive better decision-making in WUI communities?
    • Moderator: Ann Jeffers, PhD, University of Michigan
    • Donna Settle, PE, PMSFPE, Gallagher
    • Ali Ashrafi, PhD, PE, CFEI, Thornton Tomasetti
    • Birgitte Messerschmidt, PSFPE, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
    • Nathan Wittasek, PE, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)
  • Plenary Panel #3 - WUI Education for Engineers.
    • Moderator: Daniel Gorham, PE, UL Fire Safety Research Institute
    • Albert Simeoni, PhD, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
    • Serdar Selamet PhD, Exponent & Stanford University
    • Fernando Raffan-Montoya, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park
    • Elsa Pastor, PhD, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Center for Technological Risk Studies (CERTEC)
    • Qianru Guo, PhD, PE, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH)
  • Plenary Panel #4 - WUI WG Module Updates.
    • Education: William Koffel, PE, Koffel Associates & University of Maryland, College Park
    • Policy: Erica Fischer, PhD, Oregon State University
    • Research: James Urban, PhD, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
  • Closing Panel #5 - Creating the Infrastructure for WUI Fire Engineering Research and Collaboration. 
    • Steve Kerber, PhD, UL Fire Safety Research Institute 
    • Leslie Marshall, PhD, SFPE Foundation
    • Arnaud Trouvé, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park

Local Tours: We’re working on organizing local tours to supplement attendees’ experience at the Summit. Tours and other official offsite events will only be open to event registrants. Tour registration will be separate from event registration. Once tours open, we will contact registered attendees with information on how to register for any open slots.   

Confirmed Poster Presentations

Community Stakeholder Engagement 


Author(s): Paulina Mejia, Amelia Pludow, and Darlene Rini

Abstract: Recent wildfire events, including the 2020 Bobcat Fire, 2024 Bridge Fire, and 2025 Eaton Fire, affecting the San Gabriel Valley, have underscored the need for regional approaches to wildfire resilience that extend beyond technical analysis alone. This presentation draws from the development of a Regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG), highlighting how effective community and stakeholder engagement is essential to translating WUI fire engineering into meaningful action. While wildfire hazard and risk analyses provided the baseline foundation of the project, success depended on facilitation, risk communication, and coordination across multiple jurisdictions and stakeholder groups. Through a cohesive engagement process such as public workshops, stakeholder and technical advisory group coordination, the project team worked to make complex wildfire hazards and risk information accessible, credible, and actionable. The presentation shares lessons learned and practical strategies for fire protection engineers supporting community-scale wildfire resilience.

Community-Level Risk Assessment, Exposure Characterization, or Guides and Standards 


Author(s): Jiwon Baik

Abstract: Fire codes require that all portions of a building exterior be accessible from fire apparatus and hydrants within a prescribed distance along an unobstructed route. In practice, this requirement is typically evaluated during plan review using manual or computer-based measurements in construction or permitting drawing sets. However, in research where access is assessed for jurisdiction-wide inventories, existing building stock, or wildfire risk planning, data-driven approaches commonly rely on straight-line distance evaluation. This presentation introduces a big-data–driven spatial framework for evaluating fire personnel and fire apparatus access to building perimeters. The approach identifies the travel distance from all hydrants and fire access roads to the furthest point along the exterior of a building, accounting for obstacles such as buildings, parcel boundaries, and other barriers. Using a large-scale application across Santa Barbara County, California, the presentation demonstrates how building-scale hydrant and fire road access requirements can be applied at City or County scale to help identify deficiencies in coverage and help inform infrastructure or operational improvements for fire or wildfire safety at scale.


Author(s): Joe Hart and Katherine Burgum

Abstract: This paper presents a field-based study conducted in Los Angeles aimed at mapping urban and peri-urban foliage to support wildfire mitigation efforts. The research focuses on identifying and documenting tree species located within designated wildfire zones, with attention to their physical characteristics and ignition potential. Fieldwork methods include on-site vegetation surveys, with geospatial mapping using satellite data, and species classification. The study provides a descriptive inventory of dominant and recurring tree species, analysing traits such as leaf structure, moisture content, bark characteristics, and fuel load density that influence flammability and fire behaviour. By linking species composition to wildfire risk, this research contributes localised ecological data that informs vegetation management, urban planning, and fire prevention strategies. The findings aim to support policymakers, land managers, and emergency planners in reducing wildfire vulnerability through evidence-based foliage assessment and mitigation planning, and draws on Delta Fire Engineering’s first-hand experience in the 2025 Palisades fire.


Author(s): Majid Bavandpour

Abstract: Wildland–urban interface (WUI) fire engineering increasingly demands risk metrics that move beyond deterministic scenarios and single-valued indicators. We introduce a probabilistic wildfire risk framework that efficiently quantifies the likelihood and severity of wildfire hazard across the spatial domain. The new approach replaces the traditional reliance on large ensembles of stochastic simulations through a deterministic Generalized Unscented Transform (Gen-UT) for uncertainty propagation. The framework propagates uncertainty in ignition, wind, and fuel conditions through nonlinear fire behavior models, and can incorporate other sources of uncertainty (e.g., modeling errors) at a practical computational cost. Application of the new approach to the 2018 Camp Fire demonstrates good agreement with observed burn probability patterns while also delivering uncertainty-aware outputs suitable for WUI design, mitigation planning, and performance-based decision making. The approach provides a practical pathway for integrating probabilistic wildfire hazard analysis into fire engineering practice.


Author(s): Haejun Park and Brookelyn Conner

Abstract: Numerous efforts have been undertaken to improve resilience to wildland–urban interface (WUI) fires; however, the effectiveness and efficiency of these measures remain difficult to quantify. This challenge arises in part because WUI fire outcomes are governed by a wide range of interconnected performance attributes, making comprehensive resilience assessment highly complex. Furthermore, each WUI community exhibits unique characteristics across these attributes, complicating the selection of appropriate mitigation strategies. In this study, we developed two performance-based WUI fire resilience assessment models through the systematic anatomization of both regulatory codes and documented WUI fire outcomes into detailed performance attributes related to wildfire behavior, structural vulnerability, and human/community factors. These attributes and their interdependencies are organized across the four emergency management phases: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. The resulting framework enables structured comparisons across communities with differing safety conditions and supports the development of tailored resilience strategies for WUI fire risk reduction.


Author(s): Sara Cristina Rodrigues Alexandre

Abstract: Fire safety and risk prevention frameworks are frequently structured around building-level compliance and prescriptive self-protection measures. While these approaches are effective at the individual asset scale, they often prove insufficient to address community-level risk in complex hazard environments such as the wildland–urban interface (WUI). Drawing on professional practice in architecture, fire safety, and civil protection, as well as research on community prevention and risk perception, this contribution examines the gap between formal regulatory compliance and effective community preparedness. The work highlights how prevention strategies tend to prioritize documentation, plans, and informational actions, with limited evidence of sustained mechanisms that reduce exposure, strengthen collective readiness, or ensure continuity of essential services. By reframing fire safety practice through a prevention-oriented and community-aware lens, the presentation supports the development of integrated approaches that bridge building-focused safety, territorial context, and community-level preparedness in WUI settings.

Historical and/or forensic analysis of the WUI fire problem


Author(s): Daniel Gorham

Abstract: Large wildland-urban interface fires can escalate rapidly from initial ignition to widespread conflagrations, as seen in recent incidents like the Camp, Marshall, Lahaina, Palisades, and Eaton Fires. These events often involve wind driven fire spread that overwhelms local response capabilities, with embers igniting spot fires far ahead of the main front. Understanding these fires is challenging but important to improve fire safety. Recent reviews by UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute following the Lahaina, Palisades, and Eaton Fires rely on detailed spatiotemporal reconstruction, incorporating field assessments, responder location data, and geolocated images and videos collected across multiple jurisdictions. This methodology strengthens future efforts to analyze and learn from large scale WUI fire events.


Author(s): Kara Noland

Abstract: Wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires, where natural land meets human development, have gained significant attention. These areas, extending up to a kilometre from communities, face heightened wildfire risks, intensified by climate change. Such threats endanger WUI residents, potentially leading to injuries and fatalities. This presentation shares the results of a project that examined human behaviour during the 2017 Knysna fire, a well-documented South African event. By analysing testimonies from the Knysna Fire Stories book and conducting interviews, the project identified factors influencing behaviour in WUI fires and contributed to understanding human responses in this context. The findings provide insights to inform evacuation procedures and safety measures, ultimately aiming to improve protection for vulnerable communities.


Author(s): Linnea Townsend

Abstract: How do decades of weather data relate to wildfire risk? This presentation summarizes research investigating correlations between Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) calculations and historical wildfire occurrence from 1950 to today. The FWI is calculated based on temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and wind speed. Data was assembled from weather stations based on proximity to more than 10 Indigenous communities, who are disproportionately at risk to wildfire damage. This analysis examines trends in peak and extreme FWI conditions and evaluates how well these align temporally with observed wildfire activity across communities, contributing to the development of transferable risk frameworks for remote and rural Canadian communities.

Individual or Parcel-Level Risk Assessment, Fire Exposure Characterization, or Guides and Standards


Author(s): Abdullah Rehman

Abstract: Wildland–urban interface (WUI) fire risk assessments commonly rely on fuel maps with spatial resolutions on the order of tens of metres, which are insufficient to represent the structure-adjacent fuels that govern fire exposure within the Home Ignition Zone. This presentation introduces a scalable remote sensing framework for sub-metre resolution mapping of spatial exposure variables relevant to structure risk. The method applies object-based segmentation and classification to identify individual vegetative and residential fuel elements with a baseline accuracy of 78%. The approach is demonstrated globally and applied to the 2017 Pedrógão Grande Portugal fire, using fuel distributions, separation distances, and wind conditions to develop a structure loss prediction model achieving an accuracy of 75%. Results illustrate how high-resolution fuel mapping improves characterisation of fire exposure and enables parcel- and community-scale risk assessment in regions where detailed fuel data are otherwise unavailable, with direct implications to mitigation planning and exposure reduction.


Author(s): Alana Miska and Shuna Ni

Abstract: Wildfire mitigation guidance is abundant, spanning peer‑reviewed research, agency and community programs, and insurer recommendations, yet adoption into codes and policy remains uneven. This presentation describes an evidence‑to‑policy mapping effort that couples (1) a PRISMA‑based systematic review of wildfire hazard mitigation literature and programs with (2) a structured review of model codes and standards (e.g., NFPA 1140/1144 and the ICC International Wildland‑Urban Interface Code) plus selected state and local requirements. Findings are synthesized across home and property protection, education and outreach, community and land‑use planning, and policy, economics, and insurance. A weighted gap‑ranking framework (evidence strength, feasibility, cost, and insurer/regulator alignment) then identifies the most consequential translation gaps and the most actionable opportunities for engineers, AHJs, and policymakers to close them.


Author(s): Ruiqing "Ryan" Shen and Haejun Park

Abstract: Soil water repellency (SWR) arises from hydrophobic-layer formation that reduces the soil’s ability to absorb water, accelerating rainfall conversion to surface runoff and increasing risks of erosion and flooding. Wildfire is a particularly strong driver of SWR, enhancing both the persistence and severity of soil hydrophobicity. However, many studies rely on muffle-furnace heating under uniform, isothermal conditions that fail to represent the steep temperature gradients and spatially heterogeneous heating produced during wildfires. To better capture wildfire-relevant processes and link microscale wettability changes to macroscale hydrologic responses, this study will develop an experimental framework that complements conventional approaches. It will evaluate top-down heating–induced temperature gradients and associated heat-driven transport, the influence of soil organic matter on hydrophobic-layer depth and continuity, and the role of initial soil moisture in controlling formation thresholds and post-heating stability. This approach will advance mechanistic understanding and improve predictions of post-wildfire runoff and soil erosion hazards.


Author(s): Shuna Ni

Abstract: Wildland–urban interface wildfires threaten built environments, motivating fragility-based approaches for risk assessment and damage estimation. However, defining appropriate intensity measures for wildfire-exposed structures remains challenging. Post-fire damage datasets typically lack building-specific heat exposure information, and experimental measurements of heat exposure are sparse and costly. Moreover, current wildfire models cannot reliably predict building-scale heat exposure or structural response under external fire conditions. Consequently, heat exposure is not a practical intensity measure for wildfire fragility analysis, motivating the use of non-thermal proxy intensity measures. This study develops an empirical fragility framework using bivariate fragility surfaces defined by a Site Index (SI) and a Building Index (BI). Using available wildfire damage data, observed damage probabilities are estimated and normalized by regional wildfire ignition probability and modeled as functions of SI and BI using nonparametric kernel density estimation. The resulting fragility surfaces provide a quantitative basis for risk-informed mitigation and wildfire-resilient building design.


Author(s): Yifei Ding

Abstract: Wildland–urban interface wildfires threaten built environments, motivating fragility-based approaches for risk assessment and damage estimation. However, defining appropriate intensity measures for wildfire-exposed structures remains challenging. Post-fire damage datasets typically lack building-specific heat exposure information, and experimental measurements of heat exposure are sparse and costly. Moreover, current wildfire models cannot reliably predict building-scale heat exposure or structural response under external fire conditions. Consequently, heat exposure is not a practical intensity measure for wildfire fragility analysis, motivating the use of non-thermal proxy intensity measures. This study develops an empirical fragility framework using bivariate fragility surfaces defined by a Site Index (SI) and a Building Index (BI). Using available wildfire damage data, observed damage probabilities are estimated and normalized by regional wildfire ignition probability and modeled as functions of SI and BI using nonparametric kernel density estimation. The resulting fragility surfaces provide a quantitative basis for risk-informed mitigation and wildfire-resilient building design.


Author(s): Evan Sluder

Abstract: Preventing structure ignition is a primary objective of wildfire mitigation due to the limited availability of firefighting resources. Exterior wall coverings and assemblies in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) are evaluated using test methods developed for compartment fire protection and life safety, which may not fully address ignition-driven vulnerabilities from external wildfire exposures. This study evaluates the ability of SFM 12-7A-1 and ASTM E2707 to represent WUI fire exposures. Experiments conducted on exterior wall assemblies and coverings, including products listed by the California Office of the State Fire Marshal, with fire-resistance-rated and typical wall construction. Test modifications evaluated the specified thermal barrier at the wall-foundation connection and an alternative wind-driven mulch bed fire exposure. Results show that wall systems meeting current acceptance criteria may permit fire entry into wall cavities and exhibit surface flame spread, highlighting limitations in current test methods and supporting revised evaluation approaches to enhance structure survivability.

 
Notification, Evacuation, and/or Human Behavior in WUI Fires


Author(s): Ankush Jha

Abstract: Wildfire evacuations in wildland–urban interface communities are increasingly challenged by complex terrain, rapid fire spread, and transportation network disruptions. Many existing evacuation studies assume static road conditions and overlook the combined effects of terrain-driven fire behavior and traffic breakdowns caused by abandoned vehicles. This study proposes an integrated framework to evaluate evacuation network resilience under wildfire scenarios by explicitly coupling fire spread, terrain effects, and dynamic traffic disruptions. Fire progression is modeled using a physics-based wildfire spread approach derived from Rothermel fire behavior formulations, accounting for slope, wind, and fuel characteristics to estimate spatially varying fire arrival times. These arrival times are translated into time-dependent road closures and capacity reductions. Abandoned vehicles are represented as stochastic, temporary obstacles whose likelihood increases with congestion and hazard exposure. Evacuation demand includes ordered evacuees and dislocated occupants with time-dependent departure behavior and multiple safe destinations. Evacuation flows are simulated using dynamic traffic assignment, and resilience is quantified using clearance time and evacuated-before-deadline metrics. Preliminary results indicate that slope-accelerated fire spread and abandoned vehicles substantially reduce evacuation performance, particularly along uphill corridors and critical bottlenecks.


Author(s): Carol Rice and August Harless

Abstract: To support wildfire preparedness and evacuation planning, this Wildfire Risk Analysis provides a detailed, location-specific foundation for understanding wildfire hazard (potential intensity and spread of wildfires) and risk (likelihood of wildfire exposure to structures and assets) at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in Berkeley, California. The risk analysis supports science-driven emergency preparedness by identifying the most vulnerable areas of the LBNL site and vicinity, quantifying fire behavior potential, and developing data-informed strategies to protect personnel during wildfire events. This data-driven risk analysis employed a variety of tools, spanning wildland fire behavior prediction software packages FlamMap and FARSITE, in combination with a new way of modeling fire growth, Inverse Arrival Time. These models inform the Lab’s protective action strategies and general wildfire emergency preparedness, integrating site-specific evacuation time estimates to develop protective action decision zones. The trigger points required additional decisions on time-bound objectives and the definition of acceptable risk.

 
WUI fire modeling and/or WUI data management systems


Author(s): Carlos Murillo

Abstract: The large-scale deployment of hydrogen as an energy carrier raises critical safety challenges, particularly for underground storage facilities located near forested and wildland–urban interface (WUI) areas. This presentation addresses the potential fire and wildfire risks associated with accidental hydrogen releases from underground storage in salt caverns. Within the framework of the European FRHYGE project, a CFD-based consequence analysis was conducted for the hydrogen storage site of Manosque (France), focusing on a blowout scenario at the wellhead. Using Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), the study evaluates hydrogen dispersion, ignition, and resulting thermal radiation effects, accounting for local topography. The simulations identify forested zones exposed to critical heat flux levels exceeding 8 kW/m², indicating a high susceptibility to fire ignition. An additional wildfire simulation explores potential cascading effects between hydrogen infrastructure accidents and wildfire initiation. The results provide valuable insights for risk assessment and mitigation strategies for hydrogen storage facilities in fire-prone environments.


Author(s): Chenzhi Ma

Abstract: The increasing Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) fire conflagrations in recent wildfire incidents highlights the need for tools and methods for pre-fire structural-level damage prediction and risk assessment. We introduce an interpretable machine-learning-based fragility model as part of a modular probabilistic wildfire risk assessment framework to predict WUI structures damage probabilities. The machine-based model is built from multi-source geospatial data, integrating over 50,000 CAL FIRE Damage Inspection (DINS) records with weather, building footprints, NAIP imagery, and canopy-height products, and includes physics-based features to quantify direct flame-contact potentials, radiative heating from surroundings, and ember exposures. The model predicts the probability of structural damage at a structure-level. The predicted damage probabilities are designed to construct fragility functions, which are then used as the damage assessment module within a probabilistic wildfire risk assessment framework.


Author(s): Janice Coen

Abstract: "WUI fire engineering methods commonly characterize exposure using parcel-centric assumptions of laterally uniform wind and edge-driven fire spread. Evidence from recent fires shows that these assumptions can fail in terrain-influenced communities, where stable stratification and terrain-following flow redirect fire spread and exposure at neighborhood scales. When these mechanisms are overlooked, parcel-level mitigation guidance and community risk assessments can misrepresent structure-relevant hazard. This work examines exposure conditions in representative WUI communities using coupled weather–fire simulations and post-fire reconstruction at 100–300 m scales. Near-surface wind structure, fire spread, and exposure are analyzed in relation to terrain and community features such as greenways, drainage corridors, and open-space networks. Results show that stable, terrain-hugging flow can concentrate fire spread and ember transport into low-lying community corridors, allowing fire to penetrate well beyond expected exposure zones. These pathways are spatially localized and transient, yet they strongly influence ignition sequencing and damage patterns. An exposure-regime perspective is proposed to better bound these hazards for parcel risk assessment and community-scale planning.


Author(s): Joe Hart and Katherine Burgum

Abstract: This study presents a new experimental apparatus, the Burgum–Hart Tunnel, designed to investigate the production and behaviour of burning brands under forced airflow. The apparatus consists of a 2.4m enclosed tunnel in which a fan-driven flow is applied to a burning fuel load, entraining and propelling released brands. Experiments were conducted to observe brand release dynamics, transport behaviour, and survivability under repeatable flow conditions. The Burgum–Hart Tunnel enables controlled variation of airflow and fuel characteristics, providing a reproducible platform for studying firebrand generation. Results demonstrate that the apparatus can reliably produce burning brands representative of those observed in wildland and wildland–urban interface fires. This work introduces a novel experimental tool that improves understanding of firebrand-driven fire spread and supports development of more accurate predictive models. The work is influenced by Delta Fire Engineering’s first-hand experience at the 2025 Palisades fire in Los Angeles and subsequent fieldwork.


Author(s): Mayowa George

Abstract: Prescribed fire is a critical land management practice in the Great Plains of North America, helping to maintain native rangelands and reduce wildfire risk. However, its application is often constrained by concerns about fire escape and elevated fire danger. This presentation describes the development of a localized Grassland Fire Danger Index (GFDI) to support safer and more confident prescribed fire planning. The study develops sub-models for dead fuel moisture content (DFMC) and grass curing, which represent short-term fuel moisture and seasonal drying that control ignition, fire spread, and fuel availability. Using Oklahoma Mesonet weather data, the DFMC sub-model improves the accuracy and sensitivity of existing approaches. Results also show that approximately 50% grass curing typically occurs around mid-April, aligning with the period of most intensive prescribed fire activity in the region. These components provide a practical foundation for improving fire danger assessment and prescribed fire decision-making in Great Plains grasslands.


Author(s): Debadrita Das

Abstract: The study of transport and deposition of firebrands is important to identify the regions in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) that are most susceptible to ignition during a wildfire. To investigate the fire spread at WUI, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Discrete Element Method (DEM) approach is adopted. The wind field for firebrand transport is modeled in CFD software OpenFOAM and the firebrands are modeled in DEM software LIGGGHTS. The irregular shape of firebrands is captured by the multisphere method in DEM. It also allows us to simulate 3D temperature gradients within a firebrand. Upon deposition, the heat transfer from the firebrands is implemented with convective and radiative heat transfer to the surrounding fluid, conductive heat transfer within a firebrand and across firebrands in contact, and the heat generated due to burning. The model is validated and applied to simulate firebrand induced ignition of recipient fuel around a structure.


Author(s): Grayson Bellamy

Abstract: Wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires expose vegetation and structures to highly variable thermal conditions, where the thermal decomposition of woody fuels strongly influences ignition, fire spread, and structural vulnerability. Engineering fire models used for WUI risk assessment rely on simplified pyrolysis representations, yet limited guidance exists on which reaction schemes provide reliable predictions under fire-relevant conditions. This work evaluates commonly used pyrolysis modeling approaches for woody fuels by comparing component-based (parallel) and lumped sequential reaction schemes using thermogravimetric data for Douglas fir and red oak. Models are calibrated and then tested against independent thermal histories not included in the optimization dataset. Results show that sequential reaction schemes provide more robust and transferable predictions than component-based models. These findings offer practical guidance for selecting pyrolysis models in WUI fire simulations, supporting improved parcel- and community-scale exposure assessment, risk modeling, and development of engineering-based mitigation strategies and standards.


Author(s): Kuldeep Prasad

Abstract: We investigate the application of full-physics-based model, the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS), to understand coupling of spread rate with local atmospheric conditions and predict evolution of wildland fire fronts. Simulation results for various ignition line lengths and ambient wind speeds capture the relationship between spread rate and fire width and compared favorably with empirical formulas available in the literature. We investigate the role of Byrams’ Convective Number and elucidate the physical processes that result in different fire perimeter shapes under low or high wind conditions.


Summit Sponsors

  • ICC FDM
  • UEF

GCI Luminary & Platinum Partners