Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical Study
Wildfires pose significant threats to ecosystems, human lives, and property worldwide. Understanding the behavior of fire spread on sloped terrain is essential for developing effective firefighting strategies and improving fire prediction models. Previous research has successfully demonstrated the a...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Fire |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/6/217 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849432896496992256 |
|---|---|
| author | Suhaib M. Hayajneh Jamal Naser |
| author_facet | Suhaib M. Hayajneh Jamal Naser |
| author_sort | Suhaib M. Hayajneh |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Wildfires pose significant threats to ecosystems, human lives, and property worldwide. Understanding the behavior of fire spread on sloped terrain is essential for developing effective firefighting strategies and improving fire prediction models. Previous research has successfully demonstrated the accuracy of numerical tools in comparison to laboratory experiments. This study focuses on the influence of terrain slope and wind speed on wildland fire behavior using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. In the first phase, the numerical model was validated for a 5 m high single Douglas Fir tree under various mesh sizes, yielding heat release and mass loss rates in close agreement with experimental data. The second phase extends the model to simulate a plantation of 66 Douglas Fir trees under varying slopes and wind conditions. The results indicate that a downward slope of 30° reduces the peak heat release rate, while an upward slope of 30° increases it, with wind speed amplifying these effects. Based on these data, a new reduced-order model is proposed to quantify the influence of slope angle on the heat release rate (HRR) in wildland fires. These findings are critical for enhancing predictive fire models and mitigating wildfire risks in complex terrains. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce2d44ecc95c4670af466b7cd1428a22 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2571-6255 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fire |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce2d44ecc95c4670af466b7cd1428a222025-08-20T03:27:14ZengMDPI AGFire2571-62552025-05-018621710.3390/fire8060217Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical StudySuhaib M. Hayajneh0Jamal Naser1Department of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, AustraliaDepartment of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, AustraliaWildfires pose significant threats to ecosystems, human lives, and property worldwide. Understanding the behavior of fire spread on sloped terrain is essential for developing effective firefighting strategies and improving fire prediction models. Previous research has successfully demonstrated the accuracy of numerical tools in comparison to laboratory experiments. This study focuses on the influence of terrain slope and wind speed on wildland fire behavior using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. In the first phase, the numerical model was validated for a 5 m high single Douglas Fir tree under various mesh sizes, yielding heat release and mass loss rates in close agreement with experimental data. The second phase extends the model to simulate a plantation of 66 Douglas Fir trees under varying slopes and wind conditions. The results indicate that a downward slope of 30° reduces the peak heat release rate, while an upward slope of 30° increases it, with wind speed amplifying these effects. Based on these data, a new reduced-order model is proposed to quantify the influence of slope angle on the heat release rate (HRR) in wildland fires. These findings are critical for enhancing predictive fire models and mitigating wildfire risks in complex terrains.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/6/217wind/slope influencewildland fire spreadphysics-based modelingDouglas Fir trees |
| spellingShingle | Suhaib M. Hayajneh Jamal Naser Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical Study Fire wind/slope influence wildland fire spread physics-based modeling Douglas Fir trees |
| title | Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical Study |
| title_full | Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical Study |
| title_fullStr | Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical Study |
| title_short | Wind and Slope Influence on Wildland Fire Spread, a Numerical Study |
| title_sort | wind and slope influence on wildland fire spread a numerical study |
| topic | wind/slope influence wildland fire spread physics-based modeling Douglas Fir trees |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/8/6/217 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT suhaibmhayajneh windandslopeinfluenceonwildlandfirespreadanumericalstudy AT jamalnaser windandslopeinfluenceonwildlandfirespreadanumericalstudy |