Detailed wind information and at its application to improved firefighter safety

Fire intensity and rate of spread are strongly linked to the local wind flow. Forecasts and estimates of projected fire behavior provide vital information when planning tactics and strategies relative to wildland fire. Firefighter safety is enhanced when planning is based on accurate fire behavior estimates. One major source of uncertainty in fire behavior estimates and predictions is the lack of methods for estimating the local terrain effects on winds at the 100 ft and smaller scale. In most cases wind data available to firefighters are limited to a few measurements from weather stations, which may not even be near the fire location, or to broad scale meteorological forecasts. Consequently, fire managers and firefighter teams rely on personal observations, guesswork and past experience to estimate spatial wind variability and its effect on fire behavior. These methods provide rough estimates but are subject to local knowledge and the skill level of the analyst. The study described by this poster has three objectives: 1) develop a methodology for simulating surface wind flow at the 100ft and smaller scale; 2) identify methods of using this information; and 3) develop a tool that can be easily used on an operational basis to obtain this information. We describe the methodology, present evidence of the impact of this information on fire growth modeling, and describe how this information can improve firefighter safety