Comparative analysis of wildfire simulation tools: Discrepancies in Rothermel model-based software under varying wind and slope conditions
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: With the advances in computers and the growth of science in modeling physical phenomena, wildfire simulation software has become an instrumental tool for governments, agencies, and researchers to tackle the growing challenge of wildfires. Various models have been developed using different methodologies, and different software platforms were created using these models. The Rothermel model is among the most accepted and used models in simulation software by different agencies. This study aims to discuss the differences in the numerical results by using three widely used software that adopted the Rothermel fire propagation model as their base model. First, each software will be introduced and explained thoroughly and their differences will be discussed. In the next step, several similar cases will be defined and simulated with identical inputs using each software. The effects of different slope and wind conditions on the software results were analyzed by designing four simple scenarios. Although it is acknowledged that numerous factors influence wildfire behavior, the analysis demonstrated that just these two factors were sufficient to reveal significant discrepancies among the software. The results of simulations will be analyzed and the software will be compared through a discussion. The results show that by increasing the complexity of the scenarios the difference in software results increases. The discrepancies in results between platforms from identical scenarios highlight the fact that researchers and decision-makers must be aware of these variations and extra caution be taken into account when using wildfire simulation tools for decision-making and operational management.
Institution: University of Coimbra
Language: English
Topic: Fire effects on ecosystems
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,200
OpenAlex ID: W4408922705