WRF-Fire: Coupled weather-wildland fire modeling with the weather research and forecasting model

Through the use of theoretical environmental vertical profiles, a suite of experiments using conditions typical of the daytime convective boundary layer was conducted in which these external parameters were varied around a control experiment. Results showed that simulated fires evolved into the expected bowed shape because of fire-atmosphere feedbacks that control airflow in and near fires. The coupled model reproduced expected differences in fire shapes and heading-region fire intensity among grass, shrub, and forest-litter fuel types; reproduced the expected narrow, rapid spread in higher wind speeds; and reproduced the moderate inhibition of fire spread in higher fuel moistures.

The effects of fuel load were more complex: higher fuel loads increased the heat flux and fire-plume strength and thus the inferred fire effects but had limited impact on spread rate.