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Document

Type: Conference Proceedings
Author(s): Bret W. Butler; Mark A. Finney; Larry S. Bradshaw; Jason M. Forthofer; Charles W. McHugh; Richard D. Stratton; Daniel M. Jimenez
Editor(s): Patricia L. Andrews; Bret W. Butler
Publication Date: 2006

A new software tool has been developed to simulate surface wind speed and direction at the 100m to 300 m scale. This tool is useful when trying to estimate fire behavior in mountainous terrain. It is based on widely used computational fluid dynamics technology and has been tested against measured wind flows. In recent years it has been used to support fire management decisions to improve firefighter and public safety, understand the environmental conditions associated with entrapment fires, improve prescribed fire prescriptions, and estimate fire potential. Outputs from this tool include tiff images, GIS shape files, and FARSITE wind input files.

Online Links
Citation: Butler, Bret W.; Finney, Mark A.; Bradshaw, Larry S.; Forthofer, Jason M.; McHugh, Charles; Stratton, Richard D.; Jimenez, Daniel M. 2006. WindWizard: A new tool for fire management decision support. Pages 787-796 In: Andrews, Patricia L.; Butler, Bret W. (comps.). Proceedings of the 1st Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference: Fuels Management - How to Measure Success. 28-30 March 2006; Portland, OR. Proceedings RMRS-P-41. Fort Collins, CO: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Cataloging Information

Topics:
Fire Behavior    Fire Ecology    Fuels    Hazard and Risk    Models    Planning    Safety
Regions:
Alaska    California    Eastern    Great Basin    Hawaii    Northern Rockies    Northwest    Rocky Mountain    Southern    Southwest    National
Keywords:
  • wind
  • wind pattern
  • WindWizard
Record Last Modified:
Record Maintained By: FRAMES Staff (https://www.frames.gov/contact)
FRAMES Record Number: 2090