An Intercomparison of Wildfire Spread Models in Fire Dynamics Simulator (Fds) Using FireFlux II Experiment
Publication Date
3-12-2026
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Fire Safety Journal
Volume
162
DOI
10.1016/j.firesaf.2026.104675
Abstract
This work quantitatively evaluates the performance of available wildfire spread models in the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) using the fire progression data from FireFlux II, a controlled burn experiment. The Level-Set, Boundary Fuel, and Lagrangian Particle models in FDS are considered. Large-Eddy Simulation is conducted to resolve the boundary layer over the fuel surface. Compared to the experimental observations, the Lagrangian Particle model better predicts the head fire position and rate of spread (ROS), while the Boundary Fuel model captures the overall fire area shape but over-predicts the fire position and ROS. The Level-Set model slightly under-predicts the fire line position at early stages of the fire growth, but it accelerates and over-predicts the head fire position and ROS toward the end. The statistical and spectral analyses of the results show the capabilities of FDS in resolving wildfire dynamics at the flame scale. The findings highlight areas of potential improvement in the solver and establish the importance of access to canonical wildfire observation data through open-source, community-driven platforms for further improvements and model developments.
Funding Number
2113931
Funding Sponsor
University of Maryland
Keywords
Fire Dynamics Simulator, FireFlux II, Large-Eddy Simulation (LES), Spectral analysis, Statistical analysis, Wildfire behavior
Department
Meteorology and Climate Science
Recommended Citation
Yu Jeong Kim, Ali Tohidi, Mario M. Valero, and Craig B. Clements. "An Intercomparison of Wildfire Spread Models in Fire Dynamics Simulator (Fds) Using FireFlux II Experiment" Fire Safety Journal (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2026.104675
