Wildfire Level-Set Solver Documentation

Welcome to the documentation for the Wildfire Level-Set Solver, an AMReX-based C++ level-set solver for wildfire-front style advection based on the community fire model.

Contents:

• Overview
  • Summary Flow
  • Prerequisites
• Mathematical Models
  • Fire Spread Models
  • Propagation Methods
  • Crown Models
  • Spotting Models
  • Model Enhancements
  • Diagnostic Models
  • Wind Models
• Code Structure
  • Directory Structure
  • Core Components
  • Data Structures
  • GPU/CPU Execution
  • Build System
  • Testing Framework
• Building the Code
  • Prerequisites
  • Cloning the Repository
  • Basic Build (3D, CPU-only)
  • Build Options
  • Advanced Build Options
  • Building Documentation
  • Running Tests
  • Installation
  • Troubleshooting
  • GPU Builds
  • Platform-Specific Notes
• Usage Guide
  • Input Files
  • Running Simulations
  • Input Parameters Reference
  • Example Input Files
  • Controlling Plotfile Output Variables
  • Visualization
  • Troubleshooting
• Python Tools
  • Overview
  • Dependencies
  • wrf_wind_reader.py — WRF Wind Extraction
  • srtm_terrain_reader.py — SRTM Terrain Download
  • landscape_writer.py — LANDFIRE Landscape File Writer
  • farsite_weather_reader.py — FARSITE Weather File Parser
  • fuel_moisture_from_weather.py — Equilibrium Fuel Moisture Calculator
  • plotfile_to_geotiff.py — GIS Export
  • Combining the Tools: Typical Workflow
  • farsite_fms_reader.py — FARSITE Fuel Moisture Scenario Parser
  • farsite_adj_reader.py — FARSITE Fuel Adjustment File Parser
  • farsite_fmd_reader.py — FARSITE Fuel Moisture Schedule Parser
  • perimeter_to_shapefile.py — Fire Perimeter to Shapefile Converter
  • utm_convert.py — Lat/Lon ↔ UTM Coordinate Conversion
  • ensemble_burn_probability.py — Ensemble Burn Probability Driver
  • satellite_goes_to_csv.py / Satellite Fire Detection Assimilation
  • ember_cascade_analysis.py — Ember Cascade Post-Processing
• Regression Tests
  • Running the Tests
  • Test Descriptions
  • Build Configurations Summary
  • Adding a New Regression Test
  • New Feature Regression Tests
  • Sub-folder Organisation
• Comparison with Other Wildfire Simulation Tools
  • Capability Summary
  • Tool Documentation References
  • Key Differences from FARSITE
  • Key Differences from WRF-Fire (WRF-SFIRE)
  • Key Differences from FlamMap
• API Reference
  • Core Functions
  • Data Structures
  • AMReX Integration
  • Units and Conversions

Overview

This repository contains a small AMReX-based C++ level-set solver for wildfire-front style advection based on the community fire model. The code implements advanced fire spread models including:

• Rothermel (1972) fire spread equations

• FARSITE elliptical expansion model (Richards 1990)

• Anderson (1983) length-to-width ratio

• Van Wagner (1977) crown fire initiation

• Terrain slope effects

• Firebrand spotting models

Key Features

• Multiple Fire Spread Models: Level-set advection (WENO5-Z + RK3) and FARSITE elliptical expansion

• Multi-Class Rothermel: Full per-size-class fuel moisture and loading path (1-hr, 10-hr, 100-hr dead; live herbaceous; live woody)

• Fuel Database: Anderson 13 (FBFM13) and Scott & Burgan 40 (FBFM40) standard fuel models

• Terrain Effects: Slope-based spread rate modifications; terrain and FARSITE landscape file support

• Crown Fire: Van Wagner (1977) crown fire initiation criteria

• Spotting — Stochastic: Probability-based firebrand generation with lognormal/exponential distance distributions

• Spotting — Physics-Based: Albini (1983) thermal-plume lofting with 2-D trajectory integration

• Bulk Fuel Consumption: Post-frontal burnout simulation

• Fire Behavior Diagnostics: Byram fireline intensity and flame length computed at every time step

• Time-Dependent Wind: Sequential wind field snapshots with temporal interpolation (2D)

• Multiple Ignition Types: Sphere, box, ellipse, embedded boundary implicit function, CSV fire points

• 2D/3D Support: Flexible spatial dimensions

• Embedded Boundaries: Complex geometry support with AMReX EB

Quick Start

Clone with submodules:

git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/hgopalan/wildfire_levelset.git
cd wildfire_levelset

Build the project:

cmake -S . -B build
cmake --build build -j

Run a test case:

cd regtest/basic_levelset
../../build/levelset inputs.i

Indices and tables

• Index

• Search Page