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@liyuezha
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Summary

This PR adds a new model example: Wind-Driven Forest Fire.

Compared to forest fire model which focuses on critical thresholds, this model introduces anisotropy caused by wind. It demonstrates how to implement directional bias in grid-based models and explicitly measures the Rate of Spread (ROS) for both the fire head (downwind) and the flank (crosswind).

Motive

Modeling Anisotropy
The model implements a wind-biased ignition probability formula based on the angle between the wind vector and the neighbor direction:
$$p = p_{\text{spread}} \cdot (1 + \text{strength} \cdot \cos(\theta))$$

Implementation

Instead of just counting "burned trees," this model calculates spatial metrics:

  • Head Distance: The furthest distance the fire has traveled downwind.
  • Flank Width: The lateral width of the fire scar perpendicular to the wind.
  • ROS (Rate of Spread): Real-time calculation of the fire front's speed.

Usage Examples

strong wind

Additional Notes

@EwoutH
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EwoutH commented Jan 25, 2026

Cool concept, thanks!

Instead of a complete new model, could we also add a wind argument(s) to the existing model? That can be optionally enabled?

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2 participants