A markovian agent model for fire propagation in outdoor environments

Abstract

Markovian Agent Models are a rather new modeling technique to deal with complex systems composed by a multitude of interacting entities, whose spatial location is also relevant in determining their interaction. An example of application to the study of outdoor fire propagation is provided. The dynamic of this phenomenon strongly depends both on the type of materials being incinerated and on the wind direction and intensity. Therefore, the ability of the model to correctly reproduce the fire propagation is closely related to the spatial dependent interactions among agents. Moreover, the model is flexible enough to analyse scenarios in variable environmental conditions, such as wind direction and intensity, and in the presence of fire-barriers which prevent flames from propagating. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.