A two-dimensional model for large-scale bushfire spread

Abstract

A model for bushfire spread is proposed, in which radiative heat transfer, species consumption and flammable gas production are taken into account. It is shown that fire propagation in this model does not occur as a one-dimensional travelling wave, except for smouldering combustion of wet bushland. Numerical solutions for the evolution of a line fire are obtained using a diagonally implicit finite difference scheme, and the effects of firebreaks and uncleared combustible debris are studied. An energy theorem is presented for the case of a spreading two-dimensional fire, and numerical results are illustrated. © Australian Mathematical Society, 1997.