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BFB Assumptions and Limitations

WFDSS  Basic Fire Behavior (BFB) has a number of assumptions and limitations:

  1. WFDSS Basic Fire Behavior (BFB) calculates fire behavior outputs using fuel moistures based on topographic information, forest canopy cover, and the previous (user-determined number of) days of weather data (for fuel moisture conditioning) from the selected RAWS, as well as National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Data for weather and wind data. Weather data from the RAWS and the forecast data need to be critiqued and, potentially, adjusted by the Fire Behavior Specialist (FBS).
  2. Fire behavior calculations are performed independently for each cell on the landscape.
  3. WFDSS BFB uses the same underlying fire models (Rothermel's 1972 surface fire model, Van Wagner's 1977 crown fire initiation model,  Rothermel's 1991 crown fire spread model, and Nelson's 2000 dead fuel moisture model) used in other fire behavior applications. Thus, the assumptions and limitations of those underlying fire models are inherent within WFDSS BFB.
  4. As with all models, the quality of the outputs from WFDSS BFB depends on the quality of the inputs. If the landscape data, RAWS data, or forecast data used are inadequate, the resulting fire behavior outputs will be questionable. It is important to critique and modify as needed, the fuels data, as well as the RAWS and forecast data before using WFDSS BFB in support of wildland fire decision-making. 
  5. WFDSS BFB does not allow the user to export the outputs; they can only be displayed within WFDSS. The analyst can ACCEPT or REJECT the outputs. This occurs under View Results / Results. Images can be created within WFDSS for use in the decision document.

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Last updated on 1/28/2019 12:06:01 PM.

In This Section

WFDSS Basic Fire Behavior (BFB)

See Also

BFB - What it is

BFB - What it needs (inputs)

BFB - What it does (outputs)

BFB - What it means (interpretation)

BFB - Why use it - (potential uses)

Reference

Field Descriptions

Glossary Resources

Spatial Data Reference

Landscape Data Source Reference

Relative Risk Reference

Organization Assessment Reference

Fire Behavior Reference

About the WFDSS Decision Editors