Simulating smoldering and flaming combustion spread in wildfires through cellular automata modelling: the case of the 2020 Peel region wildfire.

Abstract

This thesis aimed to end the mosaic like division of knowledge on different aspects involved in wildfire events that inhabit both smoldering and flaming combustion types. While not all these aspects could be addressed an extensive view on wildfire science theory, modelling theory and the Dutch wildfire context is presented. Furthermore, this work presents the first wildfire modelling framework that successfully includes the phenomena of revegetation and smoldering to flaming combustion transfers in simulations at the field scale. The proposed framework, FENIX, was subsequently applied to simulate the Peel region wildfire event of early 2020. This application was done by coupling the FENIX framework with spatial data obtained and manipulated through a Geographic Information System. While the framework was able to successfully simulate different wildfire behavior phases, simulations could not successfully predict the timing of these phases and the final wildfire extent. This is due to limitations in both the framework itself and available data.