Critical behavior of forest fires: Theory and numerical simulations

Forest fire is an integral part of natural ecosystems. Understanding the mechanisms governing the formation and propagation of forest fire is imperative for effectively managing the natural resources of a forest and minimizing or eliminating damages caused by uncontrolled forest fire. Numerical simulation of two-dimensional forest fires indicates that there is a critical state at which the fire is likely to spread to the entire forest. The effects of wind conditions and multiple tree species are studied using numerical simulations and various Mean Field Approximations. Results from the analytical calculations agree well with numerical simulations for square lattice forest fire. Other lattice structures are also investigated. Mathematical models with non-linearly coupled equations are derived to study finite, layered, pseudo-two-dimensional forest fires. Critical states can be predicted by evaluating these non-lineady coupled equations.