--- title: "Fire Spread Model: Simulating fire behaviour" description: Stay ahead of every fire with predictive simulations. --- [Skip to content](https://help.ororatech.com/fire-spread#main-content) - [English](https://help.ororatech.com/fire-spread) - [Deutsch](https://help.ororatech.com/de/fire-spread) - [Español](https://help.ororatech.com/es/fire-spread) - [Français](https://help.ororatech.com/fr/fire-spread) - [Português - Brasil](https://help.ororatech.com/pt-br/fire-spread) - [Ελληνικά](https://help.ororatech.com/el/fire-spread) English Show submenu for translations [![](https://help.ororatech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OT_Logo_RGB_CONNECTED_light.png?width=200&height=150&name=OT_Logo_RGB_CONNECTED_light.png)](https://help.ororatech.com/?hsLang=en) Open main navigation Close main navigation - - [English](https://help.ororatech.com/fire-spread) - [Deutsch](https://help.ororatech.com/de/fire-spread) - [Español](https://help.ororatech.com/es/fire-spread) - [Français](https://help.ororatech.com/fr/fire-spread) - [Português - Brasil](https://help.ororatech.com/pt-br/fire-spread) - [Ελληνικά](https://help.ororatech.com/el/fire-spread) English Show submenu for translations - Wildfire Solution App Wildfire Solution App How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Help Center](https://help.ororatech.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Learn the Basics](https://help.ororatech.com/learn-the-basics?hsLang=en) 3. [Dive Deeper: Satellites & Fire Data](https://help.ororatech.com/learn-the-basics?hsLang=en#dive-deeper-satellites-fire-data) # Fire Spread Model: Simulating fire behaviour ## Stay ahead of every fire with predictive simulations. **In this article, you'll learn:** - What the Fire Spread Model is and how it helps you plan smarter - How to run simulations - Customizing simulations with time steps and weather models - Finding, naming, and organizing your simulations - Using Fire Breaks for containment strategies - Fire Spread Reports ### **What is the Fire Spread Model?** The Fire Spread Model is a powerful tool that lets you simulate how a fire will evolve over the next **24 hours**. It factors in: ✅ **Local topography**✅ **Fuel maps**✅ **Fuel moisture**✅ **Wind speed & direction** \*All parameters are **fully customizable**. You can adjust wind data and humidity directly from the **simulation table**. This enables **proactive planning** by helping you understand which areas might be impacted next, allowing better decision-making and resource allocation. ### **Where to Find It** To access the Fire Spread Model: 1️⃣ Open the **OroraTech Wildfire Solution** dashboard 2️⃣ Look for **"Fire Spread"** in the left menu ![locate fire spread](https://help.ororatech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/locate%20fire%20spread.png?width=624&height=75&name=locate%20fire%20spread.png) ### **How it helps you stay ahead** ✅ **Simulate diverse wildfire scenarios** to enhance preparedness. ✅ **Identify at-risk areas** to protect communities and assets. ✅ **Equip decision-makers** with real-time insights for proactive response. Wildfire behavior is unpredictable, but planning doesn’t have to be. By combining satellite data, fuel maps, and live weather models, the Fire Spread Model gives you the tools to **plan smarter, respond faster, and stay ahead of every fire**. ### **Key Data Sources** | **Data Type** | **Source & Detail** | | --- | --- | | **Wind Forecasts** | ECMWF IFS (Global, 25km), and WindNinja for localized wind conditions. | | **Fuel Maps** | ESA WorldCover (10-meter resolution, 10 land cover classes) \*🇺🇸 **U.S. simulations:** Additional fuel models and fuel moisture inputs are available for simulations using U.S. fuel data. Learn more in [**Fuel Moisture** **Inputs**](https://help.ororatech.com/fuel-moisture-inputs?hs_preview=QVchsmta-189499879234&hsLang=en) **→** | | **Topography** | Copernicus DEM (30-meter resolution) | | **Initial Fire Fonts** | Real-time OroraTech detections or user-defined starting points | 🔎 Want to integrate your **own fuel map or local topography data**? Learn more in the [Custom User Data Integrations article](https://help.ororatech.com/setting-up-custom-data-integrations?hsLang=en) or contact **support@ororatech.com** to get started.  #### 🌦️ How Weather Drives the Model Our model follows a **"forecast-at-time-t → fire-at-time-t+1"** logic. That means: - The **3:00 PM forecast** predicts **4:00 PM fire behavior** - Our weather models don't provide data for future dates, so the simulation uses each forecast to predict the next time step ✅ This ensures: - Realistic, physics-based spread predictions - Reliable comparisons across simulations - Trustworthy insights for urgent decision-making ⚠️ *We don’t use future forecasts to avoid unrealistic assumptions. This ensures accurate, physics-based predictions that reflect real-world behavior.* ### **Tailor simulations to your conditions** Personalize simulations to mirror real-world conditions: - **Time Step Control**: Choose 6h, 12h, or full 24h simulation windows - **WindNinja**: Enable for hyperlocal wind modeling *(slightly longer compute time)* - **Weather Models**: The platform auto-selects the best-fit model based on your location, but you can now choose from all supported sources for wind data—including region-specific models like HRRR. Fuel moisture is always sourced from DWD ICON Seamless to ensure consistent simulation quality. - **Per-Step Weather Editing**: Modify humidity or wind per hour for deep scenario planning - **Fire Breaks:** Add fire breaks to test containment strategies safely, before taking action on the ground.  📐 When drawing fire breaks in WFS, the platform displays **real-time length and width measurements** as you draw. This helps users plan more accurate, field-ready break lines without needing external tools or guesswork. These options let you mirror real-world situations or test alternative response strategies. ![FireSpreadinputs-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter](https://help.ororatech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FireSpreadinputs-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif?width=591&height=412&name=FireSpreadinputs-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif) ### **Fire Behavior Outputs** This feature is only available in the new interface. Learn more about the new interface **[here](https://help.ororatech.com/new-wfs?hsLang=en)**. Each fire spread simulation produces multiple layers that describe how a fire may behave across space and time. These outputs help teams evaluate risk and prepare suppression strategies more effectively: - **Fireline Intensity** Measures the heat energy released at the fire front (kW/m). Higher intensity often means greater suppression difficulty and longer flame lengths. - **Flame Length** Indicates the estimated height of flames, derived from fireline intensity. Useful for determining whether direct attack is feasible. - **Rate of Spread** Shows how quickly the fire moves through the terrain (m/min), calculated for each pixel. Critical for predicting fire movement and allocating resources. These metrics are used globally by fire managers to prioritize response zones and model containment needs. ![FireSpreadOutputs-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter](https://help.ororatech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/FireSpreadOutputs-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif?width=594&height=376&name=FireSpreadOutputs-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif) ### **Save simulations** Saving your simulations allows you to share the results with your team. This is critical when analyzing a real-world scenario, as the simulation output can directly inform key decisions and lead to better outcomes. ### **🔥 Fire Spread Reports** You can export your Fire Spread simulations as **clear, ready-to-use PDF reports**, ideal for: - Reviewing simulation outcomes - Comparing different fire behavior scenarios - Sharing updates with colleagues or supervisors Each report includes: - Fire details and simulation parameters - Predicted spread patterns - Weather conditions - A concise summary for quick interpretation ![firespreadreport-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter](https://help.ororatech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/firespreadreport-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif?width=419&height=271&name=firespreadreport-ezgif.com-video-to-gif-converter.gif) These reports help teams **analyze risks and take action faster**, without needing to re-run simulations or interpret raw data on-screen.   ### **⏱️ Estimate When Fire Could Reach Your Assets** Fire Spread also powers **Arrival Time**, helping you estimate when an active fire could reach your monitored assets. From **Nearby Assets**, you can calculate an estimated arrival time based on the latest fire detections. Fire Spread runs the simulation automatically in the background, helping you prioritize assets based on **time to impact—not just distance**. 👉 Learn how to set up assets and calculate Arrival Time in **Monitor Fires Near Your Assets**. ### **✅ Ready to Try It?** Now that you know what the Fire Spread Model can do, let’s put it into action. 👉 Follow our step-by-step guide: [How to Run Fire Spread Simulations](https://help.ororatech.com/how-to-run-simulation?hsLang=en) You'll learn how to start a simulation, customize settings, and make the most of your results. 💬 Need help along the way? Contact us at support@ororatech.com —we're here for you. - [Start Here](https://help.ororatech.com/start-here?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Explore WFS](https://help.ororatech.com/start-here?hsLang=en#explore-wfs) - [Get Ready to Monitor](https://help.ororatech.com/start-here?hsLang=en#get-ready-to-monitor) - [Learn the Basics](https://help.ororatech.com/learn-the-basics?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Detections: Hotspots & Clusters](https://help.ororatech.com/learn-the-basics?hsLang=en#detections-hotspots-clusters) - [Understand Fire Data](https://help.ororatech.com/learn-the-basics?hsLang=en#understand-fire-data) - [Dive Deeper: Satellites & Fire Data](https://help.ororatech.com/learn-the-basics?hsLang=en#dive-deeper-satellites-fire-data) - [Detect, Monitor & Analyze Fires](https://help.ororatech.com/detect-monitor-analyze-fires?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Monitor & Assess Fire Activity](https://help.ororatech.com/detect-monitor-analyze-fires?hsLang=en#monitor-assess-fire-activity) - [Fire Spread](https://help.ororatech.com/detect-monitor-analyze-fires?hsLang=en#fire-spread) - [Burnt Areas & Data Analysis](https://help.ororatech.com/detect-monitor-analyze-fires?hsLang=en#burnt-areas-data-analysis) - [Notifications](https://help.ororatech.com/detect-monitor-analyze-fires?hsLang=en#notifications) - [Account & Settings](https://help.ororatech.com/detect-monitor-analyze-fires?hsLang=en#account-settings) - [Additional Knowledge](https://help.ororatech.com/detect-monitor-analyze-fires?hsLang=en#additional-knowledge) - [Integrations & Advanced Setup](https://help.ororatech.com/integrations-advanced-setup?hsLang=en) - [Product Updates](https://help.ororatech.com/product-updates?hsLang=en) - [Academy & Tutorials](https://help.ororatech.com/academy-tutorials?hsLang=en) - [During an Active Fire](https://help.ororatech.com/during-an-active-fire?hsLang=en) - [The Science Behind WFS](https://help.ororatech.com/the-science-behind-wfs?hsLang=en) [![Chill listening crop-3](https://help.ororatech.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OT_Logo_RGB_CONNECTED_dark.png?width=109&height=24&name=OT_Logo_RGB_CONNECTED_dark.png "Chill listening crop-3")](https://ororatech.com/) [mailto:email@email.com](mailto:email@email.com) Copyright © 2026, OroraTech