How to run simulations with Fire Spread

Run Simulations Using Clusters

1. Go to Fire Spread

   • In the dashboard menu, select Wildfire Solution → Fire Spread.

2. Start Your Simulation

   • Click on a Cluster, Marker, or Custom Shape on the map.

   • Adjust Time Steps and Weather Models if needed.

   • Click Calculate Simulation.

3. View the Results

   • The Layer tab opens automatically.

   • Use the color-coded slider to view hourly fire progression.

   • Tweak parameters and observe how the fire is expected to evolve.

Run Simulations Without Satellite Detections

Don’t wait for a hotspot alert, be proactive with these tools:

Option 1: Markers 📍

• Right-click anywhere on the map to set a Marker.
• In the side panel, click Calculate Fire Spread.

Option 2: Custom Shapes 🛠️

• Go to the Layers Tab → User Data → Add Layer.
• Draw or upload a GeoJSON shape.
• Click Calculate Fire Spread.

Customize your simulation

Adjust Fire Spread steps

Customize how far into the future you want to simulate fire behavior:

1. Before running the simulation, find the Time Step Adjustment option.
2. Choose between 6h, 12h, or 24h views.
3. Run the simulation with your selected steps for a more tailored prediction.
4. 

Add Fire Breaks to Simulations

Fire Breaks help assess fire containment strategies before implementing them.

1. Select a Cluster, Polygon, or Marker.
2. Click “Add Layer” to draw a Polygon or upload a GeoJSON file.
3. Add multiple Fire Breaks if needed.
4. Run and save the simulation with Fire Breaks included.

This feature allows you to experiment with different containment strategies and refine your approach.

Save, share & reuse your simulations

💾 Save your simulations

• After running your simulation, scroll to Save Simulation.
• Your work is saved to Simulation History.
• Export in GeoJSON or KML formats.
• Share instantly via link or WhatsApp.
• Use bulk export to analyze multiple simulations at once.

🔎 Find past simulations

• Click the Simulation Group History icon.
• Select a group (linked to a specific Cluster, Marker, or Shape).

🏷️ Name simulation groups

1. Run a simulation as usual.
2. Click Save Simulation → Enter a custom name and click save.
3. Success! The group name will now appear at the top of the page for easy reference.

Fire Spread with Advanced Output Layers

Each simulation includes three new output layers to visualize fire behavior in more detail:

🔥 Fireline Intensity

What it shows:
The amount of heat energy released at the fire front (measured in kW/m).

Why it matters:
Fireline intensity helps you assess how severe or dangerous a fire is in specific locations. Areas with higher intensity are harder to suppress and more likely to generate spot fires.

How to use it:
Each pixel is color-coded into intensity classes (Class I to Class V+). Hover over the layer to explore values and prioritize areas that may need immediate attention.

🔥 Flame Length

What it shows:
The estimated height of flames at the fire front.

Why it matters:
Flame length is a simple, visual indicator of firefighting difficulty. Longer flames typically mean the fire is more intense and harder to control directly.

How to use it:
Flame length values range from Very Low (<0.6 m) to Critical (15 m+). The map uses intuitive color bands, and hovering reveals the flame class for each pixel to support suppression decision-making.

🚀 Rate of Spread

What it shows:
How fast the fire is moving through terrain at each point (in meters per minute).

Why it matters:
This helps you understand where the fire is accelerating and how fast it’s likely to reach key areas.

How to use it:
The map highlights fire speed from Low to Extreme across the entire perimeter. This output is especially useful for tracking fire fronts and predicting future spread patterns.

You’ll also see a Head Rate of Spread graph, which tracks the fastest-moving section of the fire across each time step — ideal for resource planning and incident prioritization.

💡 You’ll also see a new Head Rate of Spread graph: this shows how quickly the fire's leading edge moves with each time step.

🔎 How to Locate it

1. Run a Fire Spread Simulation using a Cluster, Marker, or Shape.
2. In the map view, open the “Spread Parameter” dropdown.
3.  Select one of the outputs:
   1. Fireline Intensity
   2. Flame Length
   3. Rate of Spread
4. The map will update instantly, hover to see detailed values for each pixel.

Best practices

Consideration	What to Watch For	Suggested Approach
Terrain Slope	May not influence fire movement in no-wind simulations	Add Wind manually or validate with WindNinja
Fire Microclimates	In large fires, localized wind can differ from forecasts	Use shorter time steps, monitor with real-time weather
Fuel Map	Based on ESA WorldCover (10 classes only)	Contact support to integrate a custom map
Model Logic	Uses step-wise forecast logic (t ➡️ t+1)	Avoid relying on long-term weather for precise front-line combat

Need Help?

If you run into trouble or have questions, reach out to our support team at support@ororatech.com —we’re here for you! 💬