Modelling forest fires.: Part II:: reduction to two-dimensional models and simulation of propagation

This is the continuation of the paper named part I, where a three-dimensional model of combustion for forest fires has been derived. In this study the link between two-dimensional reaction diffusion models of propagation and three-dimensional combustion modelling is examined. By the way of an asymptotic analysis with the ratio of the height of vegetation to a characteristic size of the forest as small parameter, it is shown that two-dimensional models can be considered as inner expansion of general models. A hierarchy of three models is obtained and the simplest, which cope with drying, pyrolysis, wind and slope is simulated. Some of the features of real fires are obtained with this simplified model. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.