Project Description
The execution of the program begins by computing the location of a possible firebreak. Any burnable location is initially a potential candidate to contain a firebreak. Once a location is determined, the firebreak is then drawn to a set length of 100 cells, and the fire is spread to burn the enclosed area by the firebreak. If the firebreak does not fully enclose the surrounding area, the fire has the ability to grow around the firebreak and burn the surrounding area. Once the fire has finished burning, the process is repeated with another determined firebreak location. The images below detail this process, showing a more efficient firebreak determined in subsequent runs. The firebreak shifts in each run and concludes the entire process by determining its best computed firebreak.
| Firebreak 1 | Firebreak 2 |
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| Firebreak 3 | Firebreak 4 |
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| Firebreak 5 | |
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This image is a represesentation of the entire process that occurs in a single execution. It shows all computed firebreaks during the execution and their placements on the map. The darker lines in the image are areas where firebreaks were more frequently placed. The color scheme has been changed to emphasize the firebreaks.
| Firebreaks Computed |
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The video below shows the process of a fire spreading. As the video shows, the fire starts at a certain location, and spreads evenly on all sides until it reaches the firebreak or a non-burnable area, which in our map is the black area. It is a firebreak's goal to completely enclose the fire and spare as much of the region as possible. All videos can also be downloaded from the "Related Links" section.
This video shows a different model used to display the results from a simulation. In this model, fire was allowed to jump the firebreak and continue spreading. This model shows just one of the configurable parameters available to use to simulate certain influences on a fire spread.
Another configurable option available to influence the fire spread is shown below. In this video, wind influence has been implemented, with the wind blowing to the east and in turn affecting the direction of the fire spread.