FARSITE is a fire behavior and growth simulator for use on Windows computers. It is used by Fire Behavior Analysts from the USDA FS, USDI NPS, USDI BLM, and USDI BIA, and is taught in the S493 course. FARSITE is designed for use by trained, professional wildland fire planners and managers familiar with fuels, weather, topography, wildfire situations, and the associated concepts and terminology.
What is FARSITE?
- FARSITE is a fire growth simulation model. It uses spatial information on topography and fuels along with weather and wind files.
- FARSITE incorporates the existing models for surface fire, crown fire, spotting, post-frontal combustion, and fire acceleration into a 2-dimensional fire growth model.
- FARSITE runs under Microsoft Windows operating systems (Windows 98, me, NT, 2000, and XP) and features a graphical interface.
- FARSITE users must have the support of a geographic information system (GIS) to use FARSITE because it requires spatial landscape information to run.
FARSITE is widely used by the USDI National Park Service, USDA Forest Service, and other federal and state land management agencies to simulate the spread of wildfires and fire use for resource benefit across the landscape. It is designed for use by users familiar with fuels, weather, topography, wildfire situations and the associated terminology. Because of its complexity, only users with the proper fire behavior training and experience should use FARSITE where the outputs are to be used for making fire and land management decisions.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 April 2008 )
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