Image analyses from four fires will be discussed along with the mathematical problems involved with airborne IR image registration and problems involved with estimating winds using image flow analysis. Some results from three-dimensional numerical modeling being used will also be presented. Currently the meso-microscale model uses grids ranging from 5 km down to 20 m. This type of resolution can be used to study some of the larger scale aspects of wildfires. Interaction between fire generated winds using conventional fire spread models demonstrates how some of the frequently observed fire shapes develop.
Fire whirls are common features and appear to result from tilting of horizontal vorticity.
The 20 m grids are far too coarse to allow direct comparison with the IR observations. However, work is in progress in this direction and will be briefly discussed.