Understanding the characteristics of wildfire spread is one of the important reference bases for wildfire prevention and fighting. According to whether the interaction between wildfire and atmosphere is considered, the simulation models of wildfire spread are divided into uncoupled models and coupled models. In this paper the current research status is analyzed, and the existing models are summarized in terms of the principles and assumptions on which the model is based, the model’s characteristics and applicable conditions, and the relevant research progress. It shows that uncoupled models mainly establish combustion models through approximations such as energy balance equations, combustion decomposition assumptions, or ignition experiments, using meteorological factors such as wind as initial conditions to drive fire models. Whereas in most coupled models, the relevant elements of the weather model and the fire model are fed back to their models at each time step, and the integration calculation is continuously cycled to achieve mutual coupling between the atmosphere and wildfire. Compared to uncoupled models, coupled models simulate wildfire spread more closely to the actual situation, especially for large wildfires.

wildfire  /  wildfire spread model  /  atmosphere-wildfire coupling