Zigzag shape of the fire front
Domingos Xavier ViegasADAI, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Coimbra, Rua Luis Reis Santos – Polo II, 3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal. Email: xavier.viegas@dem.uc.pt
International Journal of Wildland Fire 16(6) 763-764 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF06135
Submitted: 12 October 2006 Accepted: 1 May 2007 Published: 17 December 2007
Abstract
It is shown that the shape of the fire perimeter is not always a regular line. In flank or down-slope fires, the fire line can assume a zigzag shape with kinks at practically orthogonal angles. These kinks are associated with convection cells that generate local equilibrium conditions. It is hypothesised that this process is an example of a more general natural law governing convective flows.
Additional keywords: convective processes, fire behaviour, fire line rotation.
Viegas DX (2002) Fire line rotation as a mechanism for fire spread on a uniform slope. International Journal of Wildland Fire 11, 11–23.
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Viegas DX (2004) Slope and wind effects on fire propagation. International Journal of Wildland Fire 13, 143–156.
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