Due to the vast amount of models and tools available we have chosen to divide them into the following categories.
Note: This list is not a recommendation or endorsement of any of these applications or technologies. This list is not all inclusive. Application or technology use and preference is very user specific.
Simple Smoke Screening Tool
Simple Smoke Screening Tool is an easy to use online tool for plotting a potential smoke impact area using a set of basic input parameters (location, area burned, wind direction, fuel type and ignition method). The Simple Smoke Screening Tool is similar to the manual protractor method for screening smoke impacts. The Simple Smoke Screening Tool was originally developed by the Southern High Resolution Modeling Consortium and hosted by Southern Regional Extension Forestry at the University of Georgia. Around 2015 it was upgraded to include a .kml output and hosted by the Southern Fire Exchange. Starting in July 2020 it has been hosted by the Florida Forest Service.
BlueSky Framework
BlueSky Framework is a model management system that facilitates the use of predictive models to simulate the cumulative impacts of smoke on air quality from forest, agricultural, and range fires.
CONSUME
CONSUME Newest Version of Consume Found in the Fuel and Fire Tools (FFT). FFT integrates FCCS with Consume and FEPS into a single user interface, and offers direct linkages to the Pile Calculator and Digital Photo Series. The older stand-alone version of FEPS (v1.1) is still available for download but will not be updated and is no longer compatible with recent versions of Windows (7 and higher).
FEPS
(Fire Emission Production Simulator)The latest version of the Fire Emissions Production Simulator (FEPS) is housed within the Fuel and Fire Tools (FFT). FFT integrates FCCS with Consume and FEPS into a single user interface, and offers direct linkages to the Pile Calculator and Digital Photo Series. The older stand-alone version of FEPS (v1.1) is still available for download but will not be updated and is no longer compatible with recent versions of Windows (7 and higher).
HYSPLIT
HYSPLIT links to current NOAA weather forecasts to project plume dispersion and downwind concentrations from fires or a variety of other sources, within the next 48 hours. The model can be downloaded to a PC or run interactively on the Air Resources Laboratory’s READY website.
VSmoke
VSmoke is a detailed planning tool that estimates downwind concentrations of particulate matter at 31 fixed distances, and how far and how well a person may see through the smoke plume at each distance.
VSmoke-Web
VSmoke-Web is a user-friendly tool which produces smoke plume overlays on a map or satellite image that represent expected downwind concentrations of particulate matter relative to the Air Quality Index and potential health impacts.
BehavePlus
The BehavePlus fire modeling system is a collection of models that describe fire behavior, fire effects, and the fire environment.
FARSITE
FARSITE is a fire behavior and fire growth simulator that incorporates both spatial and temporal information on topography, fuels, and weather. FARSITE4 is no longer supported or available, and FlamMap6 now includes FARSITE.
Fuel Characteristic Classification System FCCS
Fuel Characteristic Classification System FCCS (version 3.0) is now housed within the Fuel and Fire Tools, which Integrates FCCS with Consume and FEPS into a single user interface, and offers direct linkages to the Pile Calculator and Digital Photo Series. The standalone version of FCCS (version 2.0) is still available on this page, but it is no longer supported and is not compatible with newer operating systems (Windows 7 and later)
FFI
Ecological Monitoring Utilities are an integration of FEAT and FIREMON, two respected, science-based programs used for fire effects monitoring on public lands.
Fire Frequency Tool (for use with ArcGIS)
Fire Frequency Tool (for use with ArcGIS) Prescribed fire is used widely to mitigate wildfires and restore ecosystems. This tool was developed to evaluate fire’s cumulative impact, calculate frequency, examine seasonality and estimate fuel accumulation to facilitate decision making in targeting successive prescribed fire application. For the Fire Frequency Tool (for use with ArcGIS) click here
Fuel and Fire Tools FFT (version 2.0)
Fuel and Fire Tools FFT is a software application that integrates the Fuel Characteristics Classification System, Consume, FEPS, Pile Calculator, and Digital Photo Series into a single user interface. Fuelbeds are the common currency in FFT. FCCS requires a list of one to many fuelbeds to run calculations. Because Consume predicts consumption by burn unit and passes results to FEPS, both modules require fuelbeds to be assigned to a burn unit with a percentage area entered for each fuelbed. The installation program and accompanying files can be found here. For FFT basic instructions, click here.
FireFamilyPlus
FireFamilyPlus is used for analysis of fire danger indices and weather. The installation program and accompanying files can be found here. For Fire Family Plus training PowerPoint Presentations, downloads, and lessons, click here.
FOFEM
First Order Fire Effects Model is a computer program for predicting tree mortality, fuel consumption, smoke production, and soil heating caused by prescribed fire or wildfire.
FlamMap
FlamMap is a fire behavior mapping and analysis program that computes potential fire behavior characteristics (e.g., spread rate, flame length, fireline intensity) over an entire FARSITE landscape for constant weather and fuel moisture conditions.
Fuel Treatments Photo Series Guide
The Fuel Treatments Photo Series Guide is designed to assist land managers in estimating the recovery and growth of characteristic understory conditions in pine flatwoods forests of the Southern Coastal Plain
IFTDSS
IFTDSS (Interagency Fuels Treatment Decision Support System) is a web-based software application that organizes previously existing fire and fuels software tools to make fuels treatment planning and analysis more effective and efficient. This tool requires the user to create an account.
LANDFIRE
LANDFIRE (Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools) is an interagency vegetation, fire, and fuel characteristics mapping program. The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Gateway website provides LANDFIRE news and resources and user support, including a how-to-use guide.
SMARTFIRE
SMARTFIRE (Satellite Mapping Automated Reanalysis Tool for Fire Incident Reconciliation) is an algorithm and database system that operates within a geographic information system (GIS) framework.
SouthWRAP
SouthWRAP: The Southern Group of State Foresters Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal is the primary mechanism for the Southern Group of State Foresters (SGSF) to make wildfire risk information available and create awareness about wildfire issues for the Southern states.
Wind Ninja
Wind Ninja is a program that computes spatially varying wind fields for wildland fire and other applications requiring high resolution wind prediction in complex terrain. Click here for the Windows desktop version, WindNinja-Mobile is available for Android through Google Play or Apple through Itunes. The mobile version offers a simplified interface, so not all options available in desktop are available in the mobile application.
