Effect of terrian characteristics on wind fire interaction in wildland urban interface

The present study investigates how sloped terrain and wind velocity impact the dynamics of wildfire at the Wildland-Urban Interface. Using FireFOAM solver within the OpenFOAM open-source CFD code, the governing equations are numerically solved. Validation of the numerical results is conducted by comparing them with two different experimental measurements and one numerical study, focusing on a cubic building structure located downstream from the fire source. Various upslope terrains, representing the diverse topography of wildlands, along with different wind velocities, are simulated to analyse their effect on wind-fire interaction concerning multibuilding arrangements at the Wildland-Urban Interface. The comparison between experimental measurements and numerical simulations confirms the validity and accuracy of the current results. The study's findings highlight the intricate interplay between crosswind flow and terrain slope near the fire source, explaining their combined impact on structures within the Wildland-Urban Interface. Specifically, the results suggest that an increase in the inclined terrain angle leads to a higher integrated temperature across the surfaces of all buildings.