A Review of Methods and Models for Hazard Zone Calculation and Visualization in Fires at Industrial Facilities

Various methods and software models are used to simulate the spread of fire and toxic combustion products, enabling the visualization of hazard zones across different scales and types of fire (forest, urban, industrial, and structural). Each method and model possesses specific characteristics that determine both its strengths and its limitations regarding the simulation of toxic combustion products spread during industrial fires (and, consequently, its effectiveness for population evacuation planning). This review surveys the scientific literature on the main methods for modeling hazard zones and combustion product dispersion across various fire types, as well as software based on these methods. The analysis concludes that while these models are effective for specific fire types and atmospheric dispersion conditions, their applicability to visualizing and simulating combustion product spread at industrial facilities is constrained by specific requirements, i.e., the need for rapid computation, multi-scenario forecasting, and the consideration of both local factors (fuel type and mass, site layout, and terrain) and regional climatic conditions. Based on this assessment, this study identifies the mathematical methods and models of software best suited to simulating combustion product spread during industrial fires and outlines perspectives for future development.