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Rothermel Fire Model/Evidence
Method evidence record

Rothermel Fire Model

The Rothermel fire spread model, developed by Richard Rothermel in 1972, is a mechanistic mathematical model that predicts the rate of fire spread through surface fuels using fuel characteristics, weather, and topography. It forms the theoretical foundation of the BEHAVE fire modeling system used operationally by fire agencies worldwide. The model integrates principles from combustion physics, heat transfer, and fuel science to quantify how fire intensity, fuel moisture, wind, and slope interact to drive wildfire propagation.

Sources recorded, not reviewed

Source record

Citations copied verbatim from the method’s source record. No claim-level verification is inferred from them.

Rothermel Surface Fire Spread Model
Taxonomic method record · process-pipeline / forestry
  • Rothermel, R. C. (1972). A mathematical model for predicting fire spread in wildland fuels. Research Paper INT-115, USDA Forest Service Intermountain Research Station. · URL
  • Andrews, P. L. (2003). BEHAVE-Plus fire modeling system: Redesign and modernization. RMRS Research Paper RMRS-RP-101. · URL
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Curated claims

Claims persisted in the evidence ledger, each with its own assessment.

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Related methods

Generated from the method graph and shown as machine-suggested relations — no evidence claim is inferred.

Taxonomic bucketCrown Fire (Van Wagner)machine-suggested · Relational suggestion, not evidence.Same method familyFire Weather Indexmachine-suggested · Relational suggestion, not evidence.Same method familyKeetch-Byram Drought Indexmachine-suggested · Relational suggestion, not evidence.

Evidence status

Sources recorded, not reviewed

Bibliographic sources are present. Claim-level evidence review has not been performed.

Sources

2 recorded citations, copied from the method source record.

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