Comprehensive wind tunnel experiments of lofting and downwind transport of non-combusting rod-like model firebrands during firebrand shower scenarios

To date, due to difficulties in making measurements during wildfires, much of what is known about firebrand showers and the subsequent fire spotting comes from mathematical modeling of the lofting and downwind transport of firebrands. However, these models lack experimental validation. Hence, the coupled lofting and downwind transport of non-combusting rod-like firebrands is experimentally modeled by releasing them through the velocity field of a large scale boundary layer wind tunnel. Complete trajectories of model firebrands are resolved using image processing algorithms. The results show a strong positive correlation between the maximum rise height (zmax) and the landing location (xl) of model firebrands. In addition, it is shown that, given the velocity field, the empirical probability density functions (PDF) of xl/zmax are similar regardless of the firebrands' aspect ratio. This implies that the lofting and downwind transport processes cannot be decoupled in transport models. Analysis of the data reveals that, the larger the aspect ratio of firebrands, the more sensitive their landing locations are to the variability in the velocity field through which they are released. The data set presented herein serves as the most comprehensive experimental evidence for not only firebrand transport studies but also for validating mathematical models for the flight of rod-like debris/brands within the velocity field of other extreme events such as hurricanes.