From Wind to Smoke: A Unified WebGIS Platform for Wildfire Simulation and Visualization

This paper presents the development of a WebGIS tool for simulating wildfire spread and the associated smoke cloud dispersion, incorporating the wind field simulation—derived from point-based observational data—that influences both processes. The developed tool incorporates the following three physical models: HDWind for wind field simulation, PhyFire for wildfire spread, and PhyNX for smoke dispersion. It also integrates the necessary Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL) and Python scripts for preprocessing cartographic data and visualizing the simulation results—including wind fields, burned and burning areas, fire statistics, and smoke dispersion—at different time steps, with smoke dispersion additionally represented across multiple vertical levels. The WebGIS interface allows non-experts users to easily run simulations by defining the simulation area, ignition points, meteorological conditions, and firebreaks, as well as by configuring the parameters of the physical models involved. This tool aims to provide an accessible and user-friendly platform for wildfire simulation to aid in prevention and preparedness decisions. Finally, an example of how to use the interface is also presented.