The importance of combustion science to unravel complex processes for informal settlement fires, urban fires, and wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires

Abstract

Devastating large outdoor fires have been responsible for destruction of vast amounts of infrastructure and loss of human life. At first glance, the complex ignition, fire spread processes, and degree of gaseous and particulate emissions appear daunting during these large-scale destructive events. As part of this perspective paper, fundamental combustion science is discussed as a critical need to unravel these complex physical processes observed in large outdoor fires. An important aspect is that many of the detailed physics of these processes have yet to be fully revealed. In turn, this is a major barrier to developing computational methods to be able to predict and understand how large outdoor fires spread. The range of topics discussed is intentionally not comprehensive but intended to serve as an introductory list to engage the combustion community in this important, pressing research area.