Fire-spread animations offer a clear visual way to show how a fire moves, whether recreating a past incident or modeling a future one under specific conditions. They are especially useful for illustrating the danger of untreated fuels. Animations are run on current fuels and again on proposed post-treatment fuels to demonstrate expected changes, and they can be paired with static maps that show fire behavior as the flaming front passes.
This animation shows a wide flaming front one mile from the edge of town. When paired with static maps of predicted fire behavior, these tools work well for school programs, public meetings, and homeowner visits. Pre- and post-treatment animations can illustrate expected results before any mitigation money is spent and help build support for fuels projects. A real-world example depicting the rapid spread of the 2024 Smokehouse Creek Fire in the northeastern Texas Panhandle is available under the “News” link at the top of the page.