Welcome to the FireBench Project

FireBench Logo

FireBench is a Python library designed for the systematic benchmarking and inter-comparison of fire models. Recent advancements in fire modeling have introduced complex and varied models, but there is a lack of systematic evaluation regarding their accuracy, efficiency, sensitivity, validity domain, and inter-compatibility. FireBench aims to address this gap by providing a framework to assess fire models on the following criteria:

  • Accuracy: Precision in predicting fire front positions and plume dynamics.
  • Efficiency: Computational resources required for specific computation.
  • Sensitivity: Model outputs’ responsiveness to input variations, crucial for calibration and data assimilation.
  • Validity Domain: Operational input ranges for which models are applicable.
  • Inter-Compatibility: Integration capabilities with other models.

FireBench offers a dual approach for evaluation: intercomparison without extensive observational data and benchmarking against a validation dataset. This framework aims to enhance fire modeling for both scientific research and operational applications, with results archived in a dedicated database.

Installation

Prerequisites

Before installing FireBench, you need to install Git LFS.

To install the FireBench library, follow these steps:

1. Clone the Repository

You can clone the repository using either HTTPS or SSH. Choose one of the following methods:

Using HTTPS: 

git clone https://github.com/wirc-sjsu/firebench.git

Using SSH: 

git clone git@github.com:wirc-sjsu/firebench.git

2. Install FireBench and its Dependencies

Navigate to the cloned repository and install the FireBench library along with its dependencies using pip:

cd firebench
git lfs pull
pip install .

3. Set up the path to your local working directory

In order to centralize all the files managed locally by firebench, a working directory called the firebench local database has to be defined. This directory will store the output of workflows. Add the following line to your .bashrc or .zshrc:

export FIREBENCH_LOCAL_DB=/path/to/your/firebench/local/db

FireBench contains some data (fuel models, workflow runs, etc.) that is contained in the directory firebench/data. In order to easily access this data, add the absolute path to the firebench/data directory to your .bashrc or .zshrc:

export FIREBENCH_DATA_PATH=/path/to/package/firebench/data

Community Discussions

We encourage you to use the GitHub Discussions tab for questions, help requests, and general discussions about the project. This helps keep our issue tracker focused on bugs and feature requests.

How to Use Discussions

  • Q&A: If you have a question about using FireBench, please check the Q&A category.
  • Ideas: Share your ideas for new features or improvements in the Ideas category.
  • Show and Tell: Showcase your projects and workflows using FireBench.
  • General: For any other discussions related to FireBench.

Feel free to start a new discussion or join existing ones to engage with the community!

Contributing

We welcome contributions to FireBench! For more information on how to contribute, please see our contribution guidelines.