This thesis examines techniques that provide a method of computer visualisation of bushfire spread. Existing techniques studied include, Kourtz & O???Regan, Green???s Contact, Heat Accumulation, Percolation modelling and Huygens??? Principle by Anderson et.al., French, Roberts, Richards. Many of these techniques are extended as part of a comprehensive study into how they perform in a two dimensional reference frame (ie over flat terrain only). New techniques are defined for Percolation Modelling and Huygens??? Principle. Each technique is examined in a series of test cases which include computer simulations with no wind, constant wind, variable wind, variable vegetation (including patchy fuel and two fuels) and where fuel burns out. These test cases provide: (a) an incremental approach to understanding the operation of each technique; (b) a basis for comparison; and (c) verification of correctness of the technique in two dimensions. Several of the techniques are shown, by these test cases, to be equivalent. For instance, the Kourtz & O???Regan technique using a square template is equivalent to the Contact Technique, Site percolation is similar to the Heat Accumulation technique and Template percolation is similar to the Contact Technique. Overall the Huygens??? Principle techniques provide the most accurate simulations of bushfire spread.

This thesis examines techniques that provide a method of computer visualisation of bushfire spread. Existing techniques studied include, Kourtz & O???Regan, Green???s Contact, Heat Accumulation, Percolation modelling and Huygens??? Principle by Anderson et.al., French, Roberts, Richards. Many of these techniques are extended as part of a comprehensive study into how they perform in a two dimensional reference frame (ie over flat terrain only). New techniques are defined for Percolation Modelling and Huygens??? Principle. Each technique is examined in a series of test cases which include computer simulations with no wind, constant wind, variable wind, variable vegetation (including patchy fuel and two fuels) and where fuel burns out. These test cases provide: (a) an incremental approach to understanding the operation of each technique; (b) a basis for comparison; and (c) verification of correctness of the technique in two dimensions. Several of the techniques are shown, by these test cases, to be equivalent. For instance, the Kourtz & O???Regan technique using a square template is equivalent to the Contact Technique, Site percolation is similar to the Heat Accumulation technique and Template percolation is similar to the Contact Technique. Overall the Huygens??? Principle techniques provide the most accurate simulations of bushfire spread.