Optimal alloc ation of initial attack resources to multiple wildfire events

Increased scrutiny of federally funded programs combined with changes in fi re management refl ects a demand for new fi re program analysis tools. We formulated an integer linear programming (ILP) model for initial attack resource allocation that operates in a performance-based, cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) environment. The model optimizes the deployment of initial attack resources for a user-defi ned set of fi res that a manager would like to be prepared for across alternative budget levels. The model also incorporates fi re spread, multiple ignitions, simultaneous ignitions, and monitoring of resources on a landscape. It also evaluates the cost effectiveness of alternate fi refi ghting resources and alternative pre-positioning locations. Fires that escape initial attack are costly during the extended attack phase of fi re management. To address this within the scope of initial attack, we constructed and analyzed alternative objective functions that incorporate a proxy for internalizing the cost of fi res that escape initial attack. This type of model can provide the basis for a wider scale formulation with the potential to measure an organization's performance and promote a higher level of accountability and effi ciency in fi re programs. © 2011 WIT Press.