A dynamic programming approach to determining optimal forest wildfire initial attack responses

A mathematical optimization model, based on the operations research technique of deterministic dynamic programming, is offered as a method to search quickly through available options to find the economically efficient set of initial attack resources to suppress a wildfire. Considerations in selecting initial attack resources for an efficient initial response include cost of transportation and use, line construction productivity, response times, resource complementaries, size of fire upon discovery, rate of fire spread,fire damage, mop-up cost, and fire benefits. The dispatch optimization model has several applications, such as developing preplanned and real-time dispatches and evaluating the economic efficiency of new initial attack technologies.