Behave

Release Date

May 15, 2025

The Behave Fire Modeling System (Behave) has been one of the most used computer programs for modeling both wildfire and prescribed fire since its inception in 1984. It is used by fire analysts, burn bosses, students in fire behavior courses, fire personnel, and other professionals involved in fire management. The system uses mathematical models to predict elements of fire behavior and the fire environment.

Behave is point-based, meaning it calculates fire behavior for a location or area with homogeneous fuels, static weather, and similar topography. Once any of those conditions change, a new calculation must be done. A range of values can be used to cover a broader set of conditions, and correct interpretation of those outputs is critical.

Behave was recently overhauled into a new version, Behave7, that is designed to be more intuitive and easier to use than previous versions, while still offering the same functionality as BehavePlus version 6. The code has been updated to match the code in other fire behavior (FlamMap) and fire effects (First Order Fire Effects, FOFEM) systems. Behave7 simulates various aspects of fire behavior, including fuel moisture, wind speed effects, surface and crown rate of spread and flame length, fire growth, and spotting distance. It models some fire effects, particularly scorch height and probability of tree mortality. We are actively developing Behave7, so you can expect multiple updates in the coming 1-2 years.

More information including installation files, publications, and training, is available on FRAMES.

Technical Support:

The first level of technical support is provided through your local support channels. The Interagency Incident Applications HelpDesk is available for help with software issues only and cannot answer fire behavior modeling questions.

Principal Investigators: Faith Ann Heinsch and LaWen Hollingsworth

Funding Contributor(s):

USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station
Spatial Informatics Group (SIG)
USFS Fire and Aviation Management

Project Years: 2002-present

Key Uses

Fire

Scale

Local

User Experience Level

Intermediate

What do you need to get started?

Users need a basic understanding of wildland fire behavior prior to using the software. Behave can be run from Windows, macOS, and Linux. Java or Open JDK is required. Memory and storage requirements are minimal.

Outputs

Outputs include estimates of surface and crown fire behavior (spread rate, flame length, fire size, spotting potential), fire containment (line production rate, total line production, and fire growth), and probability of tree mortality.

Strengths

Requires minimal data. Users learn scientific models before using them in spatial fire behavior systems. Behave includes models not included with other fire behavior modeling systems. Modules can be readily updated when new science becomes available.

Limitations

Behave is a point model, focusing on smaller areas that have similar conditions. It cannot model spatial fire behavior. As conditions change, new model runs need to be created. More science is needed to improve models within Behave.

Online Resources

FRAMES

People

Principal Investigators

Person
Faith Heinsch, PhD
Physical Scientist
https://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/faith.heinsch
Person
LaWen Hollingsworth
Fire Behavior Specialist
https://research.fs.usda.gov/about/people/lawen.t.hollingsworth

Related Tools

Tool

FlamMap

https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/products/dataandtools/flammap
Tool

FOFEM/SpatialFOFEM - fire effects model

https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/products/dataandtools/fofem/spatialfofem-fire-effects-model

Webinar Recordings

Webinars

Behave7 for Fire Analysts

https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/products/multimedia/webinars/behave7-fire-analysts
Webinars

Behave7 for Prescribed Fire Planning

https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/products/multimedia/webinars/behave7-prescribed-fire-planning
Webinars

Behave7 Fire Modeling System: A Long Time Coming

https://research.fs.usda.gov/firelab/products/multimedia/webinars/behave7-fire-modeling-system-long-time-coming

Select Publications

Pat L. Andrews. 2010. Do you BEHAVE? - Application of the BehavePlus fire modeling system
Faith Heinsch, Pat L. Andrews. 2010. BehavePlus fire modeling system, version 5.0: Design and Features
Pat L. Andrews. 2009. BehavePlus fire modeling system, version 5.0: Variables
Pat L. Andrews, Faith Heinsch, Luke Schelvan. 2011. How to generate and interpret fire characteristics charts for surface and crown fire behavior
Faith Heinsch, Pamela G. Sikkink, Helen Y. Smith, Molly L. Retzlaff. 2018. Characterizing fire behavior from laboratory burns of multi-aged, mixed-conifer masticated fuels in the western United States
Patricia L. Andrews. 2014. Current status and future needs of the BehavePlus Fire Modeling System

External Publications

Understanding Post-fire Tree Mortality: Resources & Research - This StoryMap compiles information about post-fire tree mortality based on past and current research efforts at the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory. The Decision Support section describes the mortality models included in Behave.
The Behave fire modeling system program, publications, and other supporting material are available on FRAMES. The Behave Publications web page includes current and historic papers that describe Behave and the development of fire behavior modeling.