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Fire Weather Index script

Discussion of Ken True's web site templates

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HansR
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Fire Weather Index script

Post by HansR »

OK, I have come across some scripts for Fire Weather Index (eg Wildwood) but they are not based on Cumulus' realtime; mostly WD. Does anybody know of a wxfire.php-script which is kind of generic or simply for Cumulus?
Hans

https://meteo-wagenborgen.nl
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BCJKiwi
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by BCJKiwi »

Have it all working on our site - see link in signature below.

This does not use the WD / US / Chandler setup but a system long used in Canada / New Zealand, and parts of Europe. It does however calculate the CBI as well so you could use that if you preferred.

The implementation on our site utilises New Zealand developed software which fully supports Cumulus and typically runs in the Cumulus PC and reads the realtime file directly. It also FTPs the files to your website itself.
There is a template for producing the table you see on our site (which we have tweaked a bit!)
You will need to sort out the PHP scripts to suit your site.
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HansR
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by HansR »

Ah, thanks @BCJKiwi. This was exactly what I was looking for.

BTW, weird that I did not stumble upon this while searching google, this is the first time I encounter a non-successful search on my part.
Must have done something wrong.

Anyway, thanks again!
Hans

https://meteo-wagenborgen.nl
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by gemini06720 »

Hans, there is a software available that need to run once a day on the same computer as used by the weather software (ie: Cumulus, Virtual Weather Station, Weather Display, Wetterstation) - it is called FWI Calc (or fire weather index calculator) and is available from the 'SoftRock Enterprises' site.

Do not forget to download, also on the same page, the weather software web tag file for the Cumulus software... ;)
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by HansR »

Thanks Ray, I already picked it up from the BCJKiwi-site and now working to get it all assembled and running for display....
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by gemini06720 »

Hans, just remember that the little tag file has to be processed by Cumulus first (in order to replace the web tags with real weather values) (it can be processed every 10 minutes or whenever Cumulus updates the web templates - it is after all a very small file and it certainly does not matter if it is processed 144 times a day); the processed tag file will then be read by 'FWI.exe' once a day (a bit after noon) and will create a few templates which can then be used to display the data.
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HansR
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by HansR »

I don't think the current version of FWIcalc needs this. It reads realtime.txt to pick up the values and generates its pages (or whatever you want to generate) on the basis of its tags a short time after the read. Maybe you are mixed up with a prior version? I think. Or do I miss a very important point?

I have it running now and it needs at least two days before something comes out of it but I generated some graphs (nothing there) and that worked so I think I am on the right track.
Hans

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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by BCJKiwi »

Hans,
There is a routine in fwicalc to import history to build the intial table and this will produce graphs right away.
File / Import CSV file. Despite it's saying 'CSV', select Cumulus file type and the month(s) you want to import as it fully understands Cumulus.
There is not much point in importing more than one month now as we are near the month end and the system basically works on trends over the last 15 - 20 days if my understanding is correct.
As FWI works on the mid day record each day, check the imported data to ensure all the values are there. If a record is missing you won't see sensible data in the table. If this is the case, just edit the fields to complete the data. averages of prev/next data will be good enough as this anomoly will work its way out of the system as the time progresses.
Graeme, the very helpful developer of the software advisees:-
Cumulus Monthly Files do not contain 24 hour rainfall, only accumulative total for year, therefore the 1st of each month does not have anything relative available to calculate 24hr rainfall - it will be entered as zero rainfall in the FWI database. You can go back and edit these later if you like (double click on the entry in the Main Page of FWICalc). You can calculate it yourself by looking at the Midday (12:00) Rainfall field in the last day of the previous month, and subtracting it from the Midday rainfall reading in the 1st of the following month. Some people have sewn their Cumulus monthly files together to prevent this, but not an easy task (and it cannot be done in Excel otherwise it changes the date format).

Your September File does not contain any Midday (12:00) data for 1st Sept., so it will not be imported, and the 2nd will contain zero rainfall. Not sure why your station failed to record any data for 50 minutes or so? Unless there is 12:00hr data for a day it will not be imported (the 1st may be missed completely, or interim days may have "Fudge" data inserted FFMC, DMC & DC only)
Enjoy
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by HansR »

BCJKiwi wrote:Hans,
There is a routine in fwicalc to import history to build the intial table and this will produce graphs right away.
File / Import CSV file. Despite it's saying 'CSV', select Cumulus file type and the month(s) you want to import as it fully understands Cumulus.
Did that, thanks.
Now the webpages and you can see whether I did it all OK ;)
But this may take some days, have to do some other things first.
Hans

https://meteo-wagenborgen.nl
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BCJKiwi
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by BCJKiwi »

These couple of files should get you started - just a skeleton for what you probably want but will get the page up right away.
Set fwicalc to use the .txt file and send it to your website as a php.
Rename the files to whatever you want and make the relevant amendments in the files to match.
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HansR
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by HansR »

Great help, thanks.
I'll check back as soon as I got something up to proudly show the result :!: .
Hans

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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by JennyLeez »

Hi Hans,

Here is a couple more pages to give you some ideas.
http://wairoa.net/weather/fwi/fire_index.php
http://wairoaweather.net/wxfwi.php

Also register with the Softrock and get added to the list of stations plus map :)
http://www.wilddata.org.nz/fwicalc/index.php?page=4
http://www.wilddata.org.nz/fwicalc/index.php?page=6

The software Help is excellent with step by step for everything.
Also ideas for a web site.
Good luck :)
Jenny
Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand Weather Station:
http://wairoa.net/weather/index.htm
Cumulus Topsites:
http://cumulussites.net/
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HansR
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by HansR »

Hi Jenny,
Thanks for the links, inspirational.
I had already registered (first thing done, on the list and map since yesterday - first in France :!: ).

@All
Thanks for the reactions.
I do have the system up and running now but it needs some adjustment as you can see ;) It will improve over time, with more info added.
The only real question I have now has to do with the scrub index. This index seems to be very high and volatile. It is the case in my situation but also with Jenny's. In Escales it is winter now and pretty wet. Hardly any risk at all. The fire season here runs basically from June - September.

Any explanation why the scrubindex is so high compared to the other indices?
Hans

https://meteo-wagenborgen.nl
CMX build 4017+ ● RPi 3B+ ● Raspbian Linux 6.1.21-v7+ armv7l ● dotnet 8.0.3
BCJKiwi
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by BCJKiwi »

I asked Graeme the same question, his reply:-
Scrub provides the highest KW of energy, and is very reactive to drying (Grasses react faster, but don't have as much burning energy packed into them). Forest can provide lots of Energy, but is slow to take off (requiring understorey scrub to do the preheating).

It will also depend on what the Scrub Height is, the higher, the more energy available. It is "normal" for SFDC to show this type of reaction to short drying times, especially if it has been windy as well. The FWI algorithms don't have a "category" of scrub-type (unlike Forest), therefore the Calcs are worked out using a generic scrub flammability type (just above medium flammability).
My interim solution was to reduce the height of the scrub from the default 2M to 1M (we don't have a lot of scrub where we are). This only reduced the volitility of the output slightly.
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JennyLeez
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Re: Fire Weather Index script

Post by JennyLeez »

I live in a small rural town surrounded by scrub and further out forestry.
It is extremely dry here with only 24 wet days over the last 3 months ( 91 days )
Hence my fire report is correct.
Needless to say the farmers are hoping for our normal wet January :)

Hans alter your scrub height and slope and see if this makes it a little more accurate for you.
Also may we have a link to your fire weather page please :)

Cheers
jenny
Wairoa, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand Weather Station:
http://wairoa.net/weather/index.htm
Cumulus Topsites:
http://cumulussites.net/
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