Firefighters battling the nation's wildfires do not just depend on low-tech tools like bulldozers and hoses, but now they have computer models to help them predict where flames will spread and how voracious they will be. The Microsoft Windows-based programs are similar to ones that hurricane forecasters use. Wildfire crews around the country use the models and say they provide key information on where to build containment lines, order evacuations and send firefighters. The programs use information such as wind speed, humidity and water levels and can simulate air and ground efforts to fight fires.
