In order to validate the program, the team created ideal conditions, as much as possible in the laboratory and by creating ignition points on varying stocks of paper in a windless room using a lighter. The team chose paper because it is the most uniform material that can be burned. The Elliptical Fire Theory states that under ideal conditions, a fire will burn in a two-dimensional circle. Several different types of paper were chosen, which included printer paper, construction paper, and tissue paper. As the fire burned, the advance of the fire was filmed. As seen above, the fire moves in a very circular pattern because the fuel type is uniform, and there are no external factors such as wind which can adversely affect the fire flow. The next step was to input the conditions into the fire model.

When a uniform fuel type is input into the program, the “fire” moves in a perfectly circular pattern and matches the Elliptical Fire Theory. Since the program’s fire moves in a similar pattern, then the program has been validated and the theory endorsed.

When a non-uniform surface was burned (see picture above), the fire flow upon the surfaces was different. This endorsed and validated the assumption that fire will flow at different rates over different fuel types. Appendix A section C contains the program’s version of the experiment. The similarity between them is striking. This reflects the programs validity over the fire phenomena.

Since the basis of this project was validated, it is hoped that other factors cold also be validated in laboratory conditions.