Modeling the impact of fire spread on the electrical distribution network of a virtual city

The research work published in this paper is based upon the design of a virtual city named Micropolis, which has been laid out using a Geographic Information System (GIS) based software called ArcMap (marketed by ESRI). This paper studies the effects of a fire spread on the electrical distribution network of Micropolis. The fire can be initiated either through some natural event, e.g. a lightning stroke or a wildfire; or manually, e.g. a terrorist attack. The paper also proposes a method of quantifying the damage caused by fire to the electrical system, by means of a parameter called the Load Loss Damage Index (LLDI). Finally, it discusses the various conclusions drawn from running numerous simulations corresponding to different fire spread scenarios, and comparing the LLDI values generated for each such scenario.