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I Introduction <br />The BehavePlus fire modeling system is a computer program that is based on mathemati- <br />cal models that describe wildland fire and the fire environment. It is a flexible system that <br />produces tables, graphs, and simple diagrams. It can be used for any fire management <br />application that involves modeling fire behavior and effects, including projecting the <br />behavior of an ongoing fire, planning prescribed fire, assessing fuel hazard, and training <br />(Andrews 2007). Successful application of the system is dependent upon decisions made <br />by the user. Those educated in fire behavior understand the fire modeling foundation <br />with the associated assumptions and limitations as well as the influence of various input <br />variables on calculated values. An effective fire modeler has a basis of fire and fuel ex- <br />perience to use in recognizing whether values are reasonable and in making appropriate <br />adjustments. <br />BehavePlus is designed to balance ease of use with options and features that users want <br />and need. A user who is satisfied with the "default" selections can quickly run the pro- <br />gram to get results. If the user has other needs, the program can probably meet them. If <br />the user is not satisfied with the form of a table or graph produced directly by Behave - <br />Plus, results can be exported and reformatted using other software. <br />BehavePIus offers many features and options to enhance its application. Units and deci- <br />mal display and the form of the output tables and plots can be changed. The header on <br />the worksheet can be expanded to include lines for prescribed fire planning. Wind speed <br />can be entered for midflame height or for 20 -ft or 10-m height with a wind adjustment <br />factor that is either specified or calculated. A user who is aware of the features offered in <br />the program can make the most effective use of BehavePlus. A summary list of tips and <br />tricks with reference to the relevant section of this paper is provided in Appendix A, and <br />Appendices D through H provide reference tables previously available only in the Help <br />system: Input Options, Output Variables, Menu Items and Options, Units and Decimals, <br />and Appearance Preferences. <br />This document supplements other published materia] that describes BehavePlus. The <br />User's Guide (Andrews and others 2008) addresses operation of the program in the form <br />of a reference guide. Because additions in Version 5.0 did not change basic operation of <br />the program, the Version 4.0 User's Guide was not updated and remains valid for Version <br />5.0. (See the version comparison PDF on the BehavePlus web site.) The Variables paper <br />(Andrews 2009), which was updated for Version 5.0, is a reference guide that describes <br />the more than 180 input and output variables in BehavePlus. The document is most use- <br />ful when viewed on a computer, utilizing the numerous links and bookmarks. Both the <br />User's Guide and the Variables paper are bundled with the BehavePlus program as part of <br />the Help system. <br />This publication is not a reference guide like the User's Guide and Variables paper, which <br />are designed to help you find information on a specific topic. Nor is it a step-by-step de- <br />scription of operation as presented in the lessons (Appendix B) or a manual that teaches <br />you how to do fire modeling. This publication's focus is on program operation, design, <br />and features. Even experienced users might not be aware of all of the features described <br />in this paper. We explain the program's design to help the user understand why the pro- <br />gram behaves the way it does. In some cases, we state that something can be done but <br />USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-249. 2010 <br />