What is a Fire Dynamics Simulator?

A Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) is a specialized computational tool used to model the spread of fire and smoke in various environments, such as buildings and tunnels. Developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), FDS uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate fire-driven fluid flow and predict how fires develop, spread, and interact with their surroundings. It is widely used by fire protection engineers, researchers, and safety professionals to assess fire hazards, design fire safety systems, and investigate fire incidents. FDS helps improve building safety by allowing experts to test different fire scenarios in a virtual setting before implementing real-world solutions.