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A Simulation-Based Optimization Approach to the Firefighting Resource Scheduling Problem

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Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2024 Workshops (ICCSA 2024)

Abstract

In recent years, the number of forest fires has increased significantly. The main factors behind these disasters are rising temperatures and population growth. Optimization and simulation have been widely applied to forest firefighting problems, making it possible to improve the effectiveness and speed of firefighting actions. This work presents a forest firefighting resource scheduling problem, where a single firefighting resource is fighting 10 ignitions. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used to find the near-optimal sequence of actions, taking into account the maximization of the total unburned area. The solution found by the GA is evaluated using a Discrete-Event Simulation model developed in FlexSim software, thus validating the solution. Then, a simulation-based optimization approach is developed, involving uncertainty in some parameters.

This work has been supported by FCT Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the R &D Units Project Scope UIDB/00319/2020 and GEQProd (Grupo de Estudos em Qualidade e Produtividade), and the PhD grant reference UI/BD/150936/2021.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank FlexSim Software Products, Inc. for supporting this research by providing a provisional educational license for the software, version 24.0.2.

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Correspondence to Ana Maria A. C. Rocha .

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Paiva, E.J., Matos, M.A., Rocha, A.M.A.C. (2024). A Simulation-Based Optimization Approach to the Firefighting Resource Scheduling Problem. In: Gervasi, O., Murgante, B., Garau, C., Taniar, D., C. Rocha, A.M.A., Faginas Lago, M.N. (eds) Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2024 Workshops. ICCSA 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14816. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65223-3_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65223-3_26

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