Prerequisites and justification for the use of vacuum dewatering wellpoint filters in forest fire fighting activities

The article presents an analytical review of current problems of forest fire suppression related to water delivery to remote areas. Existing methods of fire localization are analyzed, their key shortcomings are identified: high resource consumption, dependence on the availability of open reservoirs, long deployment time. To overcome the limitations, a new approach is proposed – the use of wellpoint vacuum dewatering units as an autonomous water source directly in the fire zone. The physical principles of wellpoint operation and their design features are considered. A mathematical model based on the analytical solution of I.A. Charny with additional filtration resistances ξ₁ and ξ₂ is developed to quantify groundwater inflow to a wellpoint system in forest biotope conditions. The novelty of the model lies in the combined consideration of partial penetration, wellpoint filtration resistances, and vacuum effect, which has not been previously performed for forest conditions. The results of numerical studies confirming the fundamental feasibility and expediency of the technology are presented. Technical requirements for a mobile wellpoint installation for the needs of the forest fire service are formulated. The conclusion is made about the prospects of the developed direction.