Guide
Fire engineering software
The main types, what each one is for, and how to choose. By the Guidex team. Last updated 3 November 2026.
In this guide
What is fire engineering software?
Fire engineering software is the set of tools fire engineers use to model fire and smoke, simulate evacuation, analyse structures in fire, and work through guidance and reports.
No single tool does all of this. Most teams use a mix.
The main types
- Fire and smoke modelling
- Zone modelling
- Evacuation modelling
- Structural fire analysis
- Guidance and reporting
| Type | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fire and smoke modelling (CFD) | Simulating how fire and smoke move through a space | FDS with Smokeview, from NIST |
| Zone modelling | Estimating smoke, gases and temperature across compartments | CFAST, from NIST |
| Evacuation modelling | Simulating how people move through and leave a building | Pathfinder, from Thunderhead Engineering |
| Structural fire analysis | Analysing how structures behave in fire | SAFIR |
| Guidance and reporting | Finding clauses, checking layouts and drafting reports | Guidex |
The examples are not a full list, and this table does not rank them.
Where Guidex fits
Guidex is in the guidance and reporting group. It does not replace a CFD or evacuation model.
It reads the guidance you select and cites the exact clause, table or figure. It reviews floor plans against that guidance, gives you a markup workspace, and helps you reach a first draft of a fire strategy. See the product.
How to choose
- The decision. What must the output support: a design choice, a calculation or a report?
- The check. Can you see the method and the source, and test the result yourself?
- The fit. Does it suit your building types and the guidance you work to?
- The data. Where do your project files go, how long are they kept, and are they used to train AI models?
- The output. Can it produce work in your company’s format?
- The responsibility. Who checks the result? Software does not take responsibility for a design.
Tools for other jobs
Searches for fire engineering software also find tools for fire alarm design, fire risk assessment and equipment servicing. These are useful, but they do different jobs.
Related pages
See it on your own project
The quickest way to judge Guidex is to point it at a building you already know and check its answers against your own.