Abstract
The optimization of forest management in roadsides is a necessary task in terms of wildfire prevention in order to mitigate their effects. Forest fire risk assessment identifies high-risk locations, while providing a decision-making support about vegetation management for firefighting. In this study, nine relevant parameters: elevation, slope, aspect, road distance, settlement distance, fuel model types, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), fire weather index (FWI), and historical fire regimes, were considered as indicators of the likelihood of a forest fire occurrence. The parameters were grouped in five categories: topography, vegetation, FWI, historical fire regimes, and anthropogenic issues. This paper presents a novel approach to forest fire risk mapping the classification of vegetation in fuel model types based on the analysis of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) was incorporated. The criteria weights that lead to fire risk were computed by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and applied to two datasets located in NW Spain. Results show that approximately 50% of the study area A and 65% of the study area B are characterized as a 3-moderate fire risk zone. The methodology presented in this study will allow road managers to determine appropriate vegetation measures with regards to fire risk. The automation of this methodology is transferable to other regions for forest prevention planning and fire mitigation.
Highlights
One major environmental concern is the occurrence of forest fires, that affect forest preservation, create economic and ecological damage, and cause human suffering
This paper presents a novel approach to forest fire risk mapping the classification of vegetation in fuel model types based on the analysis of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) was incorporated
A methodology based on geographic information systems (GIS) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was developed to determine forest fire risk areas around roads in Northwest Spain
Summary
One major environmental concern is the occurrence of forest fires, that affect forest preservation, create economic and ecological damage, and cause human suffering. In the NW region of Galicia, forest fires are one of the natural hazards. Road access is a significant contributing factor in the occurrence of human caused ignitions [2]. The 70% of forest fires occur close to main roads, at a distance of less than 500 m [3]. Road managers have the knowledge to control roadside vegetation through preventive operations including herb mowing, applying herbicide products, clearing, or pruning vegetation. The assessment of the ignition potential of roadside vegetation plays a cornerstone role in prevention management. The current law regarding forest firefighting in Galicia [5] establishes a forest-to-road distance threshold between 4 and 10 m, depending on tree species and road class. Targeting fuel treatments and locating resources to areas where fire ignitions are predicted to occur may be effective in improving the probability in the fire containment [6]
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