Fire Risk Reduction Research Articles

Fire Risk Reduction and Recover Energy Potential: A Disruptive Theoretical Optimization Model to the Residual Biomass Supply Chain

Rural fires have been a constant concern, with most being associated with land abandonment. However, some fires occur due to negligent attitudes towards fire, which is often used to remove agroforestry leftovers. In addition to the fire risk, this burning also represents a waste of the energy present in this residual biomass. Both rural fires and energy waste affect the three dimensions of sustainability. The ideal solution seems to be to use this biomass, avoiding the need for burning and recovering the energy potential. However, this process is strongly affected by logistical costs, making this recovery unfeasible. In this context, this study aims to propose an optimization model for this chain, focusing on the three dimensions of sustainability. The results of the present study comprise a summary of the current state of the art in supply-chain optimization, as well as a disruptive mathematical model to optimize the residual biomass supply chain. To achieve this objective, a literature review was carried out in the first phase, incorporating the specificities of the context under study to arrive at the final model. To conclude, this study provides a review covering several metaheuristics, including ant colony optimization, genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, and simulated annealing, which can be used in this context, adding another valuable input to the final discussion.

On fire risk reduction when operating individual households

The article aims to elaborate a technical means for reducing fire occurrence in internal electrical networks of individual households. General scientific methods of numerical analysis, electric circuit theory, and prediction theory were used. It was determined that the operating mode of the electric network under study is characterized by a significant unbalanced power consumption due to the asymmetry and non-sinusoidality of phase currents caused by the occurrence of additional symmetrical components of forward, reverse, and zero sequences. Additional heat losses increase significantly and lead to overheating of the neutral conductor, thus intensifying fire risks. On the basis of measurements and the authors’ software, a simulation modeling of integration of the developed balancing device into the investigated network was carried out. The conducted analysis found that the developed device can reduce additional heat losses and fire risks by over 90%. Using statistical methods of forecasting, regression analysis in particular, a preventive long-term assessment of the level of additional power losses was conducted. Autoregressive equations for predicting the parameter of additional power losses at a certain probability level were derived. MATLAB graphic editor technologies and Excel software were used to visualize changes in the studied indicators. The results can be used by construction companies when designing the internal electrical network of individual households, as well as for researchers developing approaches to reducing additional losses of electrical energy.

Constraints on Mechanical Fuel Reduction Treatments in United States Forest Service Wildfire Crisis Strategy Priority Landscapes

Abstract The USDA Forest Service recently launched a Wildfire Crisis Strategy outlining objectives to safeguard communities and other values at risk by substantially increasing the pace and scale of fuel reduction treatment. This analysis quantified layered operational constraints to mechanical fuel reduction treatments, including existing vegetation, protected areas, steep slopes, and administrative boundaries in twenty-one prioritized landscapes. Results suggest that achieving the objective to treat 20%–40% of high-risk area is unlikely in most landscapes under a business-as-usual approach to mechanical fuel reduction treatments. Increased investment in steep-slope systems and expanded road access opens sufficient acreage to meet treatment objectives in eighteen of twenty-one priority landscapes. Achieving treatment objectives in the remaining three landscapes will require both increased investment to overcome physical constraints and navigating administrative complexities within reserved land allocations to implement fuels treatments at the pace and scale needed to moderate fire risk to communities. Study Implications: Legal, operational, and administrative factors have hindered the implementation of proposed wildland fire risk reduction management actions. Investing in steep-slope systems, expanding use of temporary roads, and revising administrative rules to allow for appropriately tailored mechanical thinning in special conservation areas are possible ways to meet fuel reduction treatment objectives of the USDA Forest Service Wildfire Crisis Strategy in twenty-one landscapes across the western United States. Broadening the land base available for mechanical treatment allows for flexibility to develop treatment plans that optimize across the multiple dimensions of effective landscape-scale fuel treatment design and restore fire as a key ecosystem process.

Wildfire Scenarios for Assessing Risk of Cover Loss in a Megadiverse Zone within the Colombian Caribbean

Rising wildfire incidents in South America, potentially exacerbated by climate change, require an exploration of sustainable approaches for fire risk reduction. This study investigates wildfire-prone meteorological conditions and assesses the susceptibility in Colombia’s megadiverse northern region. Utilizing this knowledge, we apply a machine learning model and the Monte Carlo approach to evaluate sustainability strategies for mitigating fire risk. The findings indicate that a substantial number of fires occur in the southern region, especially in the first two seasons of the year, and in the northeast in the last two seasons. Both are characterized by high temperatures, minimal precipitation, strong winds, and dry conditions. The developed model demonstrates significant predictive accuracy with the HIT, FAR, and POC of 87.9%, 28.3%, and 95.7%, respectively, providing insights into the probabilistic aspects of fire development. Various scenarios showed that a decrease in soil temperature reduces the risk mostly in lower altitudes and leaf skin reservoir content in the highest altitudes, as well as in the north region. Sustainability strategies, such as tree belts, agroforestry mosaics, and forest corridors emerge as crucial measures. The results underscore the importance of proactive measures in mitigating wildfire impact, offering actionable insights for crafting effective sustainability strategies amid escalating fire risks.

Evaluating the economic sustainability of commercial complex greening based on cost-benefit analysis: A case study of Singapore’s Shaw center

Commercial complex greening is the alternative to leading the greening development of public buildings, reducing the negative impact of buildings on the environment, and achieving sustainable development goals. However, the economic sustainability of commercial complex greening remains underinvestigated. This study investigated traditional building greening economic evaluation indicators and quantitative methods according to the characteristics of commercial complexes in to provide ideas on the economic evaluation of it to fill in the blanks of CBA analysis applied to the economics of greening systems of commercial buildings. Applying cost-benefit analysis, this study evaluated the economic sustainability of vertical greening systems (VGS) and green roof systems (GRS) installed on a commercial complex in Singapore using Net Present Value (NPV), Payback Period (PBP), and sensitivity analysis to quantify and integrate personal and social life cycle costs and benefits. The methodology was based on an extensive literature review in multiple fields and rational assumptions for unavailable data. The key findings were: 1) Commercial complex greening is a feasible investment. 2) VGS has a higher economic return value, whereas GRS can achieve faster payback. 3) Well-designed greening and vitality-boosting ideas bring more economic returns than tax incentives. 4) Property value improvement, maintenance cost, and fire risk reduction were sensitive factors affecting NPV, among which property value played a decisive role, especially for VGS. 5) Extensive construction and tax policies can reduce costs and improve the economy. 6) Personal benefits generated by greening are greater than social benefits. This critical case study of a commercial complex greening project provides greening developers and operators a better understanding of the economic competitiveness of commercial complex greening implementation to promote the market application and a rationale for governments to revise existing or formulate new measures to encourage the development of green industries. Although the conclusion of this study only focuses on the economic sustainability of greening in commercial complexes in Singapore due to sample size limitations, achieving a more significant localized evaluation is potential by collecting and replacing data corresponding to regions based on this research framework. Meanwhile, quantifying more economic indicators, comparing the economy of different greening modes in commercial complexes and arranging an international database about the economic sustainability of commercial complex greening are worth further exploration in the future.

The value of local wisdom for peatland fire risk reduction in the wetland area of South Kalimantan

Mitigation of land fires that occur in wetland areas, especially in peatlands, continues to be addressed by the community in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan Province. Local wisdom that applies in the community, which includes local knowledge, local value, local skills, local sources, and regional society solidarity, is expected to reduce the risk of land fires. The research objective is to analyze the value of local wisdom for peatland fire reduction in the wetland area of South Kalimantan. The respondents interviewed were 30 from the Community and Fire Care Community or Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA) members. Local wisdom prevailing in the community can reduce the risk of peatland fires. The community has the local knowledge, local value, local skills, local sources, and local society solidarity in managing peatlands. Peatlands managed by communities are less likely to burn than unmanaged lands. The tapulikampar system is a local wisdom in the Banjar community to prepare agricultural peatlands without burning. The Banjar community also has good skills in managing peatlands, which are not easily damaged and prone to burning. Cooperation between community groups in MPA is also well implemented in monitoring land fires and suppression efforts. The community makes maximum efforts so that peatlands are not damaged, and the risk of fire can be reduced because potential resources on peatlands must be passed on to the next generation.

Forest Canopy Fuel Loads Mapping Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle High-Resolution Red, Green, Blue and Multispectral Imagery

Canopy fuels determine the characteristics of the entire complex of forest fuels due to their constant changes triggered by the environment; therefore, the development of appropriate strategies for fire management and fire risk reduction requires an accurate description of canopy forest fuels. This paper presents a method for mapping the spatial distribution of canopy fuel loads (CFLs) in alignment with their natural variability and three-dimensional spatial distribution. The approach leverages an object-based machine learning framework with UAV multispectral data and photogrammetric point clouds. The proposed method was developed in the mixed forest of the natural protected area of “Sierra de Quila”, Jalisco, Mexico. Structural variables derived from photogrammetric point clouds, along with spectral information, were used in an object-based Random Forest model to accurately estimate CFLs, yielding R2 = 0.75, RMSE = 1.78 Mg, and an average Biasrel = 18.62%. Canopy volume was the most significant explanatory variable, achieving a mean decrease in impurity values greater than 80%, while the combination of texture and vegetation indices presented importance values close to 20%. Our modelling approach enables the accurate estimation of CFLs, accounting for the ecological context that governs their dynamics and spatial variability. The high precision achieved, at a relatively low cost, encourages constant updating of forest fuels maps to enable researchers and forest managers to streamline decision making on fuel and forest fire management.

Модель мониторинга охраны опасных производственных объектов от лесных пожаров

The methodological analysis of the requirements for the prevention of forest fire onset and spread has demonstrated that at the design, development, and maintenance of forest sites, it is required to apply various proven methods enabling the assessment of risk of damage to hazardous production facilities protected from forest fires (upper and ground fires) via the selection of fire protection measures in forests, such as forest fire prevention, fire hazard and forest fire monitoring in forests, and forest fire extinguishing. The expert method, the system analysis methods, and the methods of management theory and decision-making were applied in order to solve the problems. The topicality of the study covered in the article is the analysis of fire safety requirements in forests and the development of informational and analytical support for the decision-making when evaluating the probability of the onset of forest fire and the risk of damage to the adjacent hazardous production facilities caused by a forest fire (upper fire, ground fire) in accordance with the calculation methodologies applied for specific situations, based on the expert method. The industrial safety management system and the industrial safety requirements must ensure the identification, analysis, and forecast of accident risk at hazardous production facilities, as well as the planning and implementation of fire safety measures and risk reduction. The scope of studies is industrial facilities, the Federal Forestry Agency, expert activities, activities of insurance companies, scientific activities, and individuals competent in forest fire safety (experts). To ensure the fire safety of hazardous production facilities, it is required to assess the risk of the onset and spread of a forest fire (upper fire, ground fire). In order to determine a safe allocation of forest stands and ensure the safe operation of firefighting subdivisions during forest fire extinguishing, it is required to apply the proposed expert method associated with the control of activities of the body responsible for the implementation of measures of planning, development and maintenance of forest stands at the exercise of official powers.

Assessment on liquid Li fire risk under humid air condition and with heat insulators

The IFMIF-like fusion neutron sources (FNSs) such as A-FNS and IFMIF-DONES have Li fire risks and the R&D activity for the Li fire risk reduction has been conducted under the IFMIF/EVEDA project. The objectives of this study are to experimentally elucidate humidity condition in airat which no Li fire ignites and the effect of the heat insulator on the Li fire ignition. The experimental set-up was designed and fabricated in order to perform Li fire experiments safely and systematically. Around 1 g of metallic Li samples were heated with and without the heat insulators as an experimental parameter of humidity in air. In this work, no ignition was observed under the less than 0.15 vol% humidity air. The heating experiments with the heat insulators clarified that the reaction between Li and the heat insulators causing Li fire ignition didn’t occur. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest the conditions of less than 0.15 vol% humidity air and employing the heat insulator of alkaline earth silicate wool are useful for the Li target system of FNSs.

Monchique’s Innovation Laboratory—A Space for Dialogue and Knowledge Sharing to Foster Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction

BRIDGE (bridging science and local communities for wildfire risk reduction) is an action–research project developing a community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) process which is being fostered through a collaborative innovation laboratory (InnoLab). BRIDGE integrates different forms of knowledge and action, linking science and local communities to reduce their vulnerability and to enhance strategies for forest fire risk reduction. Applied in Monchique, a forest-fire-prone municipality in Portugal, the InnoLab creates a space for dialogue and knowledge sharing between multiple actors that, directly or indirectly, manage forest territories. BRIDGE attempts to facilitate social learning about forest fire risks, strengthen collaborative networks and enhance adaptive capacities (socially and institutionally) for forest fire prevention. This paper shares results of the InnoLab activities, which include (i) school community activities on wildfire risk perception; (ii) participatory mapping of Monchique’s vulnerabilities and risks; (iii) participatory sessions to create the community visioning for Monchique’s territory, to define priorities and capacities to be improved, and to identify functions and responsibilities to act upon; and (iv) workshop on CBDRR strategies for action. Lessons are shared on how InnoLab can represent an innovative participatory approach to promote CBDRR processes in forest-fire-prone territories by both contributing to the recognition of local knowledge systems and encouraging the active role of forest communities through strengthened local networks for a more lasting commitment to forest fire risk reduction policy.

A DEMATEL-based approach of multi-criteria evaluation for urban fire and emergency facilities

With the increasing complexity of rapidly growing urban environments and the interactions of humans and socioeconomic and political systems, the global urgency for applying sustainable risk management planning strategies, comprehensively for urban fire risk reduction activities, becomes increasingly evident in most fire-prone megacities worldwide such as Istanbul. The current research aims to examine the complex interrelationships and levels of influence among the criteria previously determined for optimally selecting new urban infrastructure for fire and emergency services in Istanbul as part of the fire risk mitigation planning efforts applying the multi-criteria decision analysis method of the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL). Useful insights were generated from the study by constructing an intelligible structural model visually in the form of a digraph involving analysis of causal relationships among criteria and their directional influences, as well as corresponding degrees of strength. The findings reveal that high population density is the most critical criterion followed by the density of hazardous materials criterion in effectively planning new urban facilities for fire and emergency services, thus significantly influencing and impacting all the other criteria, while the distance-to-earthquake risk criterion does not influence any other criteria and consequently is not essential in the planning procedure. The DEMATEL model results were validated in terms of levels of criteria significance using previous studies and shown to be in high correlation. In this regard, these contextual relationships established would contribute toward an integrated fire risk mitigation planning policy formulation in urban environments through the engagement of all decision-makers across various backgrounds and disciplines such as urban and city planners, engineers, emergency and risk managers and administrators, socioeconomic and environmental experts, fire service industry practitioners, and local community leaders.

Kantō Daikasai: The Great Kantō Fire Following the 1923 Earthquake

ABSTRACT The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake is one of the most deadly and destructive natural disasters in history. As the name connotes, fire is less considered in examinations of this event even though fire was responsible for the vast majority of death and destruction. Moreover, destruction of Tokyo by fire following an earthquake was foreseen and foretold as early as 1905, yet no actions were taken to reduce the risk. We therefore focus on fire aspects of the 1 September event with special attention to the capital Tokyo. Shaking intensities varied significantly across central Tokyo, with ∼100 ignitions distributed in all parts of the city occurring within the first hour. These rapidly grew into large fires due to the prevailing flammable wood-framed construction, high winds, and lack of firefighting water caused by breaks in water mains. However, even with adequate water, firefighters would likely still have been overwhelmed given the adverse meteorological conditions. The large fires soon merged into very large conflagrations that created their own localized high winds, further feeding the fires to the extent that fire whirls were created. The worst of these occurred in an area where many people were sheltering, causing 40,000 deaths. Even without this particularly tragic occurrence, the deaths due to fires were still greater than due to building collapse and other causes. Why the prescient warning issued years earlier went unheeded, what the social and political impact of the disaster and its aftermath was, and how fire and seismic risk reduction awareness influenced postdisaster reconstruction, are all questions we address. Although Japan since 1923 has implemented many measures to improve earthquake and postearthquake fire preparedness, the risk of fire following an earthquake remains significant in Japan as well as elsewhere.

Community Fire Risk Reduction: Longitudinal Assessment for HomeSafe Fire Prevention Program in Canada.

(1) Background: Residential fires represent the third leading cause of unintentional injuries globally. This study aims to offer an overview and a longitudinal evaluation of the HomeSafe program implemented in Surrey in 2008 and to assess its effectiveness in mitigating fire-related outcomes. (2) Methods: Data were collected over a 12-year period (2008-2019). Assessed outcomes comprised frequency of fire incidents, residential fires, casualties, functioning smoke alarms, and contained fires. The effectiveness of each initiative was determined by comparing the specific intervention group outcome and the city-wide outcome to the pre-intervention period. (3) Results: This study targeted 120,349 households. HomeSafe achieved overwhelming success in decreasing fire rates (-80%), increasing functioning smoke alarms (+60%), increasing the percentage of contained fires (+94%), and decreasing fire casualties (-40%). The study findings confirm that the three most effective HomeSafe initiatives were firefighters' visits of households, inspections and installations of smoke alarms, and verifications of fire crew alarms at fire incidents. Some initiatives were less successful, including post-door hangers (+12%) and package distribution (+15%). (4) Conclusions: The HomeSafe program effectively decreased the occurrence and magnitude of residential fires. Lessons learned should be transferred to similar contexts to implement an evidence-based, consistent, and systematic approach to sustainable fire prevention initiatives.

Fire risk assessment in lithium-ion battery warehouse based on the Bayesian network

Because of the instability and susceptibility to thermal runaway of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), their storage has always been at high risk of fire. Numerous studies have analyzed the risk of fire in lithium-ion battery (LIB) warehouses. Still, most of them have focused on the factors influencing the fire following the thermal runaway of a LIB occurs, and there has been a lack of research on the causes of the LIB thermal runaway being occurred. To address this shortcoming, this paper proposed a comprehensive framework considering multiple influencing factors for fire risk assessment in LIB warehouses that combines Bayesian networks (BNs) and expert evaluation. The proposed framework adopts the Bayesian network (BN) model that considers three main types of parameters: fire causes, fire spread influencing factors, and fire consequences. The main objective was to analyze the evolution and consequences of LIB warehouse fires dynamically and provide effective suggestions for fire risk reduction. The results showed that the proposed framework was a reliable avenue for fire risk assessment of LIB warehouses. In addition, it was demonstrated that human factors commonly cause the LIB warehouse open fires. Thus, to prevent open fires from continuing spreading, the LIB warehouses should avoid storing batteries with high state of charge values; furthermore, if it is necessary to store them, automatic sprinklers and other firefighting facilities should be installed. In addition, timely firefighter response and the installation of mechanical ventilation systems are essential to substantially curtail casualties.

REDUCTION OF THE RISK OF FIRES IN OPERATIONAL AREA OF UNIT 9 OF WARSAW FIRE DEPARTMENT

Progressing development and urbanisation brings with it an increasing risk of fire. Accordingto Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and its universal assumptions theconcept of fire risk reduction in operational area of Rescue and Firefighting Unit 9 of the WarsawMunicipal Headquarters of the State Fire Service was presented. Using the database of State FireService the profile of fire events occurring in this area in 2021 was determined. By analysing thecauses of fires in urban areas and using own operational experience, conclusions were presentedthat were used to formulate guidelines for reducing the risk of fires.

Climate and air pollution impacts of generating biopower from forest management residues in California

California faces crisis conditions on its forested landscapes. A century of aggressive logging and fire suppression in combination with conditions exacerbated by climate change have created an ongoing ecological, economic, and public health emergency. Between commercial harvests on California’s working forestlands and the increasing number of acres the state treats each year for fire risk reduction and carbon sequestration, California forests generate millions of tons of woody residues annually—residues that are typically left or burned in the field. State policymakers have turned to biomass electricity generation as a key market for woody biomass in the hope that it can support sustainable forest management activities while also providing low-carbon renewable electricity. However, open questions surrounding the climate and air pollution performance of electricity generation from woody biomass have made it difficult to determine how best to manage the risks and opportunities posed by forest residues. The California Biomass Residue Emissions Characterization (C-BREC) model offers a spatially-explicit life cycle assessment framework to rigorously and transparently establish the climate and air pollution impacts of biopower from forest residues in California under current conditions. The C-BREC model characterizes the variable emissions from different biomass supply chains as well as the counterfactual emissions from prescribed burn, wildfire, and decay avoided by residue mobilization. We find that the life cycle ‘carbon footprint’ of biopower from woody residues generated by recent forest treatments in California ranges widely—from comparable with solar photovoltaic on the low end to comparable with natural gas on the high end. This variation stems largely from the heterogeneity in the fire and decay conditions these residues would encounter if left in the field, with utilization of residue that would otherwise have been burned in place offering the best climate and air quality performance. California’s energy and forest management policies should account for this variation to ensure desired climate benefits are achieved.

Climatic and anthropogenic impacts on forest fires in conditions of extreme fire danger on sandy soils

Forests on sandy soils are particularly vulnerable to fire. The study area in this research was Deliblatska pescara (the Deliblato Sands), one of the most endangered areas in Serbia. The linear trends, the polynomial trends and the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) were applied. Statistically significant decrease in the number of forest fires was found, while the increasing trends of the burned area and burned forest area were not significant. There was also an increase in the air temperature during the same period. In a study of the connection between forest fires and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), significant values of r were statistically observed only for the annual number of fires. The highest values were recorded for June (-0.373) and July (-0.375), and for summer r = -0.374 (statistically significant at p ? .01). As for the AMO in the main fire season (February-August), r = -0.331 (statistically significant at p ? .01). In settlements in Deliblatska pescara area, there were trends of the decreasing number of inhabitants, agricultural population, and agricultural households in the investigated period. These trends contribute to the reduction of fire risk. The r value between the dynamics of the number of fires and the population is .50 (statistically significant at p ? .01). The reduced agricultural activity contributes to the reduction of fire risk, while increased tourist presence is a risk factor.

Effects of decabromodiphenyl ethane flame retardant on the combustion behavior and physical‐mechanical properties of chloroprene rubber: Experimental and molecular dynamic simulation

AbstractHerein, a molecular dynamics simulation method was used to predict the compatibility of chloroprene rubber (CR) and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) and to investigate the mechanical properties of CR‐based composites. The limiting oxygen index and cone calorimeter measurement values indicated that the addition of DBDPE was beneficial for reducing the peak heat release rate during combustion and facilitating the formation of compact and strong char layers for carbon black‐filled CR composites, resulting in efficient reduction of flammability and fire risk. Incorporation of DBDPE obviously delayed the dehydrochlorination of the CR matrix. Moreover, adding 50 phr DBDPE had little effect on the tensile strength and elongation at the break, and increased the modulus at 100% elongation by 64.3% in contrast to CR without DBDPE. However, the cold properties of CR vulcanizates decreased slightly with an increase in the DBDPE content.

Managing nature-based solutions in fire-prone ecosystems: Competing management objectives in California forests evaluated at a landscape scale

California’s cap-and-trade compliance offset market incentivizes forest managers to maintain elevated carbon stocks. It provides these incentives without enforcing standardized fire mitigation practices despite many projects being located in fire prone regions. Here, we evaluated the difference between management actions in California forests that participated in the carbon offset market versus those that engaged with state programs to reduce wildfire risk via fuel reduction treatments. Using remotely sensed data from the California Forest Observatory and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, we compared the vertical forest structure and vegetation canopy trends on forest offsets with forests that are receiving fuel treatment. We found California forests managed for carbon under the Improved Forest Management (IFM) program by the California Air Resources Board had higher levels of biomass than forests managed for fire risk reduction as indicated by 2016 lidar-estimated fuel loads. In addition, IFM-participating forests did not reduce their fuel loads between 2016 and 2020, whereas lands receiving grants for fuel management did, indicating that on average, the IFM projects were not engaging in fuel reduction efforts. However, despite the differences in fuel management between IFM projects and active fuel treatments, we found that both types of management saw a declining trend in vegetation greenness between 2015 and 2021. While declining greenness is expected of active fuel treatments associated with vegetation removal, such a trend in the case of IFM indicates additional wildfire risk. Managing forests for long-term carbon storage and sequestration requires consideration of fire risk mitigation. Given the little evidence of fuel reduction in the first decade of IFM projects implementation we question whether the century-long duration of carbon stocks in these offsets is realistic. We recommend that policymakers reevaluate the incentives directed at carbon stock preservation or expansion to better encompass the growing wildfire risk in California.

Using Participatory Mapping to Foster Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction in Forest Fire-Prone Areas: The Case of Monchique in Portugal

Local knowledge and communities’ active role in disaster risk areas are recognized in the literature as key conditions to better understand risks, enhance adaptive capacities and foster local resilience. A participatory action research project in forest fire-prone areas in Monchique, Portugal, is aligned with the literature and adopts participatory mapping as a method that can bring evidence to the importance of local knowledge and communities’ agency. In the BRIDGE Project, different types of knowledge are integrated, triggering local/collective agency and fostering a forest fire community-based disaster risk reduction (CBDRR) approach. An innovation laboratory (InnoLab) provides the space for dialogue and knowledge sharing for different actors that manage forest territories. In the InnoLab, participatory mapping is used as a method to engage landowners where risk factors and local vulnerabilities were identified. Their active engagement enabled a collective perception in the assessment of vulnerability and led to the identification of strategic measures for risk reduction. This paper shares the process and outcomes of this participatory mapping, highlighting the benefits of a community approach and the importance of local knowledge and practices as recognized in the literature. It also reveals how the active role of local stakeholders can help drive a CBDRR process.