Incendio

The Copernicus Sentinel-3A satellite captured this image of smoke from wildfires in the US state of California on 9 October 2017. Image: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2017), processed by ESA, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO.

Definition

Wildfire, also called forest, bush or vegetation fire, can be described as any uncontrolled and non-prescribed combustion or burning of plants in a natural setting such as a forest, grassland, brush land or tundra, which consumes the natural fuels and spreads based on environmental conditions (e.g., wind, topography). Wildfire can be incited by human actions, such as land clearing, extreme drought or in rare cases by lightning (IRDR).

There are three conditions that need to be present in order for a wildfire to burn: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. Fuel is any flammable material surrounding a fire, including trees, grasses, brush, even homes. The greater an area's fuel load, the more intense the fire. Air supplies the oxygen a fire needs to burn. Heat sources help spark the wildfire and bring fuel to temperatures hot enough to ignite. Lightning, burning campfires or cigarettes, hot winds, and even the sun can all provide sufficient heat to spark a wildfire (National Geographic).

Facts and figures

The Global Wildland Fire Network Bulletin published by the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) presents the most recent data regarding consequences of wildfire: in 2017, 36 fires in protected areas were recorded in 19 countries burning more than 196000 hectares worldwide.

Wildfire plays a mixed role for ecology and economy since some ecosystems depend on natural fires to maintaining their dynamics, biodiversity and productivity. However, every year, wildfires burn millions of hectares of forest woodlands and other vegetation, causing the loss of many human and animal lives and an immense economic damage, both in terms of resources destroyed and the costs of suppression. There are also impacts on society and the environment, such as damage to human health from smoke, loss of biological diversity, release of greenhouse gases, damage to recreational values and infrastructure (FAO).

Most fires are caused by people. The list of human motivations include land clearing and other agricultural activities, maintenance of grasslands for livestock management, extraction of non-wood forest products, industrial development, resettlement, hunting, negligence and arson. Only in very remote areas of Canada and the Russian Federation lightning is a major cause of fires (FAO).

There are three basic types of wildfires:

Crown fires burn trees up their entire length to the top. These are the most intense and dangerous wildland fires.
Surface fires burn only surface litter and duff. These are the easiest fires to put out and cause the least damage to the forest.
Ground fires (sometimes called underground or subsurface fires) occur in deep accumulations of humus, peat and similar dead vegetation that become dry enough to burn. These fires move very slowly, but can become difficult to fully put out, or suppress (Government of Canada).

Further information

FAO International Handbook on Forest Fire Protection

UNDRR Wildfire Hazard and Risk Assessment

WWF Report - Forests Ablaze. Causes and effects of global forest fires

The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS)

The Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS)

UN-SPIDER Regional Support Offices with hazard-specific expertise

Title: Oficina de Apoyo Regional de los Estados Unidos de América

Title: Oficina Regional de Apoyo Argentina

Title: Oficina Regional de Apoyo de Alemania

Title: Oficina Regional de Apoyo de Grecia

Title: Oficina Regional de Apoyo de Indonesia

Title: Oficina Regional de Apoyo en Colombia

Related content on the Knowledge Portal

Peru's INDECI & CONIDA host webinar on the use of satellite technologies in disaster risk management research

Like many countries in Latin America, Peru is exposed to a variety of natural hazards that have triggered disasters in previous decades. Disaster preparedness, response and recovery efforts are coordinated by the National Civil Defense Institute (INDECI). In recent years, INDECI has benefited from the advisory support provided by Peru’s National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development (CONIDA). Taking advantage of this advisory support, INDECI developed and launched at the end of 2018 its Agenda for Applied Research for the period between 2018 and 2021, addressing the preparedness,...
read more

Regional Support Offices mentioned:
Colombia Regional Support Office, Argentina Regional Support Office, Brazil Regional Support Office
03/05/2021
Copernicus Open Access Hub

The Copernicus Open Access Hub provides complete, free and open access to Sentinel missions data.
Publishing institution:
1. European Space Agency (ESA)
POLINSAR 2021
The European Space Agency is organising the 10th International Workshop on Science and Applications of SAR Polarimetry and Polarimetric Interferometry, POLINSAR 2021.

Date(s)

The workshop will take place online from 26 to 30 April 2021.

Objectives

Provide a forum for scientific exchange

Present the latest exploitation results from full-pol airborne and spaceborne systems and assess the state-of-the-art

Review retrieved bio-geophysical parameters and their accuracy

Make recommendations for algorithm development and new products

Support the preparation for ESA and Third Parties full-pol missions exploitation (BIOMASS, NOVASAR-S, RCM, SAOCOM, TerraSAR-L etc.)

Present innovative polarimetric applications and ideas for future polarimetric mission concepts Report on the status of POLinSAR 2019 recommendations

Sessions...
read more
ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS-NASA)
Global High Resolution Population Density Maps (Facebook Connectivity Lab, CIESIN)

Facebook Connectivity Lab in collaboration with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Colombia University combines machine vision AI with satellite imagery and census information to create population density maps. With the integration of demographic information, specifically related to age and gender, these maps collectively provide information on both the location and the demographic of a population in a certain country. The population density maps cover the majority of countries around the world.
Publishing institution:
1. Facebook Connectivity Lab
2. Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) - Columbia University
Global High Resolution Population Density Maps (Facebook Connectivity Lab, CIESIN)

Facebook Connectivity Lab in collaboration with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Colombia University combines machine vision AI with satellite imagery and census information to create population density maps. With the integration of demographic information, specifically related to age and gender, these maps collectively provide information on both the location and the demographic of a population in a certain country. The population density maps cover the majority of countries around the world.
Publishing institution:
1. Facebook Connectivity Lab
2. Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) - Columbia University
Introduction to Population Grids and their Integration with Remote Sensing Data for Sustainable Development and Disaster Management

Having reliable and timely population distribution data can make a life or death difference for individuals facing crises or living in conflict-ridden regions. These data are also essential for development decision-making and planning and for monitoring progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the international community. We need to know where people are located, what conditions they are facing, what infrastructure is available, and what basic services they can access. We also need to ensure that no one is left off the map in pursuit of meeting the SDGs.

Gridded population data, which often use remote sensing inputs to improve the spatial allocation of population within a country, are vital for all these purposes. Together with the growing variety of applications that require spatial population data, there is now a bewildering array of population grids, and users need to know which ones are most suitable for their applications...
read more
ARSET - Satellite Observations and Tools for Fire Risk, Detection, and Analysis

Fires are a growing concern, especially in regions with longer fire seasons, expanded wildland/urban interfaces, and severe and frequent droughts. Anthropogenic fires are commonly used to clear grassland and agricultural land prior to the planting season, and forests are often cleared using fires so the land can be repurposed for other uses. Whether naturally-occurring or anthropogenic, fires produce a significant change in the structure and reflectance of vegetation and soil properties and atmospheric chemistry. Remote sensing can be used to monitor pre-, during-, and post-fire conditions; including weather and climate conditions, fuel characterization, fire risk, smoke detection, monitoring, and forecasting, fire behavior, and the post-fire landscape. This 6-part, intermediate training will provide lectures and case studies focused on the use of Earth observations for operational fire monitoring: pre-, during-, and post-event.

Course Format

The...
read more
RUS Demonstration – EUROGEO 2021

EUROGEO 2021, the annual meeting and conference of the European Association of Geography will be held online on 22 and 23 April 2020. These two days will be dedicated to the contribution that the community of geographers can bring to global challenges by sharing knowledge about the important United Nations aim – the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2015, the United Nations approved these objectives, covering all possible social, economic and natural aspects, both in a global and local space. Most of them are related to geography and seek to promote a multidimensional model of development that can guarantee sustainability. The identified priority is zero...
read more
ASAL provides EO data to the International Charter Space and Major Disasters

In recent years, the frequency and severity of natural hazards has increased dramatically. This development has escalated the risk of disasters and their devastating impact on the environment and communities around the world. Earth observation (EO) data has the potential to mitigate the risks of disasters and support all phases of the disaster management cycle. The international community has created various mechanisms to facilitate the use of EO data for disaster management, such as the International Charter Space and Major Disasters. The Algerian Space Agency (ASAL) has provided EO data to the International Charter for almost two decades.

The International Charter refers to a consortium of space agencies, national and regional disaster monitoring organizations that utilize EO data for...
read more

Regional Support Offices mentioned:
Algeria Regional Support Office
13/04/2021