Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1057658 | Journal of Environmental Management | 2010 | 10 Pages |
Abstract
Every year, more than 50,000 wildland fires affect about 500,000 ha of vegetation in southern European countries, particularly in wildland-urban interfaces (WUI). This paper presents a method to characterize and map WUIs at large scales and over large areas for wildland fire prevention in the South of France. Based on the combination of four types of building configuration and three classes of vegetation structure, 12 interface types were classified. Through spatial analysis, fire ignition density and burned area ratio were linked with the different types of WUI. Among WUI types, isolated WUIs with the lowest housing density represent the highest level of fire risk.
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Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Authors
Corinne Lampin-Maillet, Marielle Jappiot, Marlène Long, Christophe Bouillon, Denis Morge, Jean-Paul Ferrier,