Validation of MEDALUS Fire Risk Index using Forest Fires Statistics through a multivariate approach

A Fire Risk Index (FIRISK) based on an original land cover/land use nomenclature has been developed in the framework of EU-funded MEDALUS projects and integrated into a composite index of sensitivity to desertification (the so called environmentally sensitive area index: ESAI). The objective of the present study is to introduce a validation approach assessing the correlation between the FIRISK and seven independent fire indicators and quantifying the similarity in their spatial distribution in a study area (Attica, Greece) characterized by high fire risk and fragmented land-use structure. The FIRISK correlated positively with four out of seven fire indicators (average fire size, percentage of burnt area on the total municipal area, percentage of cropland and pastures burnt in each fire) in a non-linear fashion. Cluster analysis indicates that FIRISK spatial distribution was coherent with variables describing both fire size and the use of land endangered by fire. Results of the present study demonstrate that the FIRISK is a reliable indicator of fire risk within the ESAI framework. Moreover, the index is considered a key component of multi-criteria decision support systems classifying land according to the level of fire sensitivity.