Distribution characteristics and the influence factors of forest fires in China

Spatial information related to the occurrence of fire is the basis for risk reduction efforts. Satellite data on the occurrence of hotspots and statistical data were used to analyse the distribution characteristics of wildfires for 2008-2012. The results show that most hotspots were caused by prescribed and agricultural burning and forest fires. The size of 99% of forest fires was less than 100 ha, and the average annual burned area was 124,192 ha. Most of the forest fires occurred in the spring (accounting for 83%), with March having the highest rate (60.0%). Forest fires were mainly distributed in the south and southwest regions of China. In total, 72.2% of the forest fires occurred in humid region of the medium temperate zone, and 54% occurred in regions with altitudes lower than 500 m. Forest fires often occurred in sparsely populated areas (<100 people/km2), and 58% and 44% of the fires were located in areas away from the road (<5 km) and around settlements (<1 km), respectively.