Search

Browse

• Communities
• Authors
• Year
• Titles
• Subjects

My Space

• Login

Spatial investigation of the forest fire in the area of Mati Attica using Geographic Information Systems

Kalogeropoulou Evgenia

Full record

---

Summary

A serious environmental problem of our time is the occurrence of fires in semi-urban areas. Research and knowledge on the management of fires in semi-urban areas has been evolving in recent years, following the rapid increase in fires with devastating consequences for the natural environment, human property, and loss of life. The aim of this paper is to process and correlate the data recorded in the field, after the fire that broke out in July 2018 in the wider area of Mati, Attica, with the results of the model "Application of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to Forest Fire Hazard Mapping" by Emilio Chuvieco and Russell G. Congalton, which identifies areas with gradual risk in case of fire. Key data collected from the field refer to the type of structure, extent of damage, and the presence of wood roofing on buildings in the area burned by the fire. Digital data of the study area were also utilized to determine model parameters. MAGNET Field software was used to record the data and ArcGIS software was used for processing. The main conclusion drawn after the procession of data and their correlation to model’s parameters is that buildings constructed of reinforced concrete of appropriate thickness and following existing fire safety rules minimize the chances of being destroyed by fire, compared to prefabricated buildings and other buildings that do not follow appropriate construction specifications and fire safety rules. The comparison of the data with the model output verifies the degree of risk of each area defined by the model.This paper contributes to the understanding of building behavior in a residential area of the Mediterranean coast in the case of a fire outbreak. It provides ideas on the improvement of designing residential areas and defining targeted preventive fire safety measures, in order to protect the structures of the previously mentioned areas from fires and to avoid the unfair loss of human lives.

Available Files

Services