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Remote Sensing of Wildland Fire-Induced Risk Assessment at the Community Level
M Razu Ahmed1, Khan Rubayet Rahaman2, Quazi K Hassan3
1Department of Geomatics Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada. mohammad.ahmed2@ucalgary.ca.
Wildland fires threaten communities. This study used satellite data to assess structural damage from the 2016 Horse River Fire (HRF), finding vegetation within 30m of wildland-urban interfaces (WUI) increased vulnerability.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Remote Sensing
- Disaster Management
Background:
- Wildland fires pose significant risks to communities near vegetated areas.
- The 2016 Horse River Fire (HRF) in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, caused substantial structural damage.
- Understanding the relationship between vegetation, wildland-urban interface (WUI), and fire damage is crucial for risk mitigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate structural damages caused by the 2016 HRF using high-resolution satellite imagery.
- To delineate the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and its buffer zones to assess fire risk.
- To analyze the effectiveness of vegetation management in mitigating fire impacts.
Main Methods:
- Utilized very high spatial resolution optical satellite data (WorldView-2) for damage assessment.
- Employed remote sensing techniques to estimate structural damages and compared with ground-based data (r² = 0.97).
- Delineated WUI and buffer zones (10m-100m) to analyze vegetation proximity to structures.
Main Results:
- Found vegetation within 30m of the WUI for all damaged structures.
- Identified that vegetation removal between 30m-70m buffers was effective in protecting communities.
- Approximately 30% of areas within 10m and 30m buffers were vulnerable, with 7% burning during the HRF.
Conclusions:
- Vegetation removal within critical buffer zones (10m-30m) is recommended to reduce wildland fire risk.
- Regular monitoring of these zones is essential for ongoing risk management.
- Remote sensing provides a reliable method for assessing fire-induced structural damage and WUI vulnerability.
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