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Fire Vulnerability and Prevention and Suppression Effectiveness under Ongoing Global Change

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 19322

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Juan Ramón Molina Martínez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forest Engineering, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: fire vulnerability; fire management; fire prevention; fire behavior; fire risk and danger assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Francisco Rodríguez y Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Forest Engineering, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Interests: fire behavior; economic impacts assessment; fire management; fire suppression
Prof. Dr. Jorge Antonio De las Heras Ibáñez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Production and Agricultural Technology, University of Castilla la Mancha, 02071 Albacete, Spain
Interests: fire vulnerability; landscape resilience; fire restoration; soil effects; vegetation dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We hope that you and your friends and family are safe and well in these current times.

We are currently creating a Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and we would like to invite you to submit your research. This Special Issue intends to outline the different perspectives and challenges that we face in the 21st century. The worldwide fire regime is essential in assessing fire vulnerability and the effectiveness of prevention and suppression activities. This Special Issue aims to cover, without being limited to, the following areas: fire risk and danger, fire behaviour, fire vulnerability (ecological, socioeconomic, etc.), fire impacts assessment (on vegetation, soil, atmosphere, etc.), wildfires in wildland urban interface, fire resilient ecosystems, wildfire suppression (tactics, effectiveness, etc.), and fire prevention treatments (shaded fuelbreak, mastication, prescribed fire, etc.) Papers from a multidisciplinary point of view are also welcomed.

Papers should be submitted no later than 31 July 2023. In order to manage your article submission, please let us know as soon as possible if you can participate in this Special Issue, by replying to this email. We look forward to hearing from you soon and working with you over the coming months.

Dr. Juan Ramón Molina Martínez
Prof. Dr. Francisco Rodríguez y Silva
Prof. Dr. Jorge Antonio De las Heras Ibáñez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fire risk assessment
  • fire vulnerability
  • fire susceptibility
  • fire behavior
  • fire regime
  • prevention treatment effectiveness
  • fire resilient ecosystems
  • prescribed fire
  • fire impacts assessment
  • wildfire suppression effectiveness

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1918 KiB  
Article
Effectiveness of Swirl Water Mist Nozzles for Fire Suppression
by Natalia Kraus-Namroży and Dorota Brzezińska
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16328; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316328 - 6 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2039
Abstract
Water mist nozzles are becoming increasingly popular as water extinguishing devices in buildings, increasing people’s safety during evacuation. There are questions as to whether or not they are as effective as conventional sprinkler systems. The measurement of the size distribution of the created [...] Read more.
Water mist nozzles are becoming increasingly popular as water extinguishing devices in buildings, increasing people’s safety during evacuation. There are questions as to whether or not they are as effective as conventional sprinkler systems. The measurement of the size distribution of the created droplets is one of the components for determining the extinguishing effectiveness of water mist nozzles. The project’s goal was to look into the characteristics of the atomized stream produced by a swirl water mist nozzle. The general properties of the tested nozzle are covered in the article. The measurement technique and test stand were given. The collected data was compared to data from the literature. The results are displayed as graphs that depict the distribution of mean droplets with a quantitative volume that varies with pressure and proximity to the test nozzle. The results proved the extinguishing and cooling capabilities of hot fire gases in the water stream created by the tested nozzle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Vulnerability and Prevention and Suppression Effectiveness under Ongoing Global Change)
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11 pages, 1875 KiB  
Article
Assessment of the Occurrence of Forest Fires in Pandemic Period by COVID-19 in Chile. Preliminary Backgrounds
by Miguel Castillo, Jorge Saavedra, Tomás Quiñones, Tatiana Osses and María José Torres
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10529; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910529 - 7 Oct 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3119
Abstract
The spatial and temporal behavior of the occurrence of forest fires in Chile was evaluated in the presence of COVID-19 and mobility restrictions. The fire period from 2015–2016 to 2020–2021 was considered and statistics on mobility restrictions were granted by the Government of [...] Read more.
The spatial and temporal behavior of the occurrence of forest fires in Chile was evaluated in the presence of COVID-19 and mobility restrictions. The fire period from 2015–2016 to 2020–2021 was considered and statistics on mobility restrictions were granted by the Government of Chile. The analysis was developed at different scales of geographic perception. At the national and regional levels, the global behavior of the occurrence was determined, and later at the communal level, the political territorial unit, to determine internal variations attributable to the mobility dynamics in the quarantine period. In the process, the meteorological background of the fire activity was also considered. The results indicate that it is possible to rule out a meteorological effect, based on the variation of the moisture content of fine fuel. There was also no statistical association between the humidity of the fuel and the variation in the occurrence of fires. It is concluded that the communes that presented the greatest mobility of people before the pandemic were those that obtained the greatest reduction in fires. The variation in mobility, the product of restriction measures, is a statistical predictor of the increase or decrease in fires. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Vulnerability and Prevention and Suppression Effectiveness under Ongoing Global Change)
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24 pages, 2869 KiB  
Article
Leaf Thermal and Chemical Properties as Natural Drivers of Plant Flammability of Native and Exotic Tree Species of the Valparaíso Region, Chile
by Fabián Guerrero, Carla Hernández, Mario Toledo, Lorena Espinoza, Yulian Carrasco, Andrés Arriagada, Ariel Muñoz, Lautaro Taborga, Jan Bergmann and Camilo Carmona
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(13), 7191; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18137191 - 5 Jul 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 5731
Abstract
Forest fires are one of the main environmental threats in Chile. Fires in this Mediterranean climate region frequently affect native forests and exotic plantations, including in several cases urban and rural settlements. Considering the scarcity of information regarding the fire response dynamics of [...] Read more.
Forest fires are one of the main environmental threats in Chile. Fires in this Mediterranean climate region frequently affect native forests and exotic plantations, including in several cases urban and rural settlements. Considering the scarcity of information regarding the fire response dynamics of tree species that are frequently affected by fires, this study aims to establish a flammability classification according to the evolution of the fire initiation risk presented by the most affected forest species in the Valparaíso region. Three exotic species, Eucalyptus globulus, Pinus radiata, and Acacia dealbata, and two native species, Cryptocarya alba and Quillaja saponaria, were studied. Flammability assays indicate that E. globulus, A. dealbata, and C. alba are extremely flammable, whereas P. radiata and Q. saponaria are flammable. Furthermore, E. globulus and A. dealbata have the highest heating values while Q. saponaria has the lowest values. The extreme flammability of E. globulus, A. dealbata, and C. alba indicates a high susceptibility to ignite. Furthermore, the high heat of combustion of E. globulus and A. dealbata can be associated with a high energy release, increasing the risk of fires spreading. In contrast, Q. saponaria has the lowest predisposition to ignite and capacity to release heat. Accordingly, this work shows that all studied tree species contain organic metabolites that are potentially flammable (sesquiterpenes, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alcohol esters, ketones, diterpenes, and triterpenes) and can be considered as drivers of flammability in vegetation. Finally, these preliminary results will aid in the construction of more resilient landscapes in the near future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Vulnerability and Prevention and Suppression Effectiveness under Ongoing Global Change)
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Review

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22 pages, 1164 KiB  
Review
Wildfires and Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Impacts, Risks, and Interventions
by Colleen Cummings Melton, Carson M. De Fries, Rebecca M. Smith and Lisa Reyes Mason
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(13), 6252; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20136252 - 29 Jun 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3159
Abstract
Climate change is leading to worsening disasters that disproportionately impact older adults. While research has begun to measure disparities, there is a gap in examining wildfire-specific disasters. To address this gap, this scoping review analyzed literature to explore the nexus of wildfires and [...] Read more.
Climate change is leading to worsening disasters that disproportionately impact older adults. While research has begun to measure disparities, there is a gap in examining wildfire-specific disasters. To address this gap, this scoping review analyzed literature to explore the nexus of wildfires and older adults. We searched peer-reviewed literature using the following inclusion criteria: (1) published in a peer-reviewed journal; (2) available in English; (3) examines at least one topic related to wildfires; and (4) examines how criterion three relates to older adults in at least one way. Authors screened 261 titles and abstracts and 138 were reviewed in full, with 75 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Findings heavily focused on health impacts of wildfires on older adults, particularly of smoke exposure and air quality. While many articles mentioned a need for community-engaged responses that incorporate the needs of older adults, few addressed firsthand experiences of older adults. Other common topics included problems with evacuation, general health impacts, and Indigenous elders’ fire knowledge. Further research is needed at the nexus of wildfires and older adults to highlight both vulnerabilities and needs as well as the unique experience and knowledge of older adults to inform wildfire response strategies and tactics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Vulnerability and Prevention and Suppression Effectiveness under Ongoing Global Change)
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Other

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24 pages, 18399 KiB  
Case Report
A Fire Revealing Coastal Norway’s Wildland–Urban Interface Challenges and Possible Low-Cost Sustainable Solutions
by Torgrim Log and Anna Marie Gjedrem
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(5), 3038; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19053038 - 4 Mar 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3555
Abstract
The Calluna vulgaris L. that dominated coastal heathlands of Western Europe were for millennia managed by regular burning cycles for improved grazing. Most places in Norway this practice has, however, been neglected over the last 5–7 decades, resulting in accumulation of above ground [...] Read more.
The Calluna vulgaris L. that dominated coastal heathlands of Western Europe were for millennia managed by regular burning cycles for improved grazing. Most places in Norway this practice has, however, been neglected over the last 5–7 decades, resulting in accumulation of above ground biomass including degenerated Calluna and successional fire-prone species, e.g., native juniper (Juniperus communis) and exotic blacklisted Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). Today, in dry periods, the heathland represents a fire threat to the increasing number of homes in the wildland–urban interface (WUI), as exemplified by the June 2021 Sotra Island WUI fire. The fire burned 700 ha of encroached heathlands, destroyed three buildings, and threatened settlements. In the present study, the Sotra fire was investigated to understand the fire development and analyse possible risk reducing measures. Photographic material obtained during the fire, weather conditions prior to and during the fire, involved fire fuel, fire spread mechanisms, firefighting response, and possible consequences under slightly changed circumstances were analysed. Compared to previous fires in coastal Norway, the Sotra fire represents a step change in fire development including, e.g., pyrocumulus-like clouds, fire whirls, and fire spread 270 m across a fjord. Preventive measures based on the local context are analysed, including engaging voluntary communities to remove fire-prone fuel, e.g., juniper and Sitka, to create defensible space. Moreover, strategic fire breaks in the terrain, e.g., well-managed heathland strengthening existing fuel breaks, e.g., lakes, cultivated fields, naked rock, and roads, are recommended. Mechanical cutting is suggested as a short-term measure while fenceless grazing may represent a long-term solution to prevent regrowth. During a period of record high energy prices, this may provide free of charge firewood and make way for future local food production, in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, while reducing the fire risk. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Vulnerability and Prevention and Suppression Effectiveness under Ongoing Global Change)
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