Spatio-temporal analysis and risk management of forest fires (West Algerian region)

Abstract The forest fires constitute a major danger for the forests in the Western Algerian region. They are caused by a combination of several factors, particularly climatic and anthropogenic, which are often amplified by the composition of vegetation that is considered highly flammable during the dry season. The priority for action to deal with this phenomenon is to strengthen monitoring resources and apply preventive silvicultural measures to avoid the outbreak of fires, without forgetting efforts to educate and raise public awareness. A systematic examination of data retrieved from the General Forests Directorate of Forest Fires stretching between 2003 and 2017 reveals the spatiotemporal, spatial and temporal evolution of fires in the Western Algerian region. The statistical approach applied in this study allowed us to identify the periods in which our forests are mostly vulnerable to fires, allowing the programing of an action plan for an effective forest fire management. The fire danger map produced by calculating the Fire Danger Index can be a decision-support tool for forest managers to locate areas at high risk in order to take preventive measures to limit the loss of natural resources, properties, and even human lives.