The dynamics of forest fires caused by war in the territory of Izyum district

The purpose of this article is to present the results of the analysis of quantitative indicators (spectral indices satellite images and their comparison) with the aim to assess the degradation of forests in the Izyum district of the Kharkiv region (which was a result of the fires of 2022-2023). Basic material. The article reveals the problems of using spectral index methods for detecting forest fires. One of the specific spectral indices, which is the most specialized to the set goal, is the normalized burn ratio NBR, which uses the near-infrared and short-wave infrared zones of satellite images. In the article, the authors present the results of NBR calculation from the summer months of 2021-2023 and their difference according to the dNBR method (which is the difference between the NBR data before and after the fire). The USGS dNBR classification was used to assess the degree of damage and restoration of the forest. The methodology and results of vectorization and calculation of areas using the difference obtained index images are also highlighted, quantitative evaluation results are presented in the article. Conclusions. The conducted research provides quantitative information on the nature and degree of damage to forests in the selected area during the period of intensive hostilities in 2022. The dynamics of burns is about 72% of the total territory. Index difference images also show partial restoration of vegetation on the territory in the period 2022-2023. Although the used technique has certain advantages, it needs to be verified by field studies.