Monitoring spotting in wildfires – a study case in Trás-os-Montes,NE Portugal

摘要

Spotting can initiate new distant fires independent of the source fire. Spot fires are a major problem in fire control that reduces firelines effectiveness and endangers human life and property. In the frame of the European project SALTUS, during the Summer of 1999, two teams carried out a field work, in the Trás-os-Montes region, NE of Portugal, following wildfires in real time to monitor the conditions conducive to spotting, according to a methodology common to five South European countries. The objective was to observe the occurrence of spot fires, to collect data and video images, and to get insights on the firebrand initiation process in order to develop a comprehensive model of spotting. These data allowed the characterization of the different variables used to explain the spotting process under given situations. The following methodology is exemplified with a case study wildfire.