Special Issue on Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires

摘要

Wildland-Urban interface (WUI) fires have caused significant destruction to communities in Australia, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and the USA. The 2003 Cedar Fire in California resulted in $2B in insured losses and destroyed more than 3,000 homes. The 2007 Southern California Fire displaced more than 300,000 people, destroyed over 1,000 structures, and resulted in $1B paid by insurers in 2007 alone [1]. WUI fires continue to burn in the USA and are rapidly getting worse; most recently in Texas in 2011 and Colorado, California in 2012. In 2009, fires in Victoria, Australia caused the death of more than 100 people, destroying more than 1,000 structures. The 2007 Fires in Greece destroyed several hundred structures and caused the deaths of more than 70 people.