Avaliacao do risco de incendio nas matas e florestas de Portugal Continental

Abstract

Every year during the summer large forests and woodlands are destroyed by fires in Portugal. Some measures may prevent the cyclic devastation of large areas. The accurate knowledge of forest fire risk in every region is fundamental to guide the decision-makers. Particular attention is given to the meteorological conditions which may contribute to spread forest fires. The risk indices that better fit Portuguese conditions are presented here. Several response-measures for each fire risk degree are pointed out. The historical and geographic background must also be taken into account when assessing fire danger. This situation enables an estimate of average fire danger by statistical analysis in regions that correspond to the administrative municipalities. For each region, two variables were considered: the annual average number of fires per 100 km2 and the annual percentage of burnt area. The analysis showed important contrasts between the north-central and the southern regions and identified the municipalities where interventiion is a priority, both to control the number of fires and to reduce their extension. -from English summary