Back to Search Start Over

Structure-level fuel load assessment in the wildland–urban interface: a fusion of airborne laser scanning and spectral remote-sensing methodologies

Authors :
Nicholas S. Skowronski
Michael R. Gallagher
Scott Haag
Richard G. Lathrop
Jim Trimble
Kenneth L. Clark
Source :
International Journal of Wildland Fire. 25:547
Publication Year :
2016
Publisher :
CSIRO Publishing, 2016.

Abstract

Large-scale fuel assessments are useful for developing policy aimed at mitigating wildfires in the wildland–urban interface (WUI), while finer-scale characterisation is necessary for maximising the effectiveness of fuel reduction treatments and directing suppression activities. We developed and tested an objective, consistent approach for characterising hazardous fuels in the WUI at the scale of individual structures by integrating aerial photography, airborne laser scanning and cadastral datasets into a hazard assessment framework. This methodology is appropriate for informing zoning policy questions, targeting presuppression planning and fuel reduction treatments, and assisting in prioritising structure defence during suppression operations. Our results show increased variability in fuel loads with decreasing analysis unit area, indicating that fine-scale differences exist that may be omitted owing to spatial averaging when using a coarser, grid-based approach. Analyses using a local parcel database indicate that approximately 75% of the structures in this study have ownership of less than 50% of the 30 m buffer around their building, illustrating the complexity of multiple ownerships when attempting to manage fuels in the WUI. Our results suggest that our remote-sensing approach could augment, and potentially improve, ground-based survey approaches in the WUI.

Details

ISSN :
10498001
Volume :
25
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
International Journal of Wildland Fire
Accession number :
edsair.doi...........f3caf52750e38aedbc9e6c7c1cf2be45
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1071/wf14078