Evaluation of Natural Fire Hazard Factors of the Forest Area in the Kostanay Region

Abstract

This study is conducted to determine the degree of natural fire hazard in the territory of the Kostanay region using remote sensing data. The Kostanay region belongs to the group of heightened danger with favorable climatic conditions for the occurrence of fires. The combination of insufficient moisture with a shift towards a more arid continental climate creates a natural environment for the occurrence of forest fires. This work aims to improve the methodology for the integrated assessment of natural factors and conditions influencing the occurrence of forest fires using remote sensing data, allowing to determination of the degree of natural fire hazard in the territory of the Kostanay region. For the integrated assessment of natural fire hazards using remote sensing data, we identified and mapped the main natural factors (fuel, geomorphological, and meteorological) influencing the occurrence of forest fires. The verification of the developed zoning models for the territory based on the degree of risk of occurrence and the intensity of the spread of forest fires, grounded on the study of ignition points, confirmed the accuracy of the identified zones. The majority of fires occur in high and extreme-risk zones.