Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Forest Fires in Siberia

Abstract

According to the Operational Information System currently used in the Russian Federal Forest Service, large forest fires are those exceeding 200 ha in area. Although they account for only 1-2% of the total number of fires, and 10-15% in extremely dry years, they are responsible for 50-70% of the annually burned area and 90% of fire damage. These fires are much more intense than smaller fires, and thus their economic and ecological impact is more profound, since an increase in the linear dimensions of a fire leads, logically, to its new qualitative features. For a fire to achieve a large size, several factors, including fire control, are to be involved. These are interrelated factors, and when combined, they favour small fires becoming large.