A geospatial tool for assessing potential wildland fire risk in central Texas.

Wildland fires in the United States are not always confined to wilderness areas. The growth of population centers and housing developments in wilderness areas has blurred the boundaries between rural and urban. This merger of human development and natural landscape is known in the wildland fire community as the wildland urban interface or WUI, and it is within this interface that many wildland fires increasingly occur. As wildland fire intrusions in the WUI increase so too does the need for tools to assess potential impact to valuable assets contained within the interface. This study presents a methodology that combines real-time weather data, a wildland fire behavior model, satellite remote sensing and geospatial data in a geographic information system to assess potential risk to human developments and natural resources within the Austin metropolitan area and surrounding ten counties of central, Texas. The methodology uses readily available digital databases and satellite images within Texas, in combination with an industry standard fire behavior model to assist emergency and natural resource managers assess potential impacts from wildland fire. Results of the study will promote prevention of WUI fire disasters, facilitate watershed and habitat protection, and help direct efforts in post wildland fire mitigation and restoration.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2005

Author dc:creator

• Hunter, Bruce Allan

Contributors dc:contributor

• Atkinson, Samuel F.
• Acevedo, Miguel F.
• Dickson, Kenneth L.
• Hudak, Paul F.
• Waller, William T.

• Wildfire forecasting -- Geographic information systems -- Texas.
• Wildland fires
• Texas
• threat
• GIS
• wilderness areas

Statement dc:rights

• Public
• Copyright
• Hunter, Bruce Allan
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 68485621
untcat: b2994284
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4870/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc4870

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc4870