Causes of forest fires in Portugal. Statistical analysis of the investigation performed over the last fifteen years (1996-2010)

Authors

  • Luciano Lourenço Núcleo de Investigação Científica de Incêndios Florestais (NICIF) e Departamento de Geografia, Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra
  • Sofia Fernandes Núcleo de Investigação Científica de Incêndios Florestais (NICIF). Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra
  • António Bento-Gonçalves Núcleo de Investigação Científica de Incêndios Florestais (NICIF) e Departamento de Geografia. Universidade do Minho
  • Ana Castro Núcleo de Investigação Científica de Incêndios Florestais (NICIF) e Departamento de Matemática. Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto
  • Adélia Nunes Núcleo de Investigação Científica de Incêndios Florestais (NICIF) e Departamento de Geografia. Faculdade de Letras da Universidade de Coimbra
  • António Vieira Núcleo de Investigação Científica de Incêndios Florestais (NICIF) e Departamento de Geografia. Universidade do Minho

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14195/0871-1623_31_7

Keywords:

Forest fires, Occurrences, Causality, Burnt area, Portugal

Abstract

Over the last years, Portugal has not been able to stop the forest fires, both in respect to the number of occurrences and in the size of burnt areas, especially during the summer season, when the high temperatures and the drying fuel generates an environment favorable to the spread of fires, whose ignition has its origin in human acts, negligent and intentional, in more than 90% of the cases.
In order to better understand the origin of the forest fires, this study aims to analyze the causes responsible for its ignition in Portugal and monitor how they have progressed, both over the time and in terms of spatial distribution,
between the period of 1996 and 2010.

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Published

2012-09-01

Issue

No. 30-31 (2012): Cadernos de Geografia n. 30-31

Section

Outros

License

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows sharing the work with recognition of authorship and initial publication in Antropologia Portuguesa journal.