Forest fire analysis and classification based on a Serbian case study

Authors

  • Tin Lukić Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovica 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Predrag Marić Ministry of Interior / Sector for Emergency Management of the Republic of Serbia Kneza Miloša 101, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
  • Ivana Hrnjak Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Milivoj B. Gavrilov Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Dragan Mladjan Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies Cara Dušana 196, 11080 Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia
  • Matija Zorn Anton Melik Geographical Institute Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Gosposka ulica 13, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Blaž Komac Anton Melik Geographical Institute Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Gosposka ulica 13, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
  • Zoran Milošević Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad/ Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science, University of Surrey Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia/ Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
  • Slobodan B. Marković Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Dušan Sakulski Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences/ Disaster Management Training and Education Centre (DiMTEC), University of the Free State Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia/205 Nelson Mandela Drive Park West, Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • Andries Jordaan Disaster Management Training and Education Centre (DiMTEC) University of the Free State 205 Nelson Mandela Drive Park West, Bloemfontein, South Africa
  • Jasmina Đorđević Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Dragoslav Pavić Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
  • Rastislav Stojsavljević Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.918

Keywords:

geography, natural hazards, forest fires, classification, forest fire weather indices, Tara mountain, Serbia

Abstract

A recent forest fire in the Republic of Serbia is discussed concerning classification, legislative framework and fire management, giving a detailed analysis of the forest fire occurrence. Analysing past and predicting future fires are crucial for policy development and forest management practices to prevent and mitigate fires. Fire hazard is discussed through several fire protection and prevention legislative documents. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall test was used to analyse resent forest fire data in an attempt to find causality in occurrences and frequency. The meteorological data and fire statistics provided by the Serbian Hydro-meteorological Service and the Ministry of Interior/Sector for Emergency Management of the Republic of Serbia were used to calculate the Forest Fire Weather Indices, along with deficit or surplus of precipitation for the case study of Tara Mountain. The paper highlights the need for better hierarchical classification of fire hazards and its harmonisation along with standardisations presented by leading international research institutions. A significant correlation between meteorological parameters and forest fire occurrence was found. This opens a possibility for further investigation and analysis of geophysical and anthropogenic driven factors that can influence disaster occurrence.

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Author Biographies

Tin Lukić, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovica 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad. Ph.D. student and University teaching assistant.

Predrag Marić, Ministry of Interior / Sector for Emergency Management of the Republic of Serbia Kneza Miloša 101, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Ministry of Interior / Sector for Emergency Management
of the Republic of Serbia
Kneza Miloša 101, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Ph.D. student.

Ivana Hrnjak, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad. Ph.D. student.

Milivoj B. Gavrilov, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad

Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

University full professor.

Dragan Mladjan, Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies Cara Dušana 196, 11080 Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia

Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies

Cara Dušana 196, 11080 Zemun, Belgrade, Serbia

Associate professor.

Matija Zorn, Anton Melik Geographical Institute Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Gosposka ulica 13, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Anton Melik Geographical Institute

Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Gosposka ulica 13, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

PhD.

Blaž Komac, Anton Melik Geographical Institute Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts Gosposka ulica 13, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Anton Melik Geographical Institute

Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts

Gosposka ulica 13, SI – 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

PhD.

Zoran Milošević, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad/ Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science, University of Surrey Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia/ Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad/ Faculty of Engineering

and Physical Science, University of Surrey

Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia/

Guildford Surrey GU2 7XH, United Kingdom

University full professor.

Slobodan B. Marković, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad

Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

University full professor.

Dušan Sakulski, Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences/ Disaster Management Training and Education Centre (DiMTEC), University of the Free State Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia/205 Nelson Mandela Drive Park West, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Department of Environmental Engineering and Occupational

Safety and Health, Faculty of Technical Sciences/

Disaster Management Training and Education Centre (DiMTEC),

University of the Free State

Trg Dositeja Obradovića 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia/205 Nelson

Mandela Drive Park West, Bloemfontein, South Africa

University full professor.

Andries Jordaan, Disaster Management Training and Education Centre (DiMTEC) University of the Free State 205 Nelson Mandela Drive Park West, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Disaster Management Training and Education Centre (DiMTEC)

University of the Free State

205 Nelson Mandela Drive Park West,

Bloemfontein, South Africa

University full professor.

Jasmina Đorđević, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad

Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

University full professor.

Dragoslav Pavić, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad

Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

University associate professor.

Rastislav Stojsavljević, Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management

Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad

Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

PhD student and University teaching assistant.

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Published

01-01-2017

How to Cite

Lukić, T., Marić, P., Hrnjak, I., Gavrilov, M. B., Mladjan, D., Zorn, M., Komac, B., Milošević, Z., Marković, S. B., Sakulski, D., Jordaan, A., Đorđević, J., Pavić, D., & Stojsavljević, R. (2017). Forest fire analysis and classification based on a Serbian case study. Acta Geographica Slovenica, 57(1), 51–63. https://doi.org/10.3986/AGS.918