Forest Fires

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Forest Fires (Indofire)
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Forest Fire
TYPES OF FOREST FIRES 1. Underground Fire
Consumes organic material beneath the surface
(peat swamps, coal seams) 2. Surface
Fires Burn surface litter, loose debris
of forest floor (common in tropical forests) 3.
Crown Fire Consumes upper branches and
foliage (common in pine forests)
WHAT IS IT? A forest fire is defined as any fire
in forest land which is not being used as a
tool in forest protection or management in
accordance with an authorized plan. (SAF, 1964)
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Causes

• NATURAL FACTORS
• Weather phenomena
• (drought, El Nino, lightning)
• Vegetation type (fuel types)

• MAN MADE FACTORS
• Slash and burn agricultural practice
• Land clearing practice using fire
• Farmers burn forest to get high yield
• Grazing land management by using fire
• Fires by accident (hunting, campsites)

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Impact and Damages

• Land
• Loss of agricultural/plantation crops
• Destruction of forest land
• Loss of grazing land
• Loss of soil properties
• Water
• Pollution of surface water
• Pollution of underground water
• Air
• Pollution due to haze/smog
• Loss of visibility
• Generation of greenhouse gas

• Human Health
• Increase of smoke-induced
• respiratory diseases
• Loss of human life
• Economy
• Loss in trade of forest products
• Loss of government revenue
• Cancellation of flights/ships
• Loss of income from tourism
• Biodiversity
• Reduction of sunlight
• Loss of medicinal plants
• Loss of endangered species

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Needs for Prevention

• 1. Fire Hazard Reduction
• Identification of potential risk areas
• Construction of fire breaks
• Felling of dead trees
• Make people aware of the risk areas
• 2. Fire Detection
• Detection through observation,
• lookout-towers
• Aerial detection (aircrafts)
• Infrared scanner
• Remote sensing data

• 3. Fire Suppression
• Use of hand tools, pumps, hose
• Aircraft bombardments
• Air-borne tankers
• Use of chemicals

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INDONESIA
Sources of Forest Fire, 1997
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INDONESIA
Indonesia Forest Fires and Extent of Smog, 1997
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INDONESIA
Forest Fires, 1997
SOURCE WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
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INDONESIA
Forest Fires, 1984-1997
El Nino Years Source Ditjen Perlindungan Hutan
dan Pelestarian Alam, 1997
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INDONESIA
Forest Fires, 1984-1997
El Niño Years
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INDONESIA
Forest Fires by Function, 1997
Source Ditjen Perlindungan Hutan dan Pelestarian
Alam, 1998
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INDONESIA
Assessment of Forest Fire Hazard in Indonesia,
1997-98
Resource Impact Loss/Magnitude Remarks Land Total
area burned 5 million hectares Includes
forest, Forest area burned 1 million
hectares agriculture land Agricultural/Planta
tion 2.5 million hectares Plantations
include Others (unproductive) 1.5 million
hectares Palm oil Rubber Water Pollution
of Surface Water Yet to be estimated Pollution
of Ground Water Air Air Pollution due to haze
API 839 (Sarawak) API 100-200 Unhealthy
and smog 201-300 Very U/h (Smog covered
up to 301-500 Hazard 3,200 km in 6
countries) Air Quality (SO2,
NOx, AQ 120 CO, SPM) 700
micrograms/meter3 micrograms/m3
(Normal) Visibility lt 15 meter Visibility
1000 meter (Normal)
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INDONESIA (Air Quality in Various Fire Locations)
August-September 1997
PROVINCES TOTAL DUST (?g/m3) SO2(?g/m3)
NOX(?g/m3) CO (?g/m3) 24 Hours 3
Hours N. Sumatra 1,600-1,900 480-570
0.05-0.08 0.04-0.12 9.2-16.0 W. Sumatra
330-350 99-105 0.00-0.08 Ttd - Riaui
1,500-2,040 450-612 20.1-181.3
10.2-40.9 - Jambi 862-2,866 259-860 -
6.3-21.8 22.9-30.9 S. Sumatra 2,700 810 0.15
- - W. Kalimantan 950-2,300 285-690 -
- - C. Kalimantan 1,310-2,790 393-837
817-1,266 186.5 1.7 S. Kalimantan 430 129
0.15 0.03 6.9-12.6 Critical Threshold
260 260 92.5 23 -
Source MoH Remarks Ttd Undetectable Italic
Points show the figure has exceeded the critical
threshold
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INDONESIA
Assessment of Forest Fire Hazard in Indonesia,
1997-98
Resource Impact Loss/Magnitude Remarks Human
Health People suffered from smoke- 70 million
affected Increased no. patients prone to Asthma,
induced respiratory prob. 40,000
hospitalized Bronchitis, eye infection, etc..
Indonesian Airbus Crashed 234
passengers died Due to low visibility 2 ships
collided 38 people died Indonesian Police
3 people died No. of deaths reported 262
people Economy Total loss US 4.5 billion (WWF
Study) Forestry Companies loss US 12.5
million Cancellation of 3,372 flights US 6
million loss Effect on Tourism due to low
visibility Factories, schools and Loss
in trade and offices were closed
business Loss of Income from tourism US 26
billion/year Sharp decline in revenues
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INDONESIA
Assessment of Forest Fire Hazard in Indonesia,
1997-98
FIRE-RELATED DAMAGES (IN USD
MILLIONS) Type of Loss Lost to Indonesia Lost to
other Total Countries Timber 493.7 ---- 493.7
Agriculture 470.4 ---- 470.4 Direct Forest
Benefits 705.0 ---- 705.0 Indirect Forest
Benefits 1077.1 ----
1077.1 Capturable Biodiversity 30.0 ----
30.0 Fire Fighting Cost 11.7 13.4
25.1 Carbon Release ---- 272.1 272.1 TOTAL
FIRE 2787.9
285.5
3073.4 HAZE-RELATED DAMAGES
(IN USD MILLIONS) Short term health 924.0 16.8
940.8 Tourism 70.4 185.8 256.2 Other
17.6 181.5 199.1 TOTAL
1012.0 384.1
1396.1 TOTAL FIRE HAZE 3799.9 (85) 669.6
(15) 4469.5
(Study undertaken by WWF-Indonesia EEPSEA, May
1998)
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INDONESIA (Haze Related Health Cases)
September-November 1997
Source Report on Forest and Land Fires in
Indonesia - Impacts, Factors and
Evaluation Volume 1, September 1998 / State
Ministry for Environmental Republic of Indonesia
and UNDP
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INDONESIA
Assessment of Forest Fire Hazard in Indonesia,
1997-98
Resource Impact Loss/Magnitude Remarks Bio-divers
ity 20 reduction in Sunlight 60C Temp.
lowered Will affect fungi in the Loss
from the normal soil that promote
new growth Medicinal Species affected 100
no.s Animals affected by blazes 30 female
Orangutans Only 25,000 Orangutans
(elephants, bears died exist in the
world Sumatran tigers, snakes, birds,
Orangutans) 30,000 long-limbed apes in
Kalimantan face serious threat 100-200
Sumatran 60 Javan Rhinos are Rhinos face
problem the rarest Rhino in Asia 1800
elephants in danger of starvation
in Sumatra
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Existing Early Detection/Monitoring System
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Notes from Third Working Group Meeting on RFA (16
July 1998)
?

• NOAA DATA CHARACTERISTICS
• Resolution - 1.1 Km.
• Revisit Cycle - 4 times/day

• PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
• Need of coordinates of hot spots
• (3 RFA, 16 July 1998)
• NOAA for general monitoring, not early
  detection (4th AMMH, 18-19 June
• 1998, Singapore)

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Enhanced Early Detection and Monitoring System
CONFIRMED COORDINATES
Acquisition of high resolution satellite data
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NOAA AVHRR IMAGE OVER BORNEO
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NOAA AVHRR
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NOAA AVHRR - Zoom
21 October 1997 25332 P.M. Sumatra, Indonesia
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Landsat
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LANDSAT - Zoom
River
Smoke
Active Fire Location Long. 102o5957E Lat.
-2o3512S
Burned Areas
Plantation Area
Smoke
21 October 1997
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LANDSAT - Zoom
21 October 1997
Smoke
Burned Areas
Smoke
Smoke
Active Fire Location Long. 103o0129E Lat.
-2o3735S
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LANDSAT - Zoom
21 October 1997
Active Fire Location Long. 103o0131E Lat.
-2o4746S
Burned Areas
Smoke
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SPOT
Forest
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SPOT - Zoom
1 March 1998
Smoke
Origin of Forest fire
Smoke
Plantation Area
Burned Area
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SPOT - Zoom
1 March 1998
Origin of Forest fires
Smoke
Smoke
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ERS-2 ATSR Image over Sumatra
30 September 1997
Hot Spots
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DMSP Image over Indonesia
September 25, 1997
Fire
Source NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC
Defence Meteorological Satellite Program, USA
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IRS / Date of Pass 07 January 1996
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Aerial Surveillance

• Can be equipped with a High Resolution
  Infra-red Scanner
• or Multi-spectoral Scanner
• The data can be used for other purposes, as well

Origin of Forest fires
Airborne Infra-red Technology Resolution
3.8m Scale 11000 Area Coverage 5,887
km2/day Cost US10,000/day
Example of infra-red picture of fire (Transasia
Aerial Consulting Inc. Ltd.)
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Recent news on Indonesia Forest Fires, 7 March
2000
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Recent news on Indonesia Forest Fires, 7 March
2000
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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A (103 degree 11'38"E, 0 degree 24'17"N) B (103
degree 9'52"E, 0 degree 21'34"N) C (103 degree
8'49"E, 0 degree 21'5"N) D (103 degree 4'25"E, 0
degree 16'11"N) E (103 degree 3'1"E, 0 degree
13'21"N) F (103 degree 3'18"E, 0 degree 6'40"N) G
(103 degree 2'26"E, 0 degree 5'6"N)
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Examples of High Resolution Satellite Data

• Data can be acquired through satellite
  programming

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Suggested Steps for One Province
Together with designated Center complete a pilot
module a) Selection of a priority province b)
Prepare (collect) Baseline GIS database c)
Prepare fire hazard maps d) Prepare fire
simulation modeling e) Provide Training,
Hardware, Software Support
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Proposed Activities

• PHASE I
• Help get high resolution data to ASMC
• Train ASMC professionals in handling
• high resolution satellite data
• Hard ware/Software support to ASMC

• PHASE II
• Assist ASMC in providing training to
• Indonesian counterparts in handling
• NOAA and high resolution satellite data
• Hard ware/Soft ware support to Indonesia

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