| Summary: |
Extreme fires are very complex events in terms of causes, intensity, behaviour, variability, resistance to control, size,
and severity; they are usually associated with important environmental, social and economic consequences thus being
a relevant public policy concern, especially considering that the frequency of occurrence of extremely severe fire
weather may increase as a consequence of climate changes.
In Portugal, one of the trends that characterizes wildfires activity has been the appearance of events that reached
extreme behaviours and grow to previously unheard sizes. Although these fires present a very low frequency
Formulário Portugal 2020 Página 16 de 34
501413197 :: UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO
of occurrence, they are an important challenge, mainly when they affect wildland urban interface. The answer
of Portuguese authorities was to implement a stronger and reinforced fire response system. Strengthening the
suppression capabilities in terms of means, readiness and effectiveness is important, not to suppress extreme fires
which is rather difficult, but to avoid the escalation of small fires to extreme fires, which behave beyond the suppression
means capacities even in the most prepared and equipped regions. Extreme fires may become so complex in terms
of operational organization that most times logistic aspects prevail over tactical ones. The current fire policy based on
suppression is not able to solve a problem requiring integrated prevention and preparation strategies.
Considering the complexity of the ecological and human variables contributing to extreme fire events, coexisting with
fire over the coming decades will involve increasingly complex trade-offs. This cannot be reached if we just see the ?
trees? and miss the ?forest?, i.e. wildfire management cannot be focused on single, discrete elements that influence
fire occurrence and severity, but must consider the whole human-fire-landscape system.
The nature and the major challenge  |
Summary
Extreme fires are very complex events in terms of causes, intensity, behaviour, variability, resistance to control, size,
and severity; they are usually associated with important environmental, social and economic consequences thus being
a relevant public policy concern, especially considering that the frequency of occurrence of extremely severe fire
weather may increase as a consequence of climate changes.
In Portugal, one of the trends that characterizes wildfires activity has been the appearance of events that reached
extreme behaviours and grow to previously unheard sizes. Although these fires present a very low frequency
Formulário Portugal 2020 Página 16 de 34
501413197 :: UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO
of occurrence, they are an important challenge, mainly when they affect wildland urban interface. The answer
of Portuguese authorities was to implement a stronger and reinforced fire response system. Strengthening the
suppression capabilities in terms of means, readiness and effectiveness is important, not to suppress extreme fires
which is rather difficult, but to avoid the escalation of small fires to extreme fires, which behave beyond the suppression
means capacities even in the most prepared and equipped regions. Extreme fires may become so complex in terms
of operational organization that most times logistic aspects prevail over tactical ones. The current fire policy based on
suppression is not able to solve a problem requiring integrated prevention and preparation strategies.
Considering the complexity of the ecological and human variables contributing to extreme fire events, coexisting with
fire over the coming decades will involve increasingly complex trade-offs. This cannot be reached if we just see the ?
trees? and miss the ?forest?, i.e. wildfire management cannot be focused on single, discrete elements that influence
fire occurrence and severity, but must consider the whole human-fire-landscape system.
The nature and the major challenge of this project is the comprehension of the biophysical and human processes
contributing to extreme fire events and their interactions through the appreciation of the complexity of past extreme fire
events in Portugal, as a learned lesson. The purpose is to develop efficient prevention and preparedness strategies
and measures to contain wildfire risk, to decrease impacts and damages and to enhance resilience to extreme events.
Communities have to prevent and prepare timely for extreme fire events.
The novel idea of this project is based on the exploitation of the innovative concept of ?fire smart territories?. Thus,
we will consider the different roles of fire in social-ecological systems and all fire management activities, mainly
those of prevention and preparation. It results from the overlapping of the concepts of ?fire smart forest landscape
management? and ?fire aware communities?. The former refers to the physical matrix of the landscape, whereas the
latter refers to the dynamic of the social matrix, in order to reduce communities? vulnerability and enhance resilience.
The purpose is not to establish a list of measures to accomplish, but rather to promote a change of behaviours and
the development of capacities and skills to deal with the threats posed by extreme fires at a territory level, not only
at landscape level.
Two important concepts frame the project methodology: i) the concept of ?social-ecological systems? or ?coupled
human-natural systems?, suggesting the dialectic human relationship with landscape; ii) the concept of ?disaster risk
reduction? , considering wildfire as a hazar |