Forest Fire Detection, Prevention and Management

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Hazards and Risk Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 632

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Research on Biodiversity and Environment, National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Pasaje Gutierrez 1415, Río Negro, Argentina
Interests: Wildland–urban interface fires; dynamics of grasslands and shrublands; seed ecophysiology of native species; dormancy breaking by fire-related cues; disturbance ecology; post-fire succession; subterranean rodents; pine invasions; N95 masks reuse

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Research on Biodiversity and Environment, National Scientific and Technical Research Council, Pasaje Gutierrez 1415, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
Interests: Ecology of disturbances; restoration ecology; dynamics of grasslands; post-fire vegetation regeneration; seed germination related to fire-cues; wildland–urban interface fires; pine invasions

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Recursos Agroforestales, Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC CONICET), Ushuaia 9410, Argentina
Interests: forest management and biodiversity conservation in native forests of south Patagonia; development of new silviculture; the variable retention of elements in the managed areas to promote the conservation of endangered species
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest fires are among the most destructive natural disasters, posing significant threats to ecosystems, biodiversity, human life, and property. Detecting forest fires early is crucial for minimizing damage and improving response times. Advances in technology, such as remote sensing, satellite imagery, and drones, have significantly enhanced early detection methods. These technologies allow for real-time monitoring of forest conditions, helping authorities identify potential fires before they spread uncontrollably.

Prevention is equally important and involves a combination of strategies, including firebreaks, controlled burns, and public awareness campaigns. Proper land management practices, such as clearing dry vegetation and ensuring forest health, can also reduce the risk of fires.

In terms of management, effective firefighting strategies are essential for containing and extinguishing fires. This includes using specialized equipment, skilled personnel, and coordination between local, national, and international agencies. Additionally, post-fire recovery efforts, such as reforestation and ecosystem restoration, are vital for restoring the affected areas.

The challenge of forest fire detection, prevention, and management requires a holistic approach that integrates technological advancements, effective policies, and community engagement to reduce the frequency and severity of forest fires, ultimately ensuring the sustainability of forest ecosystems.

Dr. Luciana Ghermandi
Dr. Sofía Laura Gonzalez
Dr. Guillermo J. Martínez Pastur
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forest fires
  • fire detection
  • fire prevention
  • fire management
  • post-fire restoration
  • controlled burns
  • firefighting techniques
  • firebreaks
  • fire risk assessment
  • wildland–urban interface

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

26 pages, 6343 KiB  
Article
Comparing Pre- and Post-Fire Strategies to Mitigate Wildfire-Induced Soil Erosion in Two Mediterranean Watersheds
by Akli Benali, Yacine Benhalima, Bruno Aparício, Sandeep Timilsina, Jacob Keizer and Alan Ager
Forests 2025, 16(8), 1202; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16081202 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 425
Abstract
Wildfires accelerate soil erosion. Preventive fuel management and post-fire control measures are two distinct strategies that can be used to mitigate wildfire-induced soil loss with varying effectiveness and costs. Here, we quantified the impacts and effectiveness of pre- versus post-fire treatment strategies on [...] Read more.
Wildfires accelerate soil erosion. Preventive fuel management and post-fire control measures are two distinct strategies that can be used to mitigate wildfire-induced soil loss with varying effectiveness and costs. Here, we quantified the impacts and effectiveness of pre- versus post-fire treatment strategies on soil loss mitigation. We coupled fire simulations with soil erosion modelling to estimate annual wildfire-induced soil loss for two watersheds in Portugal. We identified optimal treatment locations with the aim of maximizing the reduction in soil loss, and estimated treatment effectiveness using treatment leverage and cost-effectiveness. Both mitigation strategies were predicted to reduce post-fire soil loss, with effects increasing with treatment extent. Treatments had a strong mitigation effect particularly in extreme fire years. Results indicated that there was no single mitigation strategy that fits all watersheds, and the choice was largely influenced by wildfire and treatment frequency. For the most fire-prone watershed, Castelo de Bode, fuel treatments were the most effective strategy, being approximately 2-fold cheaper and more effective than post-fire treatments. Treatments were more effective and exhibited lower variability in years with higher soil loss. Our results show that the most cost-effective combinations of treatment strategies vary with the soil loss reduction objective. Relevant treatment synergies were identified that can help land managers to maximize the attainment of soil loss mitigation goals ensuring the best use of resources. This work contributes to a better understanding of how post-fire soil loss can be mitigated, contributing for better resource allocation while maximizing specific management goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Fire Detection, Prevention and Management)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop