ERSAF / Lombardy Forest Fire Planning – wildfire prevention and planning

Long-term collaborations · ERSAF / Lombardy Region – forest fire prevention

The collaboration with ERSAF on wildfire prevention supports regional planning through quantitative analyses of fire hazard, potential fire behaviour and exposure of vulnerable assets. Wildfire risk in Lombardy varies substantially from lowlands to pre-Alpine and Alpine landscapes and is influenced by vegetation distribution, fuel accumulation, topography, weather conditions and the presence of settlements and infrastructure. The work aims to transform these heterogeneous sources of information into spatial products that can support prevention priorities and the planning of forest-fire management activities.

Historical wildfire data are combined with fuel information and fire-spread simulations to identify areas where intense or difficult-to-control events are more likely to occur. Particular attention is given to the wildland–urban interface and to locations where potentially severe fires could affect people, buildings, infrastructure or other sensitive assets. This allows risk assessment to move beyond fire frequency alone and to consider expected intensity, spread direction and potential consequences. The resulting information can be used to distinguish territories requiring different prevention and preparedness strategies.

Related research lines: Forest resilience, extreme events and disturbances · Sustainable forest management and planning

Reports and outputs: Wildfire risk analysis – methodological report · Calibration of FWI thresholds · Meteorological analysis of large wildfires · Fuel-model map of Lombardy · Definition of fuel types in Lombardy