Application of a geographical assessment method for the characterization of wildland–urban interfaces in the context of wildfire prevention: A case study in western Madrid

Abstract The increasing occurrence of fires in areas where wildlands and urban structures meet (wildland–urban interface areas, WUIs) is currently of great concern to policy makers in Euro-Mediterranean countries. A better understanding of these areas is crucial for efficient fire management. This paper presents a method to map and characterize WUIs from the perspective of fire risk using a case study in the Madrid Region of Spain. The internal structure of interface areas, and also the features of the landscapes in which they are located, were analyzed. Spatial analyses of pooled data, including fuel, topography, housing structure, past fires and key driving forces were based on Geographic Information Systems. This procedure enabled the identification of seven representative WUI Situations within the 14,800 ha of WUI in the area. The results revealed the variability of WUIs, suggesting that wildfire prevention needs to be adapted to the different types of WUIs. The characterization of such situations may be a useful tool to achieve this goal.

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