Article
Ecology
Bettina S. Spernbauer, Christopher Monz, Ashley D'Antonio, Jordan W. Smith
Summary: Recreation resource managers in parks and protected areas near urban populations face challenges of high visitation levels and severe resource impacts. Little research has been done on informal trails in these areas compared to remote areas and formal trails. Informal trail networks near urban areas are extensive and are influenced by similar factors as formal trails. Management implications focus on concentrating use and minimizing environmental impacts.
LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mukesh Kumar, Shu Li, Phu Nguyen, Tirtha Banerjee
Summary: This study examines the occurrence of wildfires in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) and analyzes the impact of WUI-related parameters and topographic factors on fire behavior and suppression. The findings show a small percentage of wildfires and burned areas in the WUI, indicating the need for fuel management and infrastructure hardening outside the WUI.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hyejeong Park, Kihun Nam, Hyungduk Lim
Summary: Global climate change and unplanned urbanization have led to industrial encroachment on wildlands, resulting in increased wildfire risks and the potential for Natech accidents. This case study in South Korea demonstrates the importance of intensive risk and emergency management in protecting critical energy infrastructure from wildfires. The findings emphasize the need for integrated wildfire-specific Natech risk management that includes all stakeholders and enhances resilience in wildland-industrial and -urban interface areas.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Longzhong Shi, Bo Chen, Xuan Chen, Zhuo Chen
Summary: This article investigates the impact of wildfires on property values in the wildland-urban intermix (WUIM) and wildland-urban interface (WUIF) in Colorado. The study finds significant differences in the effects of wildfires on property values between WUIM and WUIF. Larger fires depreciate property values in WUIM, but increase property values in WUIF. Additionally, both small and large fires have a negative impact on property values in both WUIM and WUIF.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Salman Ahmad, Hafiz Usman Ahmed, Asad Ali, Xinyi Yang, Ying Huang, Mingwei Guo, Yihao Ren, Pan Lu
Summary: This study investigates the driving behavior patterns of individuals during historical wildfire events and reveals the influence of driving conditions and wildfires on driving behavior, as well as the differences in driving behavior patterns between rural and urban areas.
FIRE SAFETY JOURNAL
(2024)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Nima Masoudvaziri, Fernando Szasdi Bardales, Oguz Kaan Keskin, Amir Sarreshtehdari, Kang Sun, Negar Elhami-Khorasani
Summary: The WUI is an area where human developments and flammable vegetation merge, leading to increasing losses. This paper studies wildfire spread within WUI communities and proposes an improved model for fire spread.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Brian Y. Lattimer, Xinyan Huang, Michael A. Delichatsios, Yiannis A. Levendis, Kevin Kochersberger, Samuel Manzello, Peter Frank, Tombo Jones, Jordi Salvador, Conrad Delgado, Eduard Angelats, M. Eulalia Pares, David Martin, Sara McAllister, Sayaka Suzuki
Summary: This paper discusses the challenges faced in using UAS for large outdoor fire events, including technical hardware/software and operational details related to policy and training. The paper also provides an overview of currently used UAS and some guides and standards to support their use.
Article
Environmental Studies
Avi Bar-Massada
Summary: The Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) refers to the area where human settlements border or intermingle with undeveloped land, and mapping the WUI is essential for identifying areas-at-risk. Two main mapping methods, point-based and zonal-based, have different data requirements and produce varying maps. A study comparing these methods in California found that the point-based approach estimated a larger WUI area, and the spatial correspondence between maps was influenced by building numbers and arrangement. This suggests that WUI maps are not directly comparable and should serve different practical purposes.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Melanie E. Roberts, Andrew A. Rawlinson, Ziyuan Wang
Summary: The article introduces a potential ember risk model to enhance community understanding of the importance of embers in wildfire risk and assist planning to address this risk. A case study demonstrates how the model can be used in assisting community planning. The utility of this outcome for community and household level wildfire planning and preparation is discussed.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2021)
Article
Forestry
Adelia N. Nunes, Albano Figueiredo, Carlos Pinto, Luciano Lourenco
Summary: In Portugal, the rapid growth in housing in and near wildland-urban interfaces (WUIs) increases the wildfire risk. The goal of the study was to assess wildfire hazard in the Central Region of Portugal and the contact areas of the 60,373 km of WUIs. The assessment was based on land use/land cover analysis, topography, and historical incidence of burnt area. The results show that wildfire hazard is high or very high in over half of the Central Region, but most WUIs are in contact with low or very low hazard classes.
Article
Geography
Chris A. B. Zajchowski, Forrest South, Jeff Rose, Eleanor Crofford
Summary: The study found that ambient air pollution and rising global temperatures may deter urban residents from engaging in healthy outdoor physical activity. By using a social-ecological systems framework and trail camera monitoring, the research in the wildland-urban interface of Salt Lake City, Utah confirmed the impact of temperature, particulate matter, and ozone on outdoor recreation behaviors.
GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Brad R. Murray, Thomas Hawthorne, Timothy J. Curran, Daniel W. Krix, Molly I. Wallace, Kieran Young, Megan L. Murray, Elisabeth Morley, Nicola Huber-Smith, Jonathan K. Webb
Summary: This study aimed to compare the flammability of wildland native, urban native, and urban exotic ornamental plants, quantify the relationships between shoot traits and flammability, and establish flammability scores to distinguish low- from high-flammability species. The study found that urban exotic plants had lower flammability compared to wildland and urban native plants. It is recommended that low-flammability native species be used for plantings at the wildland-urban interface.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WILDLAND FIRE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nancy F. Sonti, Rachel Riemann, Miranda H. Mockrin, Grant M. Domke
Summary: The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the fastest-growing land use type in the United States, and it is important to understand how this development affects the landscape and structure of WUI forests. Research found that WUI forests have higher carbon storage but lower structural diversity compared to non-WUI forests, which may impact forest regeneration and other ecological functions.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Jonathan Wahlqvist, Enrico Ronchi, Steven M. Gwynne, Max Kinateder, Guillermo Rein, Harry Mitchell, Noureddine Benichou, Chunyun Ma, Amanda Kimball, Erica Kuligowski
Summary: WUI-NITY is a modelling platform built on the Unity3D game engine, which simulates and visualizes human behavior and wildfire spread during evacuations of wildland-urban interface communities. Its purpose is to enhance situational awareness of responders and residents during evacuation scenarios.
Review
Forestry
Jerrold E. Winandy, Felix Wiesner, Babar Hassan, Jeffrey J. Morrell
Summary: Wood is considered more environmentally sustainable due to its low embodied energy, workability, and renewability, but it is prone to biological degradation and fire. Effective designs and treatments are used to address biodegradation, while fire resistive coatings or impregnation with fire retardants are explored to improve fire performance in timber construction.
