Pregledni rad
Analysis of preventive and intervention activities related to fires in Dubrovnik-Neretva County with emphasis on the administrative area of the City of Dubrovnik
Mara Marić
orcid.org/0000-0003-2896-9844
; Sveučilište u Dubrovniku, Zavod za mediteranske kulture, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska
Nikša Ivančević
orcid.org/0000-0002-8325-6698
; JVP Dubrovački vatrogasci, Dubrovnik, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The paper provides an overview of the occurrence of fires in the administrative area of the City of Dubrovnik over a five-year period (2017–2021), also considering the fire prevention and control activities carried out within Dubrovnik-Neretva County. The applied methodology was analysis of spatial data collected through multi-year monitoring by the operational centre of the Dubrovnik Fire Department and maps created with the geographic information system (GIS) in the Q-GIS computer program. Current analytics of the State Hydrometeorological Institute, and CORINE Land Cover data of the Institute for Environmental and Nature Protection of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, current literature in the field and legislative basis were also analysed. According to the Köppen climate classification, the Dubrovnik area is characterised by a Mediterranean type climate (Csa), with a distinct winter maximum of precipitation and a hot summer characterised by longer periods of drought. Already in early summer in June, air temperatures rise to over 35°C, which previously were characteristic for mid-summer. In the 20-year monitoring period, maximum daily temperatures in June and July were recorded at 35.3°C, in August 36.7°C, and in September 33.5°C. These are also the driest months of the year, with precipitation (R) in the observed 20-year period lowest in June (44 mm) and July (28.3 mm), while the average summer precipitation is around 35 mm. Within the 30-year measurement period (1971–2000), a decrease in the average annual precipitation on the coast and islands was recorded, while on the southern Dalmatian coast, including the Dubrovnik area, this decrease was as much as 11%. Winds, especially from the north, contribute to the threat of fire, particularly the gale force Bora winds that blow for several consecutive days, though this wind is typical of the colder part of the year. The calculated fire danger indices in the past five-year period of 11.36 FWI do not classify the Dubrovnik area as a high threat area. However, the continuous increase of the period of hot days, the absence of precipitation, and the features of the Steno-Mediterranean vegetation call for additional caution in the summer period. According to the 2002 Forest Protection Plan of the Dubrovnik Forestry District, which manages a total of 18,955.91 ha of forests and forest land in the City of Dubrovnik area, a total of 1,761.55 ha of forests are considered as being a very high risk area (level I), 15,997.99 ha as a high risk area (level II), 1,020, 40 ha as a moderate risk area (level III), and no areas were considered low risk (level IV). Dubrovnik-Neretva County is covered by fire brigades with 24-hour duty at 24 locations. In six locations, this is performed by public fire brigades (JVP Konavle, JVP Dubrovnik Firemen, JVP Dubrovnik Primorje, JVP Mljet, JVP Ploče, JVP Metković). Intervention fire brigades are on duty at one location - IVP Zvekovica. Volunteer fire brigades are on duty at 58 locations in the county, with nine volunteer fire brigades on duty within the administrative area of the City of Dubrovnik. Cameras for forest fire surveillance are designed in two systems: the Dubrovnik Fire Department, and the second as part of the system of Croatian Forests, with one joint centre located within the Fire Operations Centre of the Dubrovnik Fire Department (VOC VZ of the City of Dubrovnik). In the five-year study period, thanks to the well-established and implemented monitoring system, all fires that occurred in the City of Dubrovnik were on a smaller scale and did not cause significant damage to the surface cover, especially forests. In this period, a total of approx. 41,69 ha of maquis areas, and approx. 1,3 ha of forest areas, i.e., a total of 42,99 ha of areas under vegetation, burned. In addition to all operational activities, and additional equipping of public fire brigades in the City of Dubrovnik, it is necessary to continuously monitor the extensive set of analytical data that is collected, stored and analysed within the framework of the Fire Operations Centre of the Dubrovnik Fire Department through a geographic information system (GIS), as a necessary analytical basis for preparation before the onset of fire season and for the timely determination of fire prevention measures.
Ključne riječi
fire season 2017 – 2021; City of Dubrovnik; GIS system
Hrčak ID:
293358
URI
Datum izdavanja:
29.12.2022.
Posjeta: 353 *