Review article

Open space fires in the Republic of Croatia - occurrence, frequency and suppression

Ivica Kisić orcid.org/0000-0003-4363-3150 ; Sveučilište u Zagrebu Agronomski fakultet Svetosimunska cesta 25, Zagreb, Hrvatska *
Igor Bogunović orcid.org/0000-0002-8345-458X ; Sveučilište u Zagrebu Agronomski fakultet Svetošimunska cesta 25, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Domina Delač orcid.org/0000-0002-5151-5093 ; Sveučilište u Zagrebu Agronomski fakultet Svetošimunska cesta 25, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Damir Barčić ; Sveučilište u Zagrebu Fakultet šumarstva i drvne tehnologije Svetošimunska cesta 23, Zagreb, Hrvatska

* Corresponding author.

Abstract

Over the past decades we are witnessing rapid climate change. The climate changes in the Mediterranean part of the Republic of Croatia were particularly manifested by the raised frequency of open area wildfires that had a tremendous negative impact on soil, quality of water and the landscape. The direct consequences of wildifres are changes in vegetation and the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics of the soil. The indirect consequences are the distortion of the landscape, the phenomenon of wind and water erosion, as well as mudslides with all the consequences on the environment that these processes carry with them. In the Republic of Croatia, the greatest fire hazard is in the Mediterranean area with almost 115.000 open fires in the period from 1996 to 2021. Deviations from the above number of wildfires in this area occurred in wet 2014 with 1.686 and the cataclysmic dry 2017 with an extreme appearance of 6.906 open fires. Due to the lack of freshwater sources, most of the coastal fires are extinguished with sea water, which directly accelerates the deterioration of the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil. Extremely dry climatic periods, together with strong winds and a drastic decline of rural population suggest that wildfires will become an increasing problem in the near future. The most efficient and effective method for the prevention of fire occurrence and, consequently, undesired changes in the environment is the preventive implementation of agro-technical practices (agroforestry, water accumulation, proper management with plant residues in the abandoned agricultural and forest area) in the autumn of the year when a fire occurred or in the early spring of the following year before the fire season. Unfortunately, the problem of wildfires at the decision and policy makers immediately disappear at the end of the fire-protection season. Due to climate change and pronounced season of wildfire occurrence in the Republic of Croatia fires occur at longitudes and latitudes where they were rarely notable 20 years ago.

Keywords

wildfires, climate change, land use, environmental consequences

Hrčak ID:

315625

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/315625

Publication date:

29.6.2023.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

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