Optimization of Geographic Information Systems for Forest Fire Risk Assessment

Forest fires are natural disasters defined as uncontrolled and unrestrained movements of fire across forested areas. They pose a permanent hazard of forest and forested land loss. The increasingly more frequent forest fires are often of great magnitudes, threatening not only forests but also crops, residential areas, and human lives. Forest fire fighting involves three crucial stages: prevention, detection, and extinguishment. This paper discusses the preventive measures against forest fires as well as methods of forest monitoring as a means of preserving forest biodiversity. Using modern information technology, such as geographic information systems (GIS), can improve strategic and tactical planning and actions aimed at fire prevention. The paper showcases the application of selected information system as forest fire protection in Serbia.