• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.149-157
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• 2016

Understanding regional characteristics in forest fire occurrence is important to establish effective forest fire prevention policy in Korea. This study analyzed the characteristics of forest fires occurred in 16 administrative districts for recent 25 years (1990~2014) to examine regional characteristics in forest fire occurrence. Forest fire occurrence reflects regional characteristics depending on climatic factors as well as region's society-cultural factors. Results showed that the first cause of forest fire occurrence was carelessness by human activities throughout all administrative districts, however, the second cause depends on regional characteristics. As the results of forest fire occurrence period analyzed for 10 days, the most forest fires occurred in the southern region during January to March, while forest fires in the northern region occurred mostly during March to April. We classified forest fire occurrence patterns into three types (centralized: Gyeonggi-do, dispersal: Busan, horizontally distributed: Gyeongsangnam-do) by multi-temporal analysis for forest fire occurrence period.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.242-249
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• 2004

This study was conducted to develop a forest fire occurrence model using meteorological characteristics for the practical purpose of forecasting forest fire danger. Forest fire in South Korea is highly influenced by humidity, wind speed, and temperature. To effectively forecast forest fire occurrence, we need to develop a forest fire danger rating model using weather factors associated with forest fire. Forest fore occurrence patterns were investigated statistically to develop a forest fire danger rating index using time series weather data sets collected from 8 meteorological observation centers. The data sets were for 5 years from 1997 through 2001. Development of the forest fire occurrence probability model used a logistic regression function with forest fire occurrence data and meteorological variables. An eight-province probability model by was developed. The meteorological variables that emerged as affective to forest fire occurrence are effective humidity, wind speed, and temperature. A forest fire occurrence danger rating index of through 10 was developed as a function of daily weather index (DWI).

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.57-64
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• 2004

In order to decrease the area damaged by forest fires and to prevent the occurrence of forest fires, the forest fire danger rating system was developed to estimate forest fire risk by means of weather, topography, and forest type. Forest fires occurrence prediction needs to improve continually. Logistic regression and spatial analysis was used in developing the forest fire occurrence probability model. The forest fire danger index in accordance to the probability of forest fire occurrence was used in the classification of forest fire occurrence risk regions.

• Atmosphere
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2010

This study analyzes the climate change in Korea and its impact on the occurrence of forest fire events. The forest fire occurrences in Korea tend to concentrate around large cities. In addition, the spatial distribution of the forest fire occurrence seems to agree with local climate conditions. Though the occurrence of the forest fire shows strong interannual variation, it also exhibits a positive trend. Because the forest fire frequently occurs during early spring, we examined long term climate variability in Korea for the early spring seasons. The climate change in Korea generally has brought warmer, drier, and less precipitable conditions during the early spring. The changes of the atmospheric conditions provide favorable condition for the forest fire. The climate changes in Korea also depict distinct spatial variability according to the atmospheric variables. We compared the regional trend of the fire occurrence with the climate trends. The results show the sharpest growing in the forest fire occurrence over southwest of Korea. This study suggests that the decrease in the precipitation day might affect the sharp increasement of the forest fire occurrence in the southwest of Korea.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.95 no.2
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• pp.160-167
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• 2006

Most of the forest fires that occur in South Korea are caused by human. We partitioned South Korea into nine districts and used observed weather data and daily fire occurrence records for the 1994 to 2003 period to develop a human-caused fire occurrence model of South Korea. Logistic regression analysis techniques were used to relate the probability of a fire day to Fine Fuel Moisture Code (FFMC) component of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. The probability of the number of fire day was increased as FFMC increased in the nine districts of South Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.37-46
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• 2004

In order to decrease the area damaged by forest fires and to prevent the occurrence of forest fires, we are making an effort to improve prevention measures for forest fires. The objective of this study is to classify hazard regions where forest fires occur based on the factors that contribute to the occurrence of forest fires. Forest fire sites in the Uiseong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do were surveyed according to the factors of forest type and topographic characteristics where the forest fires occurred. We used a correlation analysis to determine the forest fire occurrence factors and a conditional probability analysis and GIS to determine a forest fire danger index. The resulting forest fire danger index was used in the classification of forest fire occurrence risk regions.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.19 no.3 s.59
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• pp.64-69
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• 2005

In order to decrease the area damaged by forest fires and to prevent the occurrence of forest fires, we are making an effort to improve prevention measures for forest fires. The objective of this study is developing the forest fire occurrence probability model by means of forest site characteristics such as soil type, topography, soil texture, slope, and drainage and forest fire sites. Conditional probability analysis and GIS were used in developing the forest fire occurrence probability model that was used in the classification of forest fire occurrence risk regions.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.99 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2010

Forest fires have potentials to change the structure and function of forest ecosystems and significantly influence on atmosphere and biogeochemical cycles. Forest fire also affects the quality of public benefits such as carbon sequestration, soil fertility, grazing value, biodiversity, or tourism. The prediction of fire occurrence and its spread is critical to the forest managers for allocating resources and developing the forest fire danger rating system. Most of fires were human-caused fires in Korea, but meteorological factors are also big contributors to fire behaviors and its spread. Thus, meteorological factors as well as social factors were considered in the fire danger rating systems. A total of 298 forest fires occurred during the fall season from 2002 to 2006 in South Korea were considered for developing a logistic model of forest fire occurrence. The results of statistical analysis show that only effective humidity and temperature significantly affected the logistic models (p<0.05). The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the probability of randomly selected fires ranges from 0.739 to 0.876, which represent a relatively high accuracy of the developed model. These findings would be necessary for the policy makers in South Korea for the prevention of forest fires.

• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.15-23
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• 1996

Preparing the era of forest resources management requires studies on forest fire. This study attempted to develop forest fire occurrence model using meteorological characteristics for the practical purposes of forecasting forest fire danger rate. To accomplish this goal, the relationships between forest fire occurrence and meteorological characteristics are estimated. In the process, the forest fire occurrence pattern of the study region(Taegu-Kyungpook) is categorized by employing qualification IV method. The study region was divided into three areas such as, Taegu, Andong and Pohang area. The meteorological variables emerged as affective to forest fire occurrence are relative humidity, longitude of sunshine, and duration of precipitation. To estimate the probability of forest fire danger, forest fire occurrence of three areas are regressed on the time series data of affective meteorological variables using logistic and probit model. The effectiveness of the models estimated are tested and showed acceptable degree of goodness. Those models developed would be helpful to increase the efficiency of forest fire management such as detection of forest fire occurrence and effective disposition of forest fire fight equipments.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.69-78
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• 2010

Haines index which include the rating of atmosphere instability and dryness indicated the potential of the forest fire danger. In this study, the relationships between forest fire occurrence and Haines index were analyzed. The probability of forest fire occurrence was the highest in April and HI 5, 6 and the dryness of atmosphere was higher than the atmosphere instability. Therefore, It was proved that HI affected on the forest fire occurrence and propagation.