Mapping the Wildland-Urban Interface from Houses Location and Terrain Slope in Patagonia, Argentina

Abstract

Urbanization of forested areas increases the surface of wildland–urban interface (WUI), where fire is the primary hazard for humans and ecosystems. We determined the WUI using a novel approach in NW Patagonia, Argentina and evaluated its relationship with the fire ignition points. The WUI expands a greater distance on upslopes, where the rate of fire spread is highest. The WUI reaches the maximum distance under the most hazardous conditions: houses surrounded by fuel with steep slopes towards them. In the Bariloche district in 2021, the WUI included 81% of the houses and occupied 37% (11,006 ha) of the total study area. Between 2015 and 2021, 77% of fire ignitions occurred in the WUI, highlighting the relevance of urban growth planning and the management of fuel load in order to reduce wildfire risk.

Keywords

• wildland-urban interface
• fire ignitions
• wildfire risk
• wildfire hazard
• Patagonia