Assessing the positive impact of forest fires
Fire-fighting science and technology is combined with an assessment of likely ecological impact when planning for, or reacting to wild land fires. The PROMETHEUS fire management information system will address the threat of wild land fires from a number of angles. The traditional response of fire fighting and the science of fire behaviour have been incorporated into a larger strategic framework that includes both prevention planning and assessment of the impact of fires upon ecosystems. This innovative approach enables the potentially positive aspects of some wild land fires to be considered when deciding upon the appropriate response to a fire, or planning future policy. Algosystems are currently testing the system operationally in five European countries, in order to tune the modelling and operational software to user needs. This will provide the validation of the system in operation that has been lacking in previous decision-support systems for wildfire management.
