An architecture for Forest Fires Monitoring...

An architecture for Forest Fires Monitoring System

Angela IONITA1, Maria VISAN2, Cristian IOJA3, Doina NICOLAE4

1Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence “Mihai Draganescu” of Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania

2Intergraph Computer Services Romania, Bucharest, Romania

3Research Center for Environment and Impact Studies, Bucharest University, Bucharest, Romania

4National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics, Bucharest, Romania

Conference INSPIRE, Florence, Italy, 23 – 27 June, 2013

∗ One of the most common natural danger in forest ecosystems is fire.

∗ The 2012 fire season: ∗ a high number of fires in the early season ∗ over 100,000 hectares already consumed by fire at the end of March ∗ July brought critical fire episodes in Spain and Portugal

∗ Fire danger has been very high in southern Europe (in particular in Portugal, Spain, southern France, central and southern Italy, the Balkan region, Greece and Turkey)

∗ Romania: http://www.romania-insider.com/forest-fires-in-bucegi-massif-romania-flare-up-again/62596/ .

The fire


∗ Protection of: ∗ ecosystems ∗ critical infrastructure

∗ Using: spatial data infrastructure available ∗ Starting from:

∗ an inventory of different existing spatial data infrastructures at different levels ∗ predictive and propagation models of fires ∗ the definition of the general architecture(s) of the experimental/functional models for

the evaluation of spatial distribution of forest fires using satellite images ∗ selected pilot areas

∗ The scope: ∗ to create the premises for assessing the damage caused by wildfires ∗ to estimate the importance of fire in natural habitats destabilization in the natural sites

Connections


∗ The fires have different sources and causes and in the recent history different countries and continents developed different policies and systems in order to monitor the fires and to reduce the damages.

∗ In Europe: ∗ The forest fire situation is constantly monitored by EFFIS, a system which is a result of a long

collaboration between the European Commission and the national fire services in the European countries.

∗ Fires are monitored and mapped by EFFIS, providing near-real time estimates of fire damages across Europe

∗ In Romania, forest fire management agencies are responsible for dealing with forest or wildfire and its social, economic and ecological impacts on people and forest ecosystems. ∗ Fire managers predict when and where fires might occur; ∗ invoke prevention measures to reduce the incidence of accidental fires; ∗ attempt to detect fires while they are small; ∗ acquire and deploy fire fighters, aircraft and other suppression resources close to areas where fires are

expected to occur to minimize response times; ∗ initiate initial control action to contain fires that are reported while they are small; and deal with the

large escaped fires that are not controlled by the initial control system.

Frame of work


∗ Satellite Images Analysis for FIre Monitoring - SIAFIM project (STAR C39/2012 – 2015)

∗ The development and implementation of experimental models / new solutions for products/methods/systems/technology/ services etc. for different pilot areas

Result


∗ kernel of forest fires monitoring system at different levels (local/national/regional)

∗ a platform referring to the technological and institutional elements, assuring the technical frameworks to facilitate really integration and management

∗ a collaborative framework ∗ a collaborative standardization ∗ a few scenarios ∗ the necessary level of security of information ∗ based on activities on spatial data standards and interoperabilit ∗ assuring the communication with others (e.g. EFFIS) ∗ to provide updated and reliable information on wild land fires ∗ to support forest fire prevention and fire-fighting services

Elements of the general architecture


∗ General: ∗ a computerized system that delivers decision support

information or decision support tools to a manager or business analyst using a “thin-client” Web browser.

∗ the computer server that hosts the DSS application is linked to the user’s computer by a network with the Transmissions Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol

∗ can combine several different components, essentially a webbased SDSS is comprised of user interfaces, Internet interface programs, computational models, geospatial databases and information from other sources and a simulator for fire occurrence prediction

∗ Particular: ∗ this system is a prototype covering functional

aspects of a center for intervention in different emergency situations.

∗ this functionality could be replicated and personalized at different levels: local/national/regional

General architecture


∗ In a forest fires, depending on the size, different institutions are involved in disaster response (from public administration and private and/or public companies)

∗ These organizations play in the same time the role of the owner and producer and updater of datasets during their everyday business and during an emergency situation

∗ If the results of such data production and updating efforts are physically recorded in appropriate geospatial databases, the required data/information for disaster response is always available to the producer

∗ If this information is shared and exchanged, then datasets are accessible to the wider emergency management community

Providing/collecting information


In the framework of local/national/regional strategic planning for emergency situations, the responsibility of maintaining information should be shared between different organizations based on:

∗ appropriate and accepted policies; ∗ appropriate standards for the production of data; ∗ the training of people to work with these datasets; ∗ the establishment of appropriate network and software tools for

exchanging and sharing information/data; ∗ appropriate policies for accessing and using data/information

Providing/collecting information


∗ from Intergraph Co. ∗ enable organizations to access and apply geospatial data

existing in disparate formats from diverse sources ∗ the commercially available software:

∗ supports geospatial data storage in industry standard databases ∗ enables web-based data access to integrated data stores ∗ provides real-time resource monitoring and management to

leverage data. ∗ gives non-expert users the ability to quickly render layers of

digital geospatial data into informative maps for critical analysis and decision-making

Technologies


∗ In order to model a forest fire management system it is necessary to model basic fire occurrence processes.

∗ Fire managers typically classify fires into one of two broad categories – people-caused fires and natural fires.

∗ In order to make a good prediction there is necessary to receive and/or to collect in real time, if possible, the information from different sources and to combine based on different algorithms, with meteorological data, satellite images, geospatial data etc.

∗ A simulator is under development in SIAFIM project and will be used by researchers in order to estimate the risk of occurrence of wild fires, to make a good prediction and to offer the appropriate information to different decision makers.

Fire occurrence prediction


∗ The WebSDSS for Fire Management Systems (FMS): ∗ follows the steps above enumerated ∗ offer some modules from a decision-making perspective ∗ attempt to address the diverse needs of forest fire managers, fire

management/monitoring systems researchers and operations research practitioners and researchers

∗ According to the facilities offered by the Integraph Co. technologies and based on the procedures of different institutions from public administration, public utilities providers and private sector, there are developed the appropriate core interfaces dedicated to specialists involved in order to assure the operational level in each institution

Interfaces


The alert flow

1. Alert in Messages

2. Open the Alert

3.1. See Alert Impact on Map

3.2. See Alert Impact Report Conference INSPIRE, Florence, Italy, 23 – 27 June, 2013

Interfaces – ex.1

Example 1: An area possible affected by fire


Interfaces – ex. 2

Example 2: The detailed information from geospatial database regarding the affected area


Interfaces – ex.3

Example 3: An alert for affected areas


Interfaces – ex.4

Example 4: Type of danger


Interfaces – ex.5

Example 5: The information for decision maker


Interfaces – ex.6

Example 6: The information for decision makers regarding the tasks in case of intervention(s) in affected area(s)


∗ A WebSDSS for FMS is a complex software system. ∗ It may integrate multidisciplinary, multyformats data sources

and related tools to generate the appropriate information and knowledge to support decision making in forest fires management/monitoring.

∗ The system presented here has been developed according to the method of Rapid Prototyping and will continue to be developed based on End User Development method

∗ In the same time will be implemented some other methods in order to cover the aspects referring to the different levels of decision making and actions according to integrative aspect.

Conclusions


∗ We acknowledge that the results of this paper are partially obtained in the framework of SIAFIM (Satellite Images Analysis for Fire Monitoring) Project founded by Romanian Space Agency in STAR Program (2012-2015) and partially from the following projects:

∗ System Implementation SIGRIM – Geospatial Information System for Risk Management and Medical Intervention – Bacau County Council (February - November 2011),

∗ Management Decision Support for Critical Infrastructure – MEDSI – FP6 (2005 – 2009),

∗ Geographic Information System for Reducing Flooding Risk in the Cross-Border Area by Developing IT Technology – SIGRIT and

∗ Extension of the SIGRIT Geospatial Solution with a Hydrological Model Based on Prognosis Scenarios” – Constanta County Council (February – July 2009)

Acknowledgement


An architecture for Forest Fires Monitoring...

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