Diverse causes and factors are contributing to fire occurrence. Human activities are often cited as the primary cause, with approximately 70% of global fires estimated to be human-caused (percentage varies by country). These can result from negligence or deliberate arson.

Additionally, human activities indirectly influence fire occurrence through improper land use in agriculture or forestry, cultivation of monocultures unsuited to their habitats, disrupting of water regimes and soil stability. Illegal activities in forests disturb forest community stability, while failure to maintain forest cleanliness creates combustible materials that can fuel rapid fire spread under favorable climate conditions.

Preventive Measures

Given the ecological and economic losses from forest fires, the long-term consequences, and the difficulties in firefighting and habitat restoration actions, it is crucial to invest in preventive measures. Through preventive measures it is possible to holistically and multidisciplinary address the increasing need for climate adaptation. For this purpose the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has issued 10 proposals for fire prevention protection[1].

1. Management of flammable materials: The forest itself is a source of flammable materials,  with abundant organic material that under suitable conditions can lead to the uncontrolled spread of fire. For this reason, it is necessary to maintain forest order in the form of cleaning forests from easily flammable materials, which includes pruning low and dry branches, removing dead and dry wood, and preventing abundant weed growth. The current forest regulation stipulates that the remaining wood after logging is piled up in order to prevent the spread of pests[2]. However, this regulation should be revised to establish its effectiveness, especially considering that under current climate change conditions, these piles can be an ideal source of fuel for fire ignition and spread.
2. Buffer zones: Cultivation measures aimed at creating a mixed forest stand consisting of tree species with high fire tolerance. On these surfaces, it is necessary to remove low vegetation, easily flammable organic material, and prune all low branches that could lead to fire spreading to the crowns. Such strips should be cultivated along roadsides and other vulnerable areas such as protected zones, to protect against fire penetration into the interior.
3. Controlled burns: Deliberately ignited ground fires aimed at removing organic material that could fuel the ignition and spread of larger fires. These fires are conducted under strictly controlled conditions with trained firefighters present.
4. Sustainable ecosystems: Sustainable management of forest ecosystems establishes balance and sustainability within the system, enhancing resilience against destabilizing external factors. Forests in Bosnia and Herzegovina are predominantly managed sustainably, cultivating mixed and diverse stands they become less susceptible to negative impacts of climate change.
5. Protection and ecosystem restoration: Protection, together with health monitoring, is a crucial factor in fire prevention, as only healthy forests have a chance to withstand the challenges of climate disasters. In case of a fire outbreak, it is essential to invest sufficient resources in restoring disturbed habitats, understanding the natural succession dynamics that need artificial supplementation (reforestation). Nurseries should have an adequate supply of suitable seedlings (with coated root systems) for reforesting fire-damaged areas.

   

6. Land use planning: Inappropriate use of forest and agricultural lands can lead to greater accumulation of potentially flammable materials, especially when forest management practices are neglected, monocultures are grown extensively, disrupting soil water regimes and facilitating fire spread, and residential constructions are built near high-risk areas. The trend of abandoning rural areas contributes to the negative aspects of wildfire development. The rural population, through their seasonal activities such as mowing grass, cutting down forests for firewood, cultivating land, and creating a mosaic landscape, participated in removing combustible materials and thereby reduced the risk of wildfires.[3].

   

7. Recommendations and standards: To enhance awareness and preparedness for potential disasters, it is crucial to follow recommendations from leading organizations like Food and Agriculture organisation of the United Nations – FAO, which focus on research and best practices for protecting natural resources under climate change conditions[4].
8. Infrastructure: Stable infrastructure for electrical power lines can significantly reduce fire risks, considering these lines can be a leading cause of wildfires[5]. Areas beneath power lines should be kept clear of vegetation, requiring regular pruning of branches or entire trees that may contact electrical cables. These clearings also serve as fire barriers. Forest truck roads also serve as barriers, with the average openness of forest roads in Bosnia and Herzegovina at 11.5 m/ha (the minimum openness required for effective and sustainable management is 15 m/ha), indicating that current road infrastructure is inadequate for easy access of firefighting vehicles in case of fire[6].

   

9. Risk assessment: Proper and high-quality risk assessment helps us better understand the dynamics of fire occurrence and spread, and how to allocate resources for fire prevention. The risk of fire outbreak is determined based on various data such as vegetation type, climatic characteristics, altitude, slope of the terrain, proximity to water sources, sociological characteristics of the area, and more. A widely used method is the Fire Weather Index (FWI), which categorizes fuel materials in forests.
10. Public awareness: Educating the public about the issue of forest fires and consequences promotes greater understanding and compliance with forest protection laws, leading to fewer incidents (both accidental and deliberate). Increased awareness can encourage more active participation of citizens in local initiatives aimed at protecting forests from fires.

Inter-sectoral efforts

Fires do not only affect forests, but also agricultural lands, settlements, and cities, causing irreparable losses in animal and human lives that no strategy can replace. Given the potential losses, it is clear that it is worthwhile to invest in prevention, amendments to laws and regulations, and ensuring the necessary resources for fire protection.

A proper response to the growing needs for reaction and adaptation to the changing dynamics of fire occurrence and spread is achieved through the active participation of sectors at multiple levels of government. It is essential to establish an appropriate political and institutional framework that enables timely protective measures. This complex distribution of tasks highlights the importance of clear roles and responsibilities, as well as efficient communication between all participants in addressing this issue.

[1] Organisation for economic CO-operation and development (OECD) 2023:          Taming Wildfires in the Context of Climate Change, online availbale at: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/dd00c367-en/1/3/1/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/dd00c367-en&_csp_=7c2d38fe76134fdef706b8ffe0105873&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book

[2] Pravilnik o obimu mjera za uspostavljanje i održavanje šumskog reda i načina njihovog provođenja, Službeni list Kantona Sarajevo br. 8/14, available at: https://mp.ks.gov.ba/preuzimanja/legislativa/pravilnik-o-obimu-mjera-za-uspostavljanje-i-odrzavanje-sumskog-reda-i-naci-0

[3] Pedro Regato, Lilian Car, Enes Drešković, Christina Georgatou, Dany Ghosn, Ranko Kankaraš, Alessio Martinoli,

Aleksander Mijović, Ilektra Remoundou, Aline Salvaudon, Azra Vuković (2023). Building fire-smart landscapes in the Mediterranean region: problem analysis and selected best practices. Project “MediterRE3 (REstoring REsilience of Mediterranean landscapes to REduce GHG emissions from wildfires)”. Istituto Oikos ETS (Milan, Italy), Parc naturel régional du Luberon (Apt, France), Green Home (Podgorica, Montenegro), CIHEAM-MAICh (Chanià, Greece). Technical Report.

[4] Food and Agriculture organisation by the United Nations (2019). FAO Strategy on forest fire management. Available at: https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/db2fcab3-7369-4e4a-9f10-d81530fe32c6/content

[5] The conversation (2023, August). Power lines and wildfires: Why the decision to shut off power is more complicated than you’d think. Fast company. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/90945794/power-lines-and-wildfires-why-the-decision-to-shut-off-power-is-more-complicated-that-youd-think

[6] Sokolović, D. ., Halimić, N. ., Gurda, S. ., Bajrić, M. ., Halilović, V. ., Knežević, J., & Hodžić, A. . (2017). Analiza šumskih kamionskih puteva u cilju planskog otvaranja šuma na području GJ „Gornja Rakitnica”, ŠGP „Trnovsko” , Radovi Šumarskog Fakulteta Univerziteta U Sarajevu, 47(1), 32–46. https://doi.org/10.54652/rsf.2017.v47.i1.65