Assessing Wildfire Risk in Cultural Heritage Properties Using High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Satellite Imagery and Spatially Explicit Fire Simulations: The Case of Holy Mount Athos, Greece

Nine out of the 20 monasteries on Holy Mount Athos, Greeceface high fire intensity risks if ignited, despite low burn probabilities. This finding emerges from a study that combined high-resolution satellite imagery with spatially explicit fire simulations to assess wildfire risk at landscape level. Researchers developed site-specific fuel models using field measurements and classified fuel types through object-based analysis and machine learning. The Minimum Travel Time (MTT) algorithm in FlamMap software evaluated metrics like Burn Probability, Conditional Flame Length, Fire Size, and Source-Sink Ratio. Results highlight the need for targeted fire suppression strategies to protect these cultural heritage properties from intense wildfires.

Mallinis, G., Mitsopoulos, I., Beltran, E., & Goldammer, J. (2016). Assessing Wildfire Risk in Cultural Heritage Properties Using High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Satellite Imagery and Spatially Explicit Fire Simulations: The Case of Holy Mount Athos, Greece. Forests, 7(2), 46. https://doi.org/10.3390/f7020046