Forest Fire Patterns and Lightning-Caused Forest Fire Detection in Heilongjiang Province of China Using Satellite Data

Abstract

Large forest fires can cause significant damage to forest ecosystems and threaten human life and property. Heilongjiang Province is a major forested area in China with the highest number and concentration of lightning-caused forest fires in the country. This study examined the spatial and temporal distribution patterns of forest fires in Heilongjiang Province, as well as the ability of satellite remote sensing to detect these fires using VIIRS 375 m fire point data, ground history forest fire point data, and land cover dataset. The study also investigated the occurrence patterns of lightning-caused forest fires and the factors affecting satellite identification of these fires through case studies. Results show that April has the highest annual number of forest fires, with 77.6% of forest fires being caused by lightning. However, less than 30% of forest fires can be effectively detected by satellites, and lightning-caused forest fires account for less than 15% of all fires. There is a significant negative correlation between the two. Lightning-caused forest fires are concentrated in the Daxing’an Mountains between May and July, and are difficult to monitor by satellites due to cloud cover and lack of satellite transit. Overall, the trend observed in the number of forest fire pixels that are monitored by satellite remote sensing systems is generally indicative of the trends in the actual number of forest fires. However, lightning-caused forest fires are the primary cause of forest fires in Heilongjiang Province, and satellite remote sensing is relatively weak in monitoring these fires due to weather conditions and the timing of satellite transit.