article · Trees Forests and People
Satellite observations between 2001 and 2019 reveal extensive fire activity across the Luki Biosphere Reserve region in western Democratic Republic of the Congo. Over this period, 4,602 fire events burned approximately 150,132 hectares, representing over forty-two percent of the study area. Fire occurrences peaked in 2013 and consistently recur during the annual dry season from June to September, predominantly breaking out around midday between noon and one o'clock. The recorded fires exhibited relatively low radiative power, averaging 23.5 megawatts. Statistical and spatial hotspot analyses identify significant space-time clustering concentrated in the south-eastern portion of the landscape. Most blazes stem from human practices, specifically annual savannah clearing and agricultural burning. These identified spatial and temporal trends provide an empirical foundation to guide proactive fire prevention and resource allocation across vulnerable zones in the reserve.
Uncontrolled burning threatens protected ecosystems, biodiversity, and local livelihoods. Understanding the precise timing, intensity, and geographic hotspots of fire activity allows conservation authorities and regional planners to anticipate fire outbreaks rather than merely responding to damage. Mapping clear temporal peaks and high-risk zones enables targeted resource deployment, helping protect sensitive tropical forest environments and surrounding communities from recurring degradation.
The findings offer applied spatial intelligence suitable for conservation managers, reserve authorities, and environmental monitoring agencies seeking to design early-warning and targeted fire prevention strategies. While the study provides empirical evidence and mapping rather than a deployable commercial product, the methodology and risk maps could inform digital decision-support tools and wildfire risk management services. The work sits at an early, analytical stage of application, ready for integration into operational disaster risk planning.
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This paper analyzes active fires from 2001 to 2019 in and around the Luki Biosphere Reserve, western DR Congo to assess fire risks. In this study, we used descriptive statistics to assess fire events, Getis-Ord G hotspot analysis to define the spatial patterns presented by the fire events. Diagnostics for spatiotemporal clustering of fires location and space-time interaction were assessed the spatiotemporal K function. MODIS data from 2001 to 2019 revealed 4602 fires events and 150,132 ha burned, corresponding to 42.6% of the study area. The results of this study show that the peak of fires was recorded in 2013 and fires are mostly recorded every year during the dry season from June to September. They occurred mostly between Noon and 01:00 PM local time. Fires that occurred in the region had low radiative power with the mean value of 23.5 Mega Watts. The Hotspot region where fires take place is located in the South-Eastern part of the studied area exhibiting a significant spatiotemporal clustering (p value = 0.012). Fires are mainly of 2 origins: annual savannah clearing and agriculture fires. The results of this research will help decision making with proactive preventive measures over time and space.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.tfp.2021.100104
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