Forest fires 2011 season in Romania

Ministry of Environment and Forests

Bucharest, Romania

*Septimius Mara, *Septimius Mara, ** The Ministry of Environment and Forests, BucharestThe Ministry of Environment and Forests, Bucharest

METEOROLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ROMÂNIA

In România, during 2011 was recorded an increased soil moisture deficit in the country (Fig).

Extreme severe drought years in Romania during the 20th century: Decade 1901-1910: 1907-1908Decade 1911-1920: 1917-1918Decade 1921-1930: 1923-1924, 1927-1928Decade 1931-1940: 1934-1935Decade 1941-1950:1945-1946, 1947-1948, 1949-1950Decade 1951-1960: 1952-1953Decade 1961-1970: 1962-1963, 1964-1965Decade 1971-1980: 1973-1974, 1975-1976Decade 1981-1990:1982-1983,1985-1986,1987-1988Decade 1991-2000: 1992-1993, 1999-2000Extreme severe drought years in Romania during the 21st century: Decade 2001-2010: 2000-2001, 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2006-2007, 2008-2009,

2011

3

1881 - 1893

1918 - 1930

1906 - 1917

1982 - 2003

1969 - 1981

1954 - 1968

1931 - 1941

1942 - 1953

1894 - 1905

PERIOD2002

No. of years

1412 12 12

1311

1513

21 LEGEND

RAINY REGIME

NORMAL REGIME

DROUGHTY REGIME

THE PERIODICITY OF THE METEOROLOGICAL AND HYDROLOGICAL

REGIME IN ROMANIA

1881 1893 1905 1917 1930 1941 1953 1968 1981

2004-2006

2007

2007

2008

1 1

2

2009

Fig.

2010

2011

1 1 1

2011

4Fig. Surface water run-off regime for the summer (June-August) of 2011

Iza

Lapus

Barcau

Crasna

Cerna

Gilo

r t

Motru

Desna tu i

P ra hovaTeleajen

Rm .Sarat

Suceava

LespeziBahlui

Ciucea

Oradea

C luj

Turda

Band

Satu Mare

Bistra

N epos

Bistrita

Itcani

Brod ina

G. Humorului

SiretDorohoi

Radauti Prut

Frum osu

Tupila ti

Sara teniGoioasa

Tg. O cna

D ragesti

V ic toria

U ngheni

D ra ngen i

Ias i

N eg resti

Ba rlad

O ancea

Tataru

R acovita

C as im cea

Adancata

Bu de sti

C aluga reni

Teleorm an

Buzesti

Po da ri

G ru ia

C etate

C ala fat

Be ch et C orab iaTr. M agurele

Z im n icea

G iurgiu

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Fe testi

H arsova

Braila

G ala ti

Isaccea

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C ernavoda

Top let

Sa lard

D om anes ti

Lapusel

Vadu Izei

D ej

G loden i

Tarnaven i

M e dias

Sebe s

C orne t

R upea G ara

H oghiz

M . D om n easca

Sancra ien i

Bla jMures

Mur

es

Branisca

Talm aciu

VoineasaIscroni

Feldioara

NehoiuTesila

Reci

BotarlauLungoci

Bahna Rusulu i

Maluren i

Mioveni

Po ianaTapulu i

Turburea

Filiasi

Malucu

FloriC ose reni

Fata M otru lui

Ba ls

M a lu Spart

Lunguletu

Alexandria

G ata ia

M ora vita

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Varadia

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Bazias

LugojVo is lova

FagetBa lint

Chizatau

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G urahont

Chisineu Cris

Tinca H olo d

Talpos

Zerind

M ih alt

S ire t Barla

d

Tur

Somes

A ries

Somesul Mare

Som

esul

Mic

Ta rnava M ica

Ta rnava Ma re

Viseu

C risu l R ep ede

Crisul N egru

Ho lod

C risu l A lb

BegaBega Veche

Ne ra

JiuO

ltet

Vedea

Teleorman Arges

Neajlov

Buzau

Calm atui

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Hom

orod

Raul Neg

ru

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BaseuJ ijia

Bis trita

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i

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Prut

D una rea

Olt

Olt

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Lo tru

SMM M

SVBT

BH SJ BNNT

IS

CJM S

HR BC VSAR

AB

SB

BVCV VN G L

TM

HD

CSG J VL

AG D B PH

BZ

BRTL

M H

D J

O T

TR

G R

SA I

C L

IL

CT

50-80 % din valorile norm ale lunare

80-100 % din valorile norm ale lunare

30-50 % din valorile norm ale lunare

>100 % din valorile norm ale lunare

10-30 % din valorile norm ale lunare

Legend:>100% of the normal monthly values

80%-100% of the normal monthly values

50%-80% of the normal monthly values

30%-50% of the normal monthly values

10%-30% of the normal monthly values

5Fig. Water soil reserve at the beginning of September 2011 in the depth layer of 0-20 cm

6

B. 2011 FOREST FIRE SEASON IN ROMANIA

Because of the relatively low precipitation values, the year 2011 could be considered as a whole drought compared with other previous years, because was recorded not so frequent precipitation and increased soil humidity deficits.

Therefore, the climatologically and hydrological conditions in 2011 led to a an increased number of forest fires and burnt surface all over Romania (as seen in the figures), higher than previous year.

Fig.

Fig.

The economical losses due to forest fires aren’t very high, because the population and the authorities intervene for extinguishing the forest fires in early phase. The low economical losses are also determinate by the geographic condition from our country, but also by the forests composition. The economical losses assessed are relatively small because the damages are calculated only for substitution forest value and timber values, and also because young forests were most affected by fires.

Fig.

10

Causes of the forest fires in Romania

During 2011, the major cause of forest fires, as in the recent years was represented by the agricultural practices of the people from the rural area, represented by the cleaning of the fields by uncontrolled ignition of the dried plant wastes.

11

Acknowledgements We thank to ROMSILVA for the updated

inventory of the forest fires during 1986-2011

12

Forest fire situation in Danube Deltaduring 2011

Ministry of Environment and Forests

Bucharest, Romania

Reed fires during 2008-2011 in Danube Delta Biosfere Rezerve

21 7 46

1801

600

200 150 230

51

990

2894

266

0.0

500.0

1000.0

1500.0

2000.0

2500.0

3000.0

2008 2009 2010 2011

years

burn

t ree

d ar

ea (h

a)

no. of reed firesreed fires surfacelargest fire

Danube Biosphere Danube Biosphere Reserve (Ua)Reserve (Ua)

Danube Delta Danube Delta Biosphere Biosphere Reserve (Ro)Reserve (Ro)

Case study: Danube Delta reed fire from Vadu-Corbu area during

20-21 august 2011

Localization of the

fire vegetation area

14

Fig. Uncontrolled burnt of the surface vegetation in Danube Delta could spread all over the meadow surface area

15Fig. Difficult intervention of the firefighters in the humid reed areas during fire event

16Fig. Large smog quantities emitted during the vegetation fires in Danube Delta

17

Fig. Aftermath of the vegetation fire in Danube Delta: the burnt areas are difficult to access

18

Fig. Aftermath of the vegetation fire in Danube Delta: the humid reed areas are difficult to access by firefighter heavy equipment

19

Fig. Aftermath of the vegetation fire in Danube Delta: patches of green reed remained untouched by the fires

20

Fig. Aftermath of the vegetation fire in Danube Delta: the road acted as a barrier against the spreading of the fires

21

Impact of the vegetation fires on the reed area of Danube Delta

The only interventions were took place just on Constanta county, where the military firefighter units intervened in the affected area of Vadu-Corbu. For the remote areas of Danube Delta, the vegetation fires were extinguished by themselves.

22

Prevention measure for the vegetation fires on the reed

area of Danube Delta

In case of prescribed burning of the reed, weren’t recorded damages for the biodiversity protected areas,

just stressed avifauna migrated from the burnt areas in other safe zones.

- Campaign: Stop the illegal burning of the reed areas!”

which emphasize the use of alternate harvesting of the reed instead of illegal burning ( in the previous

years the number of the reed fires were reduced by 30%).

23

Acknowledgements

We thank to Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration – ARBDD, for the updated inventory of the reed fires during 2008-2011