Multi-sensor Rapid Fire Damage Assessment over Mediterranean Area

Several studies have clearly demonstrated the capability of suitable algorithms based on satellite images to detect fires scars by using optical and radar data. In the near infrared region (0.7-1.3 micron) green vegetation shows high reflectance values compared to the most other natural surfaces. In general this region of the spectrum contains the most useful information on burned surface detection. After a fire occurs, in fact, a strong reflectance decrease can be found in the burned area. Generally, in a burned surface, the reflectance falls to a low level (5-15 %) because of the presence of ash and carbon over the soil. For this reason the NIR is the more appropriate spectral region for burned areas detection, allowing high contrast between burned and unburned surfaces. Taking the advantage of using the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for mapping forest volume or above ground biomass in big area, within the burned area, this instrument has been used to detect deep fire scars in order to provide more information on the fire event .