On the use of satellite remote sensing data to characterize and map fuel types

Satellite remote sensing can successfully cope with different aspects of fire management problems, such as danger estimation, fire detection, burned area mapping and post-fire vegetation recovery. In particular, remote sensing can provide valuable data on type (namely distribution and amount of fuels) and status of vegetation in a consistent way at different spatial and temporal scales. The characterization and mapping of fuel types is one of the most important factors that should be taken into consideration for wildland fire prevention and pre-fire planning. In this paper, we provide a brief overview on the use of satellite data for the characterization and mapping of fuel type. Such research activities are part of the FUELMAP project, funded by JRC and focused on the development of fuel models for European ecosystems.