Activies on preparation the Action Plan to Protect Kosachivka Village from Large Forest Fires

On May 9, 2025, the scientific and pedagogical staff of the Department of Forestry of NUBiP of Ukraine consisting of Prof. S. Zibtsev, Associate Professor V. Humeniuk, Associate Professor O. Soshensky, Ye. Kalchuk, and D. Redko. together with the Head of the Ukrainian Center for Forest Safety V. Braiko held a seminar on “Methods of protection of settlements from forest fires in the conditions of martial law and climate change” on the basis of Kosachivka forestry of the Chernihiv Forestry Branch of the State Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine”.

The seminar was attended by representatives of the Kosachivka Village Council, State Fire Rescue Unit 7 of the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service in Chernihiv Oblast, SE Kozeletsrayagrolisgosp, and the Local Fire Brigade of Kosachivka.

The scientific event was initiated with a welcome speech by Prof. Dr. Johann Goldammer, Head of the Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC), who emphasized the relevance of scientific knowledge transfer and international cooperation in the field of prevention and elimination of landscape fires, especially in the context of military operations and climate change. Prof. Goldammer emphasized the need to implement scientifically based methods of protecting settlements from wildfires in accordance with international protocols. 

Head of the Regional Eastern Europe Fire Monitoring Center, Professor of the Department of Forestry of the NUBiP of Ukraine Sergiy Zibtsev presented an analytical overview of the Center's activities and presented a methodology for assessing pyrolysis risks for forest-population interface zones. The speaker focused on the experience of catastrophic fires in the Luhansk region in 2020, where 36 thousand hectares of landscapes, including 26 thousand hectares of forests, were affected by wildfires, resulting in significant damage to 20 settlements. According to these statistics, 3-4 million cubic meters of timber were lost as a result of these fires, and more than 20,000 hectares of forest areas need reforestation.

Associate Professor V. Humeniuk highlighted the methodological aspects of training of forest fire service specialists, organization of interagency exercises and implementation of communication methods with local communities. The speaker emphasized the need to integrate the efforts of all stakeholders, including forest users, local governments, SES units, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, territorial communities and volunteer organizations, for effective fire risk management.

Associate Professor О. Soshenskyi presented scientific based methods of increasing the fire resistance of forest phytocoenoses by applying a set of silvicultural measures. Particular attention was paid to quantitative indicators of the effectiveness of creating fire barriers of various types in the forests of Polissya and methods of reducing the reserves of forest combustible materials.

Head of the Ukrainian Forest Safety Center V. Braiko presented a comprehensive plan of fire protection forestry measures to protect Kosachivka village, developed on the basis of geoinformation analysis of the territory and assessment of fire hazard factors. The plan includes cartographic materials with visualization of the fire protection arrangement of the territory and calculations of the effectiveness of the proposed measures.

The participants of the workshop got acquainted with potential locations for forestry measures in the buffer zone between Kosachivka village and the military training ground, where fire risks are the highest. They also inspected existing fire protection facilities near the railroad transportation corridor, which is a potential source of anthropogenic ignition.

As a result of the workshop, a program for joint implementation of the comprehensive "Action Plan to Protect Kosachivka Village from Large Forest Fires" was approved. The program includes:
   • A series of educational seminars on pyrological safety for the residents of the village;
   • Specialized trainings for the local fire brigade and volunteers;
   • Development and conduction of headquarters and field interagency exercises;
   • A set of forestry measures to increase the pyrological stability of adjacent forest ecosystems.

The Interagency Action Plan for the protection of Kosachivka village will be coordinated with the Chernihiv Civil-Military Administration for better coordination and implementation.

Protecting settlements located in forest landscapes from wildfires is a critical scientific and practical task, especially in the face of increasing fire risks. The main goal of our research is to develop and implement effective methods to minimize potential losses from forest fires in rural areas.

Representatives of the Kosachivka village council expressed interest in applying the proposed scientific based approaches and readiness to actively support the implementation of the developed action plan.

The cooperation of scientists from NUBiP of Ukraine, the Global Fire Monitoring Center, Chernihiv forestry, local governments of Kosachivka village and SES units will help disseminate scientific knowledge into the practice of fire risk management in Ukrainian settlements under martial law and climate change.
 

Sergiy Zibtsev,
head of the Regional Eastern Europe fire monitoring center