Mapping of fire danger and analysis of visibility of fire obsevation towers according to topographic features with fuel in Boyabat Department of Forestry

Forest fires show different fire behavior characteristics depend on fuels andenvironmental factors. Fuel characteristic is changeable and manageable as spatialand temporal in time. Therefore, fuels are different from meteorological andtopographical factors. This important feature makes fuels as critical parameter forfire management plans.In this study, it was digitized actual management plans and created fuel type mapsaccording to closure and steady state. Slope and aspect maps created due to dangercategories. Topographic data and fuel data used together for mapping withdetermining the status of fire danger. Additionally, future fire potential has beendetermined by simulating fuel materials for next 20 year status. %16 of the totalforest area is existed very high and high danger category according to fire dangerdegrees.Finally, visibility analysis of fire towers has been made and new fire towers havebeen suggested for the old fire towers which have unsuitable locations. Whilevisibility are was 73% of the total area as actual fire towers, visibility area was 81%with together new additional fire towers. Digital maps, created by analyzing andusing GIS, will contribute to present fire organization?s planning and managingprocess and future precautions.