Climatological and meteorological analysis of great forest fires occurred in Muğla and Çanakkale provinces during the period of 2000-2008

This study aims at climatological and meteorological investigation and interpretation on forest fires occurred between the years of 2000 and 2008 at Çanakkale and Muğla forest regional directorates, both of which have important forest areas of Turkey, by using different indices, climate classifications and methods. The results of the study will be evaluated in terms of a physical geographical synthesis. Çanakkale and Muğla forest regional directorates are located in the Mediterranean climate zone that causes high air temperature and severe summer dryness during summer months. This situation creates forest fires that affect large areas, and forest fires damage the large amount of forest areas along with causing loss of life, property and recreational value during summer periods. The results of the study can be summarized as follows:(i) Forest fires occurred in Çanakkale between the years of 2000 and 2008 took place in June and September, in which the KBDI reaches its very high probability of fire values. However, in Muğla, forest fires period is longer than Çanakkale, and it starts in the late May and reaches until end of the October. Forest fires occur generally in ?fire is definite? level of fire probability in Muğla. (ii) KBDI, the rate of fire, caught more forest fires in ?fire is definite? level in Muğla than Çanakkale.(iii) According to homogeneity and trend tests applied to monthly total precipitation of the Çanakkale and Muğla stations, Çanakkale winter and Muğla autumn precipitation totals indicate statistically significant results and inhomogeneity. (iv) Annual and summer maximum air temperatures have statistically significant results at the 0.01 significance level, and therefore inhomogeneity in Çanakkale and Muğla.(v) According to the Mann-Kendall test, significant trend is not seen in annual and seasonal precipitation totals of Çanakkale, whereas a significant decreasing trend is dominant in Muğla for winter total precipitation. (vi) While increasing trend is seen in summer maximum temperatures of Çanakkale, annual, spring and summer maximum temperatures of Muğla show statistically significant increasing trends at the 0.05 significance level. These test results are compatible with results of the various regional studies performed for Turkey and its close vicinity. These results are also expected to raise the amount of forest fires and widen the effect on fire domain.