Wildland Fire Risk Analysis on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation

Abstract

Wildfires pose a significant threat to natural resources, communities, infrastructure like homes on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. This project developed a GIS- based wildfire risk assessment model utilizing available data and analytical tools in ArcGIS Pro. The analysis incorporated key environmental variables including fuel models from LANDFIRE, topographic features derived from USGS Earth Explorer, and proximity to communities. A weighted overlay approach was applied to classify areas into no risk. low, moderate, high and extreme wildfire risk zones. By adapting methodologies like kriging and weighted overlay, this study has ensured a replicable and objective assessment and framework. The final wildfire risk maps are able to support land managers in prioritizing mitigation efforts and resource allocation for planning and emergency response efforts.