The article highlights the results of a study of non-forest peat fires that occurred during 2024 in the Lubny district of Poltava region, using modern geoinformation approaches and remote sensing (RS) methods. The main goal of the work was to identify active fire centers, determine their spatial location and boundaries, as well as to conduct a detailed analysis of the consequences of fires for the environment, in particular the state of soil and vegetation cover.
Sentinel-2 satellite images of the L2A processing level (with atmospheric correction) were used for the study, which allowed obtaining highly accurate information about the dynamics of changes on the surface. Identification of fire sources was carried out based on visual decoding of images in combinations of SWIR and False Color channels, as well as by calculating the vegetation index NDVI and water index NDWI, which made it possible to assess the degree of vegetation degradation and decrease in soil moisture after fires.
Particular attention is paid to the spatial and temporal characteristics of fire development - their duration, speed of spread, configuration of burns and impact on wetland ecosystems. The analysis results show that the areas of greatest activity are concentrated in the floodplains of the Uday and Sula rivers and their tributaries, which indicates the natural and geographical determinants of fire spread.
The results obtained confirm the high informativeness of satellite images in monitoring peatland fires, allow for the formation of well-founded conclusions regarding the scale of ecological changes caused by fire, and serve as the basis for improving early warning systems. Separately, recommendations are considered for further monitoring of peat fires in the context of climate change and increasing the effectiveness of environmental protection measures.
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