Key factors determining scales of burned areas in state Victoria (Australia) and province Alberta (Canada) during 1980-2019

Regular wildfire supports the balanced development of sclerophyll forests in Victoria (Australia), as well as, boreal forests in Alberta (Canada). Also, they are a major part of local Aboriginal culture in these regions and a means of regulating ecological functions of flammable vegetation communities for improving their productivity. Taking into consideration that burning is used as an effective tool for ecosystem management in Alberta and Victoria, it is relevant to assess the impacts of fire practices on the environment and to find connections between fire spread and key factors determining the scales and locations of burned areas. Based on literary materials on fire practices, statistical data on wildfire cases occurring since the 1980s, geospatial data on the distribution of fire-prone plant communities’ locations, and results of correlation analysis of fire cases with climatic, environmental, infrastructural, and social factors author reveal the following patterns: fires frequency depends on the landscape features; an increase in the number of fire occurrences correlates with an increase of dry periods duration (number of days); human settlements, where Aboriginal population reaches 50%, are subject to fires more frequent; the risk to the environment and settlements damage on small populated rural areas is higher than on densely populated suburban and urban places. Reduction of out-of-control wildfire risk can be achieved through fire management practices directed to wildlife and biodiversity protection, considering these patterns.