Assessment of Catastrophic Wildfires Using Landsat 8/9 Satellite Imagery

Kounghoon Nam; Youngkyu Lee; Sungsu Lee; Gyo-Cheol Jeong; Jongtae Kim

doi:10.9720/kseg.2026.1.075

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2026 Vol.36, Issue 1 Preview Page Next Page

Research Article

Assessment of Catastrophic Wildfires Using Landsat 8/9 Satellite Imagery Landsat 8/9 위성영상을 활용한 초대형 산불 현황 분석

31 March 2026. pp. 75-84

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Abstract

Catastrophic wildfires are among the most destructive natural hazards, rapidly consuming vast forested areas and causing severe impacts on ecosystems and society. This study analyzed catastrophic wildfires in South Korea between 2015 and 2025 that affected more than 1,000 ha and lasted for at least three days, using Landsat 8/9 satellite imagery. The differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) was calculated from pre- and post-fire images and classified into five categories according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) criteria. In particular, Class 4 (High Severity, dNBR ≥ 0.66) was regarded as the area of actual forest loss for damage estimation. The results showed that the 2025 Uiseong wildfire affected approximately 22,837 ha in high severity, the 2022 Uljin wildfire about 2,074 ha, and the 2020 Andong wildfire about 584 ha. Compared with the administrative statistics of the Korea Forest Service, these results reduce overestimation while reflecting the characteristics of severe damage. This study demonstrates that Class 4-based dNBR analysis is useful for quantifying the actual impact of catastrophic wildfires and can provide a valuable basis for future wildfire susceptibility assessments and spread simulations.

Keywords

catastrophic wildfires

Landsat 8/9

dNBR

wildfire burn severity

대형 산불은 광범위한 산림을 단기간에 소실시키며 생태계와 사회 전반에 막대한 영향을 미치는 대표적 재해 중 하나이다. 본 연구는 Landsat 8/9 위성 영상을 이용해 2015–2025년 사이 국내에서 발생한 1,000 ha 이상, 3일 이상 지속된 초대형 산불을 분석하였다. 산불 전/후 영상을 통해 정규화 연소지수 차이(differenced Normalized Burn Ratio, dNBR)를 산출하고, United States Geological Survey (USGS) 기준에 따라 5개 등급으로 분류하였다. 특히 Class 4 (High Severity, dNBR ≥ 0.66)를 실질적 소실 영역으로 간주하여 피해 규모를 산정한 결과, 2025년 의성–경북 산불은 약 22,837 ha, 2022년 울진–삼척 산불은 약 2,074 ha, 2020년 안동 산불은 약 584 ha로 나타났다. 이는 행정적·법적 산정 기준인 산림청 집계와 비교했을 때 과대추정을 완화하면서도 심각한 피해 특성을 반영한다는 점에서 의미가 있다. 본 연구는 Class 4 기반 dNBR 분석이 초대형 산불의 실질적 피해를 정량화하는 데 유용하며, 향후 산불 취약성 평가 및 확산 시뮬레이션의 기초자료로 활용될 수 있을 것이라 판단된다.

키워드

대형 산불

Landsat 8/9

dNBR

산불 피해 강도

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Information

Publisher :Korean Society of Engineering Geology
Publisher(Ko) :대한지질공학회
Journal Title :The Journal of Engineering Geology
Journal Title(Ko) :지질공학
Volume : 36
No :1
Pages :75-84
Received Date : 2026-02-03
Revised Date : 2026-03-03
Accepted Date : 2026-03-04
DOI :https://doi.org/10.9720/kseg.2026.1.075

The Journal of Engineering Geology ISSN:1226-5268(Print) 2287-7169(Online) 지질공학

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