Overwintering Peat Fires in Russia’s Boreal Forests: Persistence, Detection, and Suppression

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supplemental archive 2 disk0/00/02/14/25 2026-03-30 07:06:23 2026-03-30 07:39:38 2026-03-30 07:06:23 article show Kuksin G. Sekerin I. See L. 8571 0000-0002-2665-7065 Shchepashchenko D. 7435 0000-0002-7814-4990 Overwintering Peat Fires in Russia’s Boreal Forests: Persistence, Detection, and Suppression pub ASA NODES BNR AFE peat fire; zombie fire; overwintering fire; Sentinel-2 satellite images; UAV; thermal imaging; groundwater level; peat moisture; thermometer probes; winter extinguishing methods Overwintering peat fires are increasingly reported in the boreal regions, where they persist underground through winter and reignite in spring, intensifying greenhouse gas emissions and landscape degradation. This study investigates the conditions that enable peat fires to survive freezing and snow cover, and presents practical methods for their winter detection and suppression. We combined satellite data, UAV-based thermal imaging, time-lapse photography, and ground measurements of temperature, groundwater depth, and peat moisture to identify active overwintering hotspots. Our results show that these fires persist primarily where groundwater levels remain below 60 cm, particularly under tree roots, compacted soil, or elevated terrain that limits moisture recharge. UAV thermal imaging proved the most reliable detection tool, identifying 98% of hotspots. We developed and successfully applied a winter extinguishing method that involves mechanical disruption and dispersion of smoldering peat over frozen ground, allowing rapid cooling without re-ignition. These findings clarify the mechanisms sustaining overwintering fires and provide an effective approach for their mitigation, contributing to reduced emissions and improved management of boreal peatlands vulnerable to climate change. 2026-03-28 MDPI 10.3390/fire9040144 276 279 public Fire 9 e144 TRUE 2571-6255 info:eu-repo/semantics/article