Assessment of forces and means for extinguishing fires in settlements and methods of their justifications

Introduction. Climate change leads to an increase the number of wildfires and fires in settlements, with 74 % of the country's population living in urban settlements and 26 % in rural settlements. The readiness of localities for the fire season is determined by regulatory documents that do not assess the sufficiency of measures taken by local governments to prepare territories for the fire season, and, accordingly, do not provide protection of localities from the fires. At the same time, there is no scientific and methodological approach for determining the necessary and sufficient number of fire-fighting constructions and assessing the stability of their structure to protect settlements from the effects of mass or large-scale fires. The purpose of the study. The purpose of the study is to ensure the protection of settlements from the impact of mass or large-scale fires. Research methods. To obtain the results, general scientific and special methods of scientific knowledge were used: analysis, synthesis, generalization. They were based on the provisions of the theory of systems, theory of information. The results of the study. The forces and means that can be used to extinguish fires in localities are evaluated, and the main methods used to justify the elements of the fire-fighting water supply system in localities are considered and summarized. Conclusion. There is a contradiction between the need to ensure the protection of settlements from the impact of mass or large-scale fires and the lack of scientific and methodological approach of justification of corresponding set of means and their management. The results of the study are the basis for the development of a scientific and methodological approach to assessing and justifying the forces and means to ensure the protection of settlements from the impact of mass or large-scale fires and the safety of their activities. Keywords: locality, mass or large-scale fire, fire-fighting water supply, methods of justification