Influência de elementos meteorológicos na percepção de risco e nas condições de insegurança da população local: incêndios residenciais em área de aglomerado subnormal no bairro do Jurunas, cidade de Belém – Pará.

Abstract

Brazil has witnessed a population growth that, together with the disorderly urban density, culminated in the increase of subnormal clusters in the last decades. Such locations present considerable vulnerability to dangerous events, especially fires. The present study analyzed statistical data on fires in residential buildings and green areas served by the Pará Military Fire Brigade in the city of Belém, between 2008 and 2016, relating them to meteorological elements, establishing a causal link between such aspects. In addition, questionnaires were applied to a sample of residents living in the precarious settlement area entitled Baixadas da Estrada Nova Jurunas in order to analyze the influence of climatological factors on the behavior of the population and to assess their level of perception of fire risk. As a final research product, two fire risk maps were proposed in residence for the subnormal cluster, one for the rainy season and one for the less rainy season. These maps were conceived through the establishment of a risk classification methodology (Arteaga-Athaydes index), based on georeferenced data of the location of the structural fires already occurring in the area, number of households, number of inhabitants, reliability conditions of the network facilities of electricity distribution of the dwellings and influence of the climate. It was concluded that the majority of fires in green areas and housing units in the city of Belém occurred in the least rainy season (June to November), due to the proven influence of meteorological conditions on the behavior of the sample studied, making them adopt inadequate arrangements that go against fire safety. As for the level of risk perception of the population sample that lives in the subnormal cluster studied, this condition is worrisome, since half of those interviewed do not believe that a loss could occur in their house and the vast majority never received any training or orientation to avoid accidents and does not even know the emergency number to fire the Military Fire Department in case of fire.