There can be no doubt that the risk of wildfire in Scotland is changing. While it is difficult to draw a nice graph which shows a steady increase in the number, duration or severity of these fires we are absolutely seeing a negative change which is worrying.
Climate change predictions tell us that we are likely to see warmer wetter winters and hotter drier summers, this will mean the growing season of vegetation will increase and the vegetation that grows will be dried out, all of this means an increase in fuel loading.
We are also seeing a definite move away from traditional land management techniques where rotational burning, or Muirburn, is used to manage the land, and although the purpose of this was not to protect the landscape from fire, it was a very useful side effect of this practice. In other parts of the world where the use of fire to manage the landscape was either regulated to the point of being unusable, or an outright ban was imposed we have seen a gradual move back to using fire as a land management tool, usually because of catastrophic wildfires.
So the risk is changing, we will have more fuel and it will be drier!
We are also seeing a rise in the popularity of people using the countryside recreationally, which is fantastic, but unfortunately society today is not as well versed in the use of fire or the risks it presents. there are less open fires used to heat peoples homes, youth organisations such as the Scouts or Girl Guides which taught safe and considerate practices for camping have gone out of vogue, and disposable barbecues and Chinese Lanterns are something we see being used irresponsibly across the country in increasing numbers.
“Wild” camping is not a new thing, people have camped out in the wilderness for centuries, but I would challenge the words we use to describe this practice, I think perhaps “dirty” camping, or “opportunistic” camping might be more applicable when we see the devastation that is often left behind by people who either don’t know better, or worse, don’t care.
As such many organisations are making changes. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has developed a new Wildfire Strategy to ensure that we are both doing everything we can to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place, and also so that when they do happen our response is as effective and efficient as possible.
Partnership working is at the heart of both strands and we work closely with other agencies to make sure that our fire prevention messages to Land Managers and the Public are aligned, easy to understand and easily accessible. We have also worked hard to ensure that the considerable resources that exist in the Land Management sector are visible and available to us in the response to Wildfires, and I’m delighted to say that good progress has been made.
The Public are the main cause of Wildfires in Scotland, so I’d encourage anyone who is venturing out into the great outdoors to enjoy the beautiful scenery we have in Scotland to make sure that they are fully aware of the wildfire risk, how they can protect themselves and the environment and leave nothing but footprints when the go home. More information can be found on these topics here: www.firescotland.gov.uk.
This year Scotland is hosting the UK Wildfire2024 Conference in Aberdeen from 12-13 November. This extremely popular and important conference will bring expertise from around the world together and promises to be a must-attend event. www.wildfire2024.co.uk
Article by Bruce Farquharson. Bruce is the Deputy Assistant Chief Officer in charge of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Training Department. He has responsibility for the Services Wildfire Capability which involves developing and maintaining the wildfire prevention and response strategy, and as the Chair of the Scottish Wildfire Forum.
