FIRES
Interdisciplinary Research on Ecosystem Services:
Fire and Climate Change in UK Moorlands and Heaths

News

FIRES follow-on survey.
A summary of results was presented at Wildfire 2011 in Buxton in September 2011.The file is also available from eScholar.

• View a fuller version of the results (PDF, 3060KB)

New research on mapping and costing the UK Spring 2011 fires, funded by the University of Manchester

Researchers from the University of Manchester are working with the England and Wales Wildfire Forum on pilot projects to map and cost the Spring 2011 wildfires, with pump-priming funding from the University’s School of Environment and Development.
Mapping
Fire and Rescue Services know when and where wildfires occur in their own area, but as yet there is no national picture of wildfire incidence. The Spring 2011 fires present an opportunity to demonstrate the scale of the problem, and to evaluate geo-referenced Incident Recording System (IRS). The data were used to map outdoor fires in England between18 April and 6 May 2011 and were combined with other spatial layers in GIS. The work builds on earlier research on wildfire mapping in the Peak District National Park and the South Pennines. Some preliminary results were presented at Wildfire 2011 and are also available from eScholar.
Further information from julia.mcmorrow@manchester.ac.uk or gina.cavan@manchester.ac.uk
Costing
Costing case studies of selected Spring 2011 wildfires are being undertaken. The work builds on earlier research on wildfires in the Peak District, which found that fires are costly to fight in such remote locations, commanding large amounts of resources, and costing between £8,500 for a small fire to around £132,000 for a fire on a remote moor. This excludes costs to environmental assets and indirect costs of social disruption.  We now want to develop a national picture of the costs of wildfires.  Providing evidence of the costs of wildfire is crucial in demonstrating the problem. Interviews with FRS officers and other fire responders together with incident reports are being used to obtain information on the cost and effectiveness of different resources in fighting a range of wildfires, which can then be scaled up to estimate national costs. 
Further information from jonathan.aylen@manchester,ac,uk or gina.cavan@manchester.ac.uk

FIRES Policy Brief (2010).
FIRES Policy Brief (PDF, 330KB).
A four-page fold-out colour leaflet identifying the key messages, policy recommendations and knowledge gaps on vegetation fires in the UK. Hard copies available from anna.gilchrist@manchester.ac.uk or julia.mcmorrow@manchester.ac.uk

Report prepared for Scottish Natural Heritage.
A 19-page report prepared for SNH, Dec 2009. Expands on the key messages from the series, with examples from the presentations and discussions.

Scottish Natural Heritage Report (1800KB).

Summary of series
A two-page summary prepared for the FRESH VI plenary meeting, Royal Geographical Society, London, Sep 2009.

Summary of series (PDF, 122KB).