Toward a UK fire danger rating system: Understanding fuels, fire behaviour and impacts
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Environment, Education and Development
Abstract
Wildfires have traditionally been perceived as a threat confined to regions such as Southern Europe or Australia. However, the global wildfire threat is expanding and recognition of wildfire hazard in the UK has grown substantially in recent years. In the eight financial years between April 2009 and March 2017 over 250,000 wildfire incidents were dealt with by the Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) in England alone. Individual events have been spatially extensive, challenging to fight (e.g. Saddleworth Moor, 2018), and have threatened property, transport and other infrastructure, especially in the rural-urban interface (e.g. Swinley Forest, April/May 2011). Response costs alone for vegetation fires in Great Britain have been estimated at £55 million per year, with individual large scale events costing up to £1 million. In response to significant fire seasons (e.g. 2003 & 2011), 'severe wildfire' has been included on the National Risk Register and two cross-sector national Wildfire Forums have been established (England and Wales; Scotland (with Northern Ireland)). These initiatives evidence the need for appropriate fundamental scientific understanding and systems to manage and mitigate the current and future UK wildfire threat. The recent Climate Change Risk Assessment has also highlighted the increased risk of wildfires.
Fire danger is a description of the combination of both constant and variable factors that affect the initiation, spread, and ease of controlling a wildfire on an area. Wildfire Danger Rating Systems (WFDRS) are designed to assess the fuel and weather to provide estimates of flammability and likely fire behaviour under those conditions. These danger ratings can inform management decisions for land managers, direct resourcing plans for FRS teams, and feed into strategic planning for local and national governments.
The UK does not have a WFDRS and we lack the fundamental scientific and end-user understanding to effectively predict the likelihood, behaviour and impact of wildfire incidents in the UK for present and future climate and land use scenarios. England and Wales has the Met Office Fire Severity Index system (MOFSI) operated by the Met Office based on weather forecasts only and this is solely designed to determine if open access land should be closed as defined in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) during 'exceptional' fire weather. However, during the 2018 UK drought MOFSI indices did not rise sufficiently to trigger land closures in areas that suffered severe wildfires. Additionally, due to the absence of a WFDRS in the UK, the algorithms underlying MOFSI are also used to inform the Natural Hazard Partnership Daily Hazard Assessment. The insensitivity to recent extreme fire conditions of 2018 are indicative of its inability to properly forewarn government, responders and land owners.
We therefore need a bespoke WFDRS for the UK. This project will undertake the fundamental science and analyses required for building a UK-specific WFDRS, informed by key stakeholders who will act as project partners. This must be designed for UK fuels, its complex land cover mosaics and infrastructure, and changing land use patterns and climate.
Fire danger is a description of the combination of both constant and variable factors that affect the initiation, spread, and ease of controlling a wildfire on an area. Wildfire Danger Rating Systems (WFDRS) are designed to assess the fuel and weather to provide estimates of flammability and likely fire behaviour under those conditions. These danger ratings can inform management decisions for land managers, direct resourcing plans for FRS teams, and feed into strategic planning for local and national governments.
The UK does not have a WFDRS and we lack the fundamental scientific and end-user understanding to effectively predict the likelihood, behaviour and impact of wildfire incidents in the UK for present and future climate and land use scenarios. England and Wales has the Met Office Fire Severity Index system (MOFSI) operated by the Met Office based on weather forecasts only and this is solely designed to determine if open access land should be closed as defined in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) during 'exceptional' fire weather. However, during the 2018 UK drought MOFSI indices did not rise sufficiently to trigger land closures in areas that suffered severe wildfires. Additionally, due to the absence of a WFDRS in the UK, the algorithms underlying MOFSI are also used to inform the Natural Hazard Partnership Daily Hazard Assessment. The insensitivity to recent extreme fire conditions of 2018 are indicative of its inability to properly forewarn government, responders and land owners.
We therefore need a bespoke WFDRS for the UK. This project will undertake the fundamental science and analyses required for building a UK-specific WFDRS, informed by key stakeholders who will act as project partners. This must be designed for UK fuels, its complex land cover mosaics and infrastructure, and changing land use patterns and climate.
Planned Impact
Who will benefit from this research?
This project addresses research priorities identified in the ESRC/NERC-funded Transdisciplinary Research Seminar Series 'FIRES' (RES-496-26-0038) policy brief (McMorrow et al., 2010) including a better understanding of fire behaviour in UK vegetation. It also addresses the key wildfire research needs identified in the recent CCRA2 (Brown et al. 2016), and those identified by stakeholders consulted during the preparation of the briefing note Next steps for wildfire Danger Assessment in the UK (Tsakiridou et al. 2018). This project therefore has cross-sector end-user support from across the UK, who are formally embedded as Project Partners, and benefits from access to a comprehensive network of UK beneficiaries and end-users developed through 'FIRES' and subsequent NERC-funded KE 'Project Knowledge for Wildfire (KfWf)' (NE/J500768/1).
Key end-user beneficiaries are: Fire and Rescue Services (FRS); the land management sector, e.g. Moorland Association; forestry sector; National Park Authorities (NPAs); Natural England (NE), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and other non-departmental government bodies, conservation agencies; the Met Office; local and national government resilience planners; national forums (e.g. England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF); see Thorp Letter of Support [LoS]).
Internationally, this project will benefit researchers and fire practitioners working in ecosystems across similar oceanic climate zones (e.g. NW Europe, New Zealand); and we have close links with wildfire scientists and researchers in these areas (e.g. EFFIS, SCION). There are few fire danger rating systems designed for such ecosystems and this project will therefore allow the UK to lead the way in this area and to develop globally important research capacity. For example, Dr Mike Wotton notes "the work done within this proposal would allow us in Canada to enhance our models" [Wotton LoS].
How will they benefit from this research?
The project will provide end-users with a better understanding of fire danger and fire behaviour in a UK context. This information can be used tactically - it will give the FRS new insights into factors affecting fire behaviour and so enhance wildfire control. As Paul Hedley (NFCC Wildfire Lead Officer) notes it would also contribute to: "significantly improved firefighter safety" [Hedley LoS]. It can also be used strategically, in planning of FRS resources ("potential for proactive pre-positioning of resources to match risk" Hedley LoS), in land management decisions (e.g. firebreak design, tree species choice, and vegetation management for fuel reduction), and in local development planning. It will lead to increased awareness amongst practitioners who use fire as a management tool about 'good' and 'bad' days to burn, and through a deeper understanding of fire behaviour.
The research outputs and stakeholder meetings will also help inform policies for local fire management plans, as well as national civil contingency planning. Wildfire was included for the first time on the 2013 National Risk Register (Cabinet Office, 2013) and thus wildfire must now be assessed by Local Resilience Forums (LRF) for consideration on Community Risk Registers and Integrated Risk Management Plans. A dedicated UK WFDRS would help them to demonstrate wildfire impacts to LRFs in wildfire 'hotspots'.
Reference: Cabinet Office (2013) National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies, Cabinet Office, London.
McMorrow et al. (2010) FIRES Policy Brief. Available online: http://tinyurl.com/nmw9pz5
Brown et al. (2016) UK Climate Change Risk Assessment Evidence Report, Chapter 3, Natural Environment and Natural Assets. Adaptation SubCommittee of Climate Change Committee, London. 207pp.
Tsakaridou M., Gazzard, R. & Morison, J. (2018) Briefing Note: Next steps for wildfire Danger Assessment in the UK, Presented to EWWF and circulated to stakeholders.
This project addresses research priorities identified in the ESRC/NERC-funded Transdisciplinary Research Seminar Series 'FIRES' (RES-496-26-0038) policy brief (McMorrow et al., 2010) including a better understanding of fire behaviour in UK vegetation. It also addresses the key wildfire research needs identified in the recent CCRA2 (Brown et al. 2016), and those identified by stakeholders consulted during the preparation of the briefing note Next steps for wildfire Danger Assessment in the UK (Tsakiridou et al. 2018). This project therefore has cross-sector end-user support from across the UK, who are formally embedded as Project Partners, and benefits from access to a comprehensive network of UK beneficiaries and end-users developed through 'FIRES' and subsequent NERC-funded KE 'Project Knowledge for Wildfire (KfWf)' (NE/J500768/1).
Key end-user beneficiaries are: Fire and Rescue Services (FRS); the land management sector, e.g. Moorland Association; forestry sector; National Park Authorities (NPAs); Natural England (NE), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and other non-departmental government bodies, conservation agencies; the Met Office; local and national government resilience planners; national forums (e.g. England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF); see Thorp Letter of Support [LoS]).
Internationally, this project will benefit researchers and fire practitioners working in ecosystems across similar oceanic climate zones (e.g. NW Europe, New Zealand); and we have close links with wildfire scientists and researchers in these areas (e.g. EFFIS, SCION). There are few fire danger rating systems designed for such ecosystems and this project will therefore allow the UK to lead the way in this area and to develop globally important research capacity. For example, Dr Mike Wotton notes "the work done within this proposal would allow us in Canada to enhance our models" [Wotton LoS].
How will they benefit from this research?
The project will provide end-users with a better understanding of fire danger and fire behaviour in a UK context. This information can be used tactically - it will give the FRS new insights into factors affecting fire behaviour and so enhance wildfire control. As Paul Hedley (NFCC Wildfire Lead Officer) notes it would also contribute to: "significantly improved firefighter safety" [Hedley LoS]. It can also be used strategically, in planning of FRS resources ("potential for proactive pre-positioning of resources to match risk" Hedley LoS), in land management decisions (e.g. firebreak design, tree species choice, and vegetation management for fuel reduction), and in local development planning. It will lead to increased awareness amongst practitioners who use fire as a management tool about 'good' and 'bad' days to burn, and through a deeper understanding of fire behaviour.
The research outputs and stakeholder meetings will also help inform policies for local fire management plans, as well as national civil contingency planning. Wildfire was included for the first time on the 2013 National Risk Register (Cabinet Office, 2013) and thus wildfire must now be assessed by Local Resilience Forums (LRF) for consideration on Community Risk Registers and Integrated Risk Management Plans. A dedicated UK WFDRS would help them to demonstrate wildfire impacts to LRFs in wildfire 'hotspots'.
Reference: Cabinet Office (2013) National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies, Cabinet Office, London.
McMorrow et al. (2010) FIRES Policy Brief. Available online: http://tinyurl.com/nmw9pz5
Brown et al. (2016) UK Climate Change Risk Assessment Evidence Report, Chapter 3, Natural Environment and Natural Assets. Adaptation SubCommittee of Climate Change Committee, London. 207pp.
Tsakaridou M., Gazzard, R. & Morison, J. (2018) Briefing Note: Next steps for wildfire Danger Assessment in the UK, Presented to EWWF and circulated to stakeholders.
Organisations
- University of Manchester (Lead Research Organisation, Project Partner)
- Forestry Commission England (Project Partner)
- Moors for the Future Partnership (Project Partner)
- Royal Holloway University of London (Project Partner)
- Natural Resources Canada (Project Partner)
- England and Wales Wildfire Forum (Project Partner)
- Met Office (Project Partner)
- National Fire Chiefs Council (Project Partner)
Publications
Baker S
(2022)
Fossil evidence that increased wildfire activity occurs in tandem with periods of global warming in Earth's past
in Earth-Science Reviews
Ford A
(2021)
Modelling Human-Fire Interactions: Combining Alternative Perspectives and Approaches
in Frontiers in Environmental Science
Jones M
(2022)
Global and Regional Trends and Drivers of Fire Under Climate Change
in Reviews of Geophysics
Lewis CHM
(2024)
Diurnal fuel moisture content variations of live and dead Calluna vegetation in a temperate peatland.
in Scientific reports
Little K
(2023)
Accounting for among-sampler variability improves confidence in fuel moisture content field measurements
in International Journal of Wildland Fire
Little K
(2024)
Landscape controls on fuel moisture variability in fire-prone heathland and peatland landscapes
in Fire Ecology
Title | "Could Mr Sands Please Come to Reception?" poem. Part of Arts Council funded 'Hot Poets' project |
Description | Gareth Clay was involved in the creation of a wildfire themed poem as part of the Arts Council funded 'Hot Poets' project (https://www.livtorc.co.uk/hot-poets/). This involved working with poet Joelle Taylor (recipient of 2021 T.S. Eliot Prize) to explore ideas around fire, fire-affected landscapes and how people and fire interact. Through online meetings and a field visit to Thursley Common in October 2021 (facilitated by the Ecological Continuity Trust and Natural England), Joelle created the poem 'Could Mr Sands Please Come to Reception?'. The 12 poems from Hot Poets were released during the 12 days of COP26. Follow on activities during 2022 are ongoing. |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | Ongoing engagement with the Hot Poets project during 2022 (including performance of the poem at the Southbank Centre in April 2022). Inclusion in the Hot Poets book https://www.etsy.com/uk/LivTorcPoetry/listing/1118085743/hot-poets During 2022, writers, poets and activists were invited to take part in an online writing and creative journey to create new poems inspired by the original 12 Hot Poets. This resulted in a collection 'Sparks' from the Hot Poets project, including a submission 'Fire in the Land' (https://www.etsy.com/uk/LivTorcPoetry/listing/1359564646/hot-poets-sparks) |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZiOju_QWt4 |
Description | External Reviewers for Natural England review "The causes and prevention of wildfire on heathlands and peatlands in England" (NEER014) (Gareth Clay, Nick Kettridge) |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
URL | http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/4741162353295360 |
Description | Gareth Clay, Vice-Chair of England and Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF), June 2022 - present |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
URL | https://www.northumberlandfireandrescue.gov.uk/ewwf |
Description | National Fire Chief's Council (NFCC) Wildfire Tactical Advisors CPD seminar series |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Impact | Thomas Smith delivered a CPD training session to around 25 Fire and Rescue Service Wildfire Tactical Advisors on 9th December 2020 titled 'Free online tools for remote sensing and modelling UK wildfires'. Materials were also circulated to a further 8 Tac Ads who were not in attendance. Course covered: • Online satellite imagery (hotspot detections, high-resolution imagery for identifying active parts of a fire, burnt area and fire perimeter, post-fire investigations etc.) • Wildfire spread modelling using Prometheus (free software) - useful for scenarios training, prescribed burning planning, and (perhaps) operational fire fighting. Used a series of case studies from various parts of the UK, including Winter Hill, Swinley, Hamsterley Forest. This training event developed skills of Tac Ads by showing how operational incident command could be supported by Earth Observation technologies. Tom had previously supplied some imagery at wildfire incidents over the past year where these have been used in incident command. |
Description | Submission to 3rd Climate Change Risk Assessment "UK Wildfires and their Climate Challenges" (Multiple team members - Belcher, Clay, Doerr, Elliott, Kettridge, Morison, Santin, Smith) |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | Training National Trust volunteers, Marsden Moor |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | UKFDRS team members contributed to annual workshop of NFCC Wildfire Tactical Advisors, 26 Sep 2023 |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | FIREURISK - DEVELOPING A HOLISTIC, RISK-WISE STRATEGY FOR EUROPEAN WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT |
Amount | € 10,000,000 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 101003890 |
Organisation | European Commission H2020 |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 04/2021 |
End | 04/2025 |
Description | Operational fire behaviour model tailored for UK fuels and climate (Fellowship to Tadas Nikonovas) |
Amount | £19,085 (GBP) |
Organisation | Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2024 |
End | 08/2024 |
Description | "Spreading like wildfire: the need for a UK Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS)", policy@manchester article, 26 June 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay wrote an article for policy@manchester, the University of Manchester's policy engagement institute, around UK wildfires. Titled "Spreading like wildfire: the need for a UK Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS)" the article highlighted the current challenges around UK wildfires, the lack of a tailored FDRS and how we can realise this from a policy perspective. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://blog.policy.manchester.ac.uk/cities-and-environment/2023/06/spreading-like-wildfire-the-need... |
Description | Article for The Heather Trust annual report (December 2022) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay wrote a piece for The Heather Trust annual report "Collaborative working is key to develop new knowledge and understanding of UK wildfires". This article reflected on the recent wildfires across the UK, the challenges the wildfire sectors faces and how through partnership working, including the work of the UKFDRS project, we may be able to better prepare for the future. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.heathertrust.co.uk/annual-report |
Description | Article for the Conversation "Climate change: wildfire risk has grown nearly everywhere - but we can still influence where and how fires strike", 30th June 2022 (Stefan Doerr, Cristina Santin) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr and Cristina Santin authored an article for The Conversation "Climate change: wildfire risk has grown nearly everywhere - but we can still influence where and how fires strike" exploring global wildfire risk |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://theconversation.com/climate-change-wildfire-risk-has-grown-nearly-everywhere-but-we-can-stil... |
Description | Contribution to Guardian article "Record number of serious outdoor fires tackled in England in summer 2022", 11th May 2023 (Thomas Smith) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Tom Smith was interviewed as part of a Guardian article reflecting on latest Home Office figures on wildfires in England during the hot summer of 2022 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/11/firefighters-in-england-called-to-record-number-of-ser... |
Description | Dorset Urban Heath partnership YouTube video, featuring members of UKFDRS project team |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Members of the project team were included as part of a video produced by the Dorset Urban Heaths Partnership (https://www.dorsetheaths.org.uk/) about why controlled burning is carried out on heathlands. 268 views (at 11/02/2022). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP1THuvJDok |
Description | Global trends in wildfire and its impacts - blog for Royal Society |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Blog post for the Royal Society by project team members (Stefan Doerr and Cristina Santin) about climate change and wildfire risk, and the relative contribution of human activities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://royalsociety.org/blog/2020/10/global-trends-wildfire/ |
Description | Interview for BBC News 20th July 2022 (Gail Millin-Chalabi) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gail Millin-Chalabi was interviewed live BBC News about the recent spate of wildfires across the country, including the extreme fires in London and SE England. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Interview for BBC Newscast, 19th July 2022 (Andy Elliott) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Andy Elliott was interviewed as part of BBC Newscast on 19th July in response to the severe fires in London, including the devastating Wennington fire. ~ 7 min 20 s into podcast |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0cmwb30 |
Description | Interview for BBC Scotland 'The Sunday Show', 11th June 2023 (Gail Milliln-Chalabi) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gail Millin-Chalabi was interviewed for BBC Scotland's Sunday Show discussing recent wildfires across Scotland and elsewhere in the UK and how it relates to the UKFDRS project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001my63/the-sunday-show-series-3-11062023 |
Description | Interview for BBC Wales "Wildfires: Swansea University developing forecast system" (Stefan Doerr), 12th Aug 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed for BBC Wales about the recent hot spells and wildfires and how the work of the UKFDRS project will help develop the underpinning knowledge for future forecasting systems. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-62510342 |
Description | Interview for BBC website news article (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed as part of a BBC article titled "Climate change: Droughts and fires 'may be features of Wales". 29/10/2021 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59078295 |
Description | Interview for BBC website news article (Thomas Smith |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Comment from Thomas Smith (Co-I) on the Chobham Common wildfire |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-53728175 |
Description | Interview for BBC website news article (Thomas Smith) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Contribution to BBC article about winter wildfires on Dartmoor (Co-I Thomas Smith) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-56037220 |
Description | Interview for Bloomberg "How Climate Change Makes Wildfires Much Worse" (Thomas Smith), 8th June 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Thomas Smith was interviewed by Bloomberg for a detailed article on global wildfires, in particular the recent wildfires in Canada and the consequent air quality impacts across Canada and USA |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-08/how-climate-change-is-fueling-wildfires-in-the-us... |
Description | Interview for Channel 4 News segment on wildfires (includes interviews with Stefan Doerr and Claire Belcher) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Filming for Channel 4 News segment (15/09/2021) on a recent paper on wildfire emissions in Australia. Commentary from Stefan Doerr and Claire Belcher were included in the news article. Filming was on location at Wareham Forest during a project team field visit to the site. Wareham Forest fire in 2020 was a major incident and forms a key case study for the project. Members of the team discussed the work of the UKFDRS project with the Channel 4 production team in the field and helped inform the discussions on the day. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.channel4.com/news/australian-wildfires-released-more-co2-than-annual-emissions-of-german... |
Description | Interview for Evening Standard podcast 'The Leader' (Andy Elliott) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Andy Elliott was interviewed for an episode of the Evening Standard podcast 'The Leader' to discuss recent wildfires across the UK, especially in London and south of England. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://podfollow.com/1480398327/episode/0c191780d5f8a82b2a9e29ba10576f6ba639e32d/view |
Description | Interview for ITV show "Tonight - Heatwave Britain: How Hot Will It Get?", 21st July 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed as part of an ITV Tonight special on the extreme heatwave in July 2022. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.itv.com/hub/tonight/1a2803a9355 |
Description | Interview for MailOnline "Fighting fires with wires: How drones, robots and artificial intelligence are helping emergency services tackle wildfires around the world - as blazes continue to break out across the UK", 25th July 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed for MailOnline about the recent wildfires across the UK and what can be done. The UKFDRS project was quoted as part of the piece. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-11045543/How-drones-robots-artificial-intelligence-h... |
Description | Interview for National Geographic Magazine (quotes from Andy Elliott, Gareth Clay) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interviews with Andy Elliott and Gareth Clay about UK wildfires for the well-read National Geographic Magazine (online). This was well circulated on social media at the time. Includes specific reference to the NERC project. Update (August 2021): Request for engagement (to Gareth Clay) with TV production company as part of the development of a YouTube original film. Researcher made the connection after reading this National Geographic article. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2020/04/british-wildfires-are-gett... |
Description | Interview for STV News article (Thomas Smith), 28th March 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Tom Smith was interviewed as part of an article about a wildfire on 'Anthrax Island' in Scotland, 28th March 2022 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://news.stv.tv/highlands-islands/nhs-highland-working-with-scottish-government-after-fire-engul... |
Description | Interview for Sky News Daily Climate Show, 4th August 2021 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed on the Sky News Daily Climate Show commenting on the risk of future wildfires in the UK, 4th August 2021. YouTube link has nearly 20,000 views |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMt_NG_gGCw |
Description | Interview for Sky News, 1st June 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Thomas Smith was interviewed as part of an article for Sky News "Massive wildfire in Scottish Highlands has burned nearly six square miles of land" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://news.sky.com/story/wildfire-in-scottish-highlands-has-burned-nearly-six-square-miles-of-land... |
Description | Interview for The Big Issue "UK 'not prepared' for more frequent wildfires as climate change accelerates", 19th July 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed by The Big Issue to discuss the recent heatwave and how this is impacting wildfires in the UK |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.bigissue.com/news/environment/uk-not-prepared-for-more-frequent-wildfires-as-climate-cha... |
Description | Interview for The National News "Earth ablaze Are uncontrollable wildfires now a fact of life - or do we have the technology to put them out?", 2nd April 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed as part of an article looking at trends in global wildfires and what we can do to mitigate and prevent the most severe fires. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.thenationalnews.com/weekend/2022/02/04/world-ablaze-are-uncontrollable-wildfires-now-a-f... |
Description | Interview for Wales Online (Stefan Doerr) 27th March 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview for Wales Online reflecting on fires in Wales and specifically some of those from the 2018 wildfire season. Article titled "The scarred landscape left struggling to recover after 10-day wildfire", 27th March 2022 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/wildfire-twmbarlwm-mountain-risca-cwmcarn-23506051 |
Description | Interview for national newspaper (Thomas Smith) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Contribution to article in Financial Times (20th August) "Europe seeks solutions as it grapples with catastrophic wildfires" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://www.ft.com/content/460a232e-e2c5-463c-87ae-2f9bb09a6149?shareType=nongift |
Description | Interview for national newspaper (Thomas Smith) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Project Co-I Thomas Smith was interviewed and provided statistical analysis for a Financial Times article on UK wildfires. This generated significant interest on social media (including over 100 comments on the FT webpage) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.ft.com/content/41b9c9b3-6132-4e75-a20b-96fbef900702?shareType=nongift |
Description | Interview for the Independent (Thomas Smith) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Thomas Smith was interviewed for the Independent as part of a piece on firefighters being on 'frontlines of climate change' and campaign from the FBU and others for greater support and resources for firefighters to help them tackle worsening climate disasters. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/firefighters-climate-change-crisis-b1761830... |
Description | Interview for the Telegraph, 20th July 2022 (Gail Millin-Chalabi) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gail was interviewed by the Telegraph to provide comment on the severe wildfires during the July 2022 heat emergency. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/07/19/london-fire-wennington-dartford-upminster-green-uk-heatw... |
Description | Interview with BBC North West Tonight, 13th June 2023 (Gareth Clay) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay was interviewed by BBC North West tonight discussing the long-term impact and recovery of the 2018 wildfires at Winter Hill and Saddleworth. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001mxq1 |
Description | Interview with BBC Radio 4 Farming Today, 20th June 2023 (Gareth Clay) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay was interviewed for BBC Radio 4 Farming Today about recent wildfires across the UK and how research into a fire danger rating system is needed to better prepare for the future. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001n1nj |
Description | Interview with BBC Radio Scotland 'Lunchtime Live', 12th June 2023 (Gail Millin-Chalabi) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gail Millin-Chalabi was interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland 'Lunchtime Live' discussing wildfires across Scotland and UK. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001mtnh |
Description | Interview with BBC Wales Today (Stefan Doerr) on wildfire research in Wales including UKFDRS project (23rd June 2023) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed for BBC Wales Today about ongoing wildfire research at Swansea University, including that of the UKFDRS research project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Interview with CBC News Canada, 9th August 2022 "To rate wildfire danger, Britain looks to Canada" (Andy Elliott, Mike Wotton [steering group member]) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Andy Elliott was interviewed by CBC News (Canada) about how the UKFDRS project is learning from Canadian research and how the work here in the UK could assist Canadian researchers. The piece also included an interview with Mike Wotton from University of Toronto/Canadian Forest Service who is one of our project steering group members. Mike noted how the UKFDRS project would assist in some of the heathland systems of eastern Canada. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/wildfire-danger-rating-system-canada-u-k-1.6544860 |
Description | Interview with GB News, 12th August 2022 (Andy Elliott) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Andy Elliott had a live interview with GB News on 12th August 2022 about the ongoing drought and impact on wildfires. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Interview with ITV Wales for 'Catch up with Wales at Six' (Gareth Clay), 11th August 2022. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay was interviewed for ITV Wales about the recent heatwaves and potential impact on wildfires. He highlighted the importance of managing ignition sources and to avoid disposable BBQs during this time. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2022-07-13/catch-up-with-wales-at-six |
Description | Interview with the Independent [iNews], 20th July 2022 (Thomas Smith) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Tom was interviewed as part of an article in the i on recent wildfires across the UK, including severe fires across London. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/nearly-1-in-5-of-londons-fire-trucks-unavailable-as-wildfires-r... |
Description | Interviewed for The Independent (Tom Smith, Andy Elliott) 9th May 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interviewed for an article in The Independent "Climate change fuels surge in wildfires sparking concern of 'devastating consequences' if left unchecked" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/wildfire-uk-climate-b2074242.html |
Description | Invited presentation given to NERC staff entitled "Fire and water: predicting and mitigating water contamination following wildfires". (Co-I Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | 12 May 2020: Prof Stefan Doerr, Invited presentation given to NERC staff entitled "Fire and water: predicting and mitigating water contamination following wildfires". 30 min zoom presentation to NERC and other UKRI staff with subsequent Q&A session. As part of this presentation I presented on the UKFDRS project as future impact-driven NERC-funded work. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Invited presentation to National Trust workshop on Molinia, Peatlands and Climate Transition, March 2023 (Gail Millin-Chalabi) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Gail Millin-Chalabi gave an invited talk 'Molinia, fire risk and fire management' at a National Trust workshop on Molinia, Peatlands and Climate Transition, 15th March 2023. Gail presented on the collaborative work between the University of Manchester and the National Trust which focused on vegetation mapping, fire risk and fire management on the Marsden Moor Estate, south Pennines. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/activities/molinia-fire-risk-and-fire-management |
Description | Invited speaker "Toward a UK Fire Danger Rating System: Understanding fuels, fire behaviour and impacts". Presentation to Northwest EU Wildfire Roundtable. Oct 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay gave a presentation to Northwest EU Wildfire Roundtable on the UKFDRS project (Talk title: "Toward a UK Fire Danger Rating System: Understanding fuels, fire behaviour and impacts"). The NW EU Wildfire Roundtable is a network of wildfire professionals, practitioners and researchers from across NW Europe and is co-ordinated through Nederlands Instituut Publieke Veiligheid (Netherlands Institute for Public Safety). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Invited speaker "Wildfire risks and warning systems", Presentation to University of Manchester Sustainable Futures Showcase. November 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay gave a presentation to the University of Manchester Sustainable Futures Platform titled "Wildfire risks and warning systems" which introduced the idea of wildfire risk and resilience and gave a brief overview of the UKFDRS project. The online audience was a mix of researchers (UoM and external), policy professionals and practitioners. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.sustainablefutures.manchester.ac.uk/ |
Description | Life Solved Podcast - Wildfire (interview with Mark Hardiman) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Mark Hardiman was interviewed for the Life Solved podcast from University of Portsmouth about climate, wildfires and human activities in the UK, which speaks to many of the aims for the UK FDRS project. The interview was recorded prior to the start of the project but only released in September 2020 (incidentally at a time when the west coast of the USA was suffering devastating wildfires). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/podcasts/life-solved/episode-7-wildfire |
Description | NFCC Wildfire Investigation Webinar (presentation by Andy Elliott) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | National Fire Chiefs Council ran a webinar on 30th June 2020 on Wildfire Investigations at which Andy Elliott (PDRF on project) spoke on experimental research into probable causes of wildfire and fire behaviour. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://www.nationalfirechiefs.org.uk/NFCC-Events/nfcc-wildfire-investigation-webinar/10193?OccId=14... |
Description | Presentation to Welsh Wildfire Board, 23 Oct 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Gareth Clay gave a presentation to the Welsh Wildfire Board on the UKFDRS project, including progress to date and plans for the remainder of the project. There were several interesting questions from members of the board and a number of ways in which the UKFDRS project might be able to support wildfire research in Wales. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Presentation to the Fire and Rescue Service Conference 2021, 30/11/21 (Andy Elliott) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Presentation to the conference in Andy's Fire & Rescue Service capacity, but was asked to explain the challenges faced by the wildfire community from three perspectives: FRS response, Research and Land Management. Andy outlined the UKFDRS project in detail as part of this National on-line conference. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Presentation to the Hardown Hill Society, 25/11/2021 (Andy Elliott) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presentation to the Hardown Hill Society on the ongoing work on Hardown Hill taking fuel samples for the UKFDRS project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | TV documentary, "Britain's Extreme Weather: Superstorms & Heatwaves", Channel 4 (Monday 23rd august, 9pm) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Rayanne Vitali and Andy Elliott were involved in the production of this Channel 4 documentary, including filming in the Exeter wildFIRE lab. Rayanne was interviewed about UK wildfires and was featured in the documentary (at approximately 24:10 mins / 50 min programme) |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | TV interview for Al Jazeera Inside Story "What's causing the current heatwave", 18th July 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was one of three experts interviewed as part of Al Jazeera's Inside Story exploring the recent extreme heat across Europe. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2022/7/18/whats-causing-the-current-heatwave |
Description | TV interview for Euronews Tonight, 20th July 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed for Euronews Tonight about recent wildfires across Europe, including devastating fires in London. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgTrzVbzKI |
Description | TV interview for Strait Talk "Europe Endures Devastating Heatwave" on TRT (Turkish Public Broadcaster), 25th July 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed about recent wildfires across Europe, including severe wildfires in the UK in July 2022. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D93qeSMgV9M&list=WL&index=2 |
Description | TV interview on China Global Television Network (CGTN) America, 27th July 2022 (Stefan Doerr) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr was interviewed about recent wildfires across Europe including the severe fires in the UK in July 2022. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WMin31sxQg&t=697s |
Description | Thomas Smith was interviewed by Rachel Halliburton about his wildfire research for the 'Drink the Wild' podcast (23/01/23) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Tom was interviewed for the 'Drink the Wild' podcast by Rachel Halliburton about his wildfire research, including work on the UKFDRS project. Released in January 2023. Podcast description: "We think we understand fire because we have experienced it, yet most of our intuitions are wrong. As the wildfire crisis continues to intensify, Drink The Wild Air talks to Dr Thomas Smith, a pioneer in the science of wildfire and Associate Professor In Environmental Geography at the London School of Economics. He has travelled all over the world to test out a unique method he has devised for measuring the gases produced by large-scale infernos. Here he talks to us about everything from his early experiences of forest fires to a hairy experience involving over-sized ants." |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/63a468ac69cd8e00119c4ecc?fbclid=IwAR38VHiR_5UdF_BWosQFFLRwMEU0R... |
Description | UKFDRS contribution to New Scientist article on UK wildfires (Thomas Smith, Tadas Nikonovas) "Record weather conditions made the UK's destructive wildfires possible" |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Thomas Smith and Tadas Nikonovas provided content for a New Scientist article "Record weather conditions made the UK's destructive wildfires possible". This include analysis and graphical presentation of Copernicus and EFFIS datasets. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.newscientist.com/article/2331818-record-weather-conditions-made-the-uks-destructive-wild... |
Description | UKFDRS press release on current and historical fire weather across the UK, 11th August 2022 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | The UKFDRS co-ordinated a press release, jointly released between University of Manchester and Swansea University highlighting the recent fire weather conditions and putting them into historical context. This included quotes from several members of the team and it highlighted how the UKFDRS project will aim to improve our knowledge in key areas. From this we had several follow requests from journalists for additional information/quotes, as well as radio and TV interviews. These included: BBC Wales, ITV Wales, Manchester World. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/unprecedented-extreme-wildfire-danger/ |
Description | UKFDRS team members presented at UK wildfire workshop, 11 Jan 2023 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Stefan Doerr, Ana Maria Pacheco Pascagaza, Gail Millin-Chalabi, Nick Kettridge from the UKFDRS project all presented papers at the "Progress in Fire Modelling in the UK & Europe" workshop hosted by the Leverhulme Centre for Wildfires, Environment and Society, 11 Jan 2023. Doerr, S. (2023) Centre for Wildfire Research. Pachecho Pascagaza, A.M., Millin-Chalabi (2023) Toward a UK Fire Danger rating system - static and dynamic fuel mapping. Kettridge, N. (2023) Toward a UK Fire Danger rating system - ecosystems and fires. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Various live contributions to BBC and Sky news on 19th July during extreme wildfire conditions (Andy Elliott, Thomas Smith) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Andy Elliott and Tom Smith were both interviewed for national broadcasters to provide comment on the severe wildfires impacting London and other part of the country on 19th July 2022 during the extreme heat. Andy was interviewed by BBC and Sky, and Tom was interviewed by Sky. No direct links available |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |