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REDUCING THE RISK OF FOREST FIRE
Every year in Ireland, several hundred hectares of forests and woodland are destroyed by fire.
The highest risk period occurs between February and June, when ground vegetation is dead and dry following winter. For this reason the danger can be extremely high even when it has rained recently.
There are some simple, cost effective steps that forest owners can take to reduce the risk of fire damage to plantations.
These steps include:
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DO NOT LIGHT FIRES IN OR NEAR WOODLAND
- PLAN AHEAD
Fire Plans should be
developed for all plantations, including a
map showing access and assembly points
for fire fighting personnel and equipment
and potential sources of water. The plan
should also include contact details for the
emergency services, local private and
Coillte foresters, neighbouring landowners
and forest owners in order to summon
help should the need arise. Have fire-fighting tools such as beaters and
knapsack sprayers to hand and ready to
use. If you do not live in reasonable
proximity to your woodland a local
caretaker or forest neighbour should also
have a copy of the fire plan with your and
all the above contact numbers.
- INSURE YOUR CROP
Forest crops should be insured against
losses by fire, particularly as there is no
longer a grant scheme which covers the
cost of replanting or reconstituting a
woodland after fire. In the event of a fire
destroying a forest area, the owner would
have to replant this area at his/her own
cost or face repaying all past
grants/premiums for this area to Forest
Service.
Check the Online Directory for a list of Insurance Companies
- CHECK FIRE BREAKS
It is the owners?
responsibility to ensure that Fire Breaks
surrounding plantations are inspected annually
prior to the fire season and maintained in
an effective, vegetation free condition.
Ideally Fire Breaks should be at least 6 metres
wide.
- DISCUSS WITH NEIGHBOURS
Cooperation between neighbouring landowners is vital to successful fire prevention.
- BE VIGILANT Forest Owners should be particularly vigilant following prolonged dry spells. A period of 24 hours is sufficient to dry out dead moorland vegetation following rain, where windy conditions exist. Where
fire is seen in or within the general proximity
of any forest area the local Garda and your
local private and Coillte foresters should be
notified. For the contact number of private
forestry consultants and companies see the Online Directory. For the contact
number of your local Coillte forester phone
Coillte at 01 2011111.
- OFFENCE
It is a legal offence to cut, grub,
burn or otherwise destroy any vegetation
growing on any land not then cultivated
between 1st day of March and 31st day of
August in any year.
- REPORT LOSSES
If a plantation is
destroyed or damaged by fire, the incident
should be reported to the nearest Garda
Station, your local Coillte or private forester
and to the Forest Service.
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 Met Éireann
Fire Weather
Index
Met Éireann produces a Fire Weather Index, using a Canadian Model, which assesses the fire risk in an area taking into account current and past weather conditions (See Figure 1). It also uses forecast weather information to produce a forecast index for five days ahead (See Figure 2).
This Fire Index is of particular interest to forest owners.
For the most recent 5 day Fire Weather Index click on the following Links:
(Available February - October)
 Fire Weather Index - Last 5 Days
Fire Weather Index - 5 Days ahead
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
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The European Forest Fire Information System
The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) is an integrated web-based
spatial information system that provides access to real-time pre- and post-forest fire
information across Europe. EFFIS is the focal point of information on forest fires in
Europe. It has been established by the European Commission Joint Research Centre
and the Directorate General for Environment to support the national services in charge
of the protection of forests against fires in the EU and neighbouring countries, and to
provide the EC services and the European Parliament with up to date and harmonized
information on forest fires in Europe. Fire prevention, preparedness, active fire
fighting and post-fire assessments are supported by EFFIS. The online mapping tool
displays pan-European, spatially referenced forest fire information that includes: fire
hot spots, delineations of burnt areas and forecasted Fire Danger levels derived from
meteorological forecast data. In addition, during the main fire season, local authorities
receive daily updates of forecasted fire danger. EFFIS also maintains a historic
database of individual forest fire events in Europe collected by the national services,
which is a valuable repository of information used for research and modelling
purposes.
Further information on EFFIS is available at: http://effis.jrc.ec.europa.eu and the webmapping
tool of the current situation can be found here:
http://effis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/current-situation |
