Despite the wet and cool spring and summer in Britain, wildfires are still occurring: on 20th June extinguishing a 1 ha heathland fire near Exeter required 12 vehicles and many firefighters from the Devon & Somerset FRS. Wildfires occur in woodlands as well, and often they have spread from neighbouring open habitats like heaths and moorland, or from accidental fires in mature field crops near harvest.
We are nearing the second seasonal wildfire peak that occurs in mid-to-late summer if there are lengthy, dry and hot periods. Summer 2022 provided stark evidence of wildfire risk, with over 25,000 wildfires recorded in England alone and over 40 properties destroyed. There is little doubt that increasing temperatures and more heat waves will increase fire risk and the ‘wildfire season’ is getting more prolonged.
Understanding the wildfire risk for their woodland is key for all managers, and once assessed, can point to ways to reduce the risk of wildfire occurring, and to aid preparation if it does. Areas with young conifer stands are particularly at risk of wildfire damage, as are young, newly planted open stands with a lot of ground vegetation. Some tree species are more flammable than others, and the local context (such as adjacent land use) is a key determinant of risk. Taking part in the Forest Lab https://myforest.sylva.org.uk/lab survey of wildfire will highlight the important risk factors for your situation and allow you to assess the risk for your woodland, and suggest possible risk-reduction and preparedness measures, if needed. It will also help researchers understand the wildfire risks for woodlands.
Forest Lab is built within myForest, a woodland creation and management platform designed and run by Sylva Foundation. Embedding Forest Lab within myForest means that all users of the platform can get involved simply, and they are able to share any data they want from their existing maps and plans. If you are a myForest user you can join Forest Lab from your account.
