Professionals - Wildfires - Preparedness part 1

E-Learning for Wildfires
Professionals

Preparedness
This module on wildfire preparedness is divided into
three parts which cover the following topics:
• Part 1 - How to plan and prepare for wildfires
• Part 2 - How to train and exercise for wildfires
• Part 3 - How to warn and inform the public
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Wildfire Preparedness – Part 1:
How to plan and prepare for
wildfires
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Fire Behaviour
This is the first part of the module on wildfire preparedness and will
cover the following topics:
• Why is planning for wildfires important?
• Identifying and assessing wildfire risk
• Formulate strategic plans for wildfire
• Formulate local plans for wildfire
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Introduction: Why is planning for wildfires
important?

Why is planning important?
Firstly, as seen in the Wildfire Prevention module, wildfires can have
devastating impacts:
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Source: Junta de Andalucia (Spain)
… on the
environment
… on life
Source: Frederiksborg Fire and Rescue Service (Denmark)

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… on property
… on energy supplies

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… on heritage and culture
… on infrastructure
and the ability to
move around as
normal
Source: SPEIS Ayto. Alcala de Guadaira (Spain)

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… and on the economy

Secondly, climate change predictions for Europe state wildfires will become
more frequent and long-lasting, causing more damage and disruption:
“The consequences of climate change can already be noted through the
increase in the frequency of natural disasters. In Europe, according to the
Emergency Database of Disasters (EMDAT), the number of natural disasters
reported increased from 43 in 1974-1978 to 288 in 1999-2003. All the
agencies working on monitoring climate change agree that, in the future,
such consequences will intensify with the weather and temperatures being
more extreme. This will result in natural disasters such as wildfires being
more frequent and longer-lasting.” (Source: EEA 2007: Europe’s
Environment, the fourth assessment)
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Why will climate change increase frequency and impact of wildfires?
Climate change causes more extreme weather:
• Warmer Springs and Summers = more drying of fuels = more fuel available
to burn
• Wetter summers some years = more fuel growth
• Colder Winters = more dead fuels available to burn
Combined these trends are will lead to an increase in frequency and impact of
wildfires
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Thirdly, climate
change predictions are
also supported by
projected changes in
fire danger.
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Source: Joint Research Centre (JRC)

Thirdly, climate
change predictions are
also supported by
projected changes in
fire danger.
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Source: Joint Research Centre (JRC)
IMPORTANT: Increase
in fire danger are
projected across the
whole of Europe!

What is fire danger and why is a projected increase important?
Fire danger is a quantitative (numerical) assessment and indicator of the ease
of ignition, rate of spread, difficulty of control and likely impact of a wildfire
in a location at a given point in time.
In short, fire danger tells us how dangerous a wildfire would be if one started.
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What is fire danger and why is a projected increase important?
Fire danger is a quantitative (numerical) assessment and indicator of the ease
of ignition, rate of spread, difficulty of control and likely impact of a wildfire
in a location at a given point in time.
In short, fire danger tells us how dangerous a wildfire would be if one started.
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IMPORTANT: A projected increase in fire danger indicates that
wildfires will become more dangerous across Europe!

It is for these three key
reasons that it is vitally
important that all
countries in Europe
plan for wildfires.
…Wildfires are no
longer just an issue for
the Mediterranean –
they are and will
continue to affect the
whole of Europe.
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• To learn more about wildfire fire news and history in Europe visit the
European Forest Fire Information Service (EFFIS) website
• To learn more about projected changes in fire danger in Europe, visit:
the European Environment Agency website
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Find out more about

Visit the following websites to learn more about Fire Danger Rating Systems
(FDRS) and Fire Weather forecasts around the world:
• Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index
• United States National Park Service – Understanding Fire Danger
• FDRS in New Zealand
• FDRS for South East Asia
• Fire Danger Ratings in Western Australia
• European Fire Information System (EFFIS) - Europe
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Find out more about

Planning and preparedness for wildfires should follow a simple four-
phase process.
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How to plan for wildfires

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The key phases are now briefly explained:
• Plan – identify the risks / threats and what you can do to mitigate,
minimise or deal with them
• Do – identify the resources you have available and any “gaps” which
you might need to address to deal with the risk / threat
• Check – that your plans are deliverable, train and exercise and make
everyone involved aware of the plans
• Act – when required, implement the plans and identify any changes
required and implement them – review and revise the plans

The planning phase itself can be broken down into a number of important elements.
The following elements will be explained within this module:
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1. Identify and assess
wildfire risk

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wildfire risk
2. Formulate Plans

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wildfire risk
2. Formulate Plans
2. a) Formulate
Strategic Plans
2. b) Formulate
Local Plans

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wildfire risk
2. Formulate Plans
2. a) Formulate
Strategic Plans
2. b) Formulate
Local Plans
Detection, notification and mobilisation of
resources
Agreements with other agencies and
stakeholders
Provision and allocation of appropriate
resources
Provision of appropriate training
Provision of welfare

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wildfire risk
2. Formulate Plans
2. a) Formulate
Strategic Plans
2. b) Formulate
Local Plans
Detection, notification and mobilisation of
resources
3. Continuously review
and revise plans
Agreements with other agencies and
stakeholders
Provision and allocation of appropriate
resources
Provision of appropriate training
Provision of welfare

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Step 1: Identify and Assess Risk

Planning must start by identifying and assessing wildfire risk.
Fire and rescue services and other stakeholders need to identify and assess wildfire risk within
their area of responsibility.
When identifying and assessing wildfire risk, consideration should be given to the following:
• The causes of ignition
• Historical data
• Likely impact of fire events on local communities and the environment
• Awareness of local, regional and national weather conditions
• Vegetation and fuel
• Topography
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Planning must start by identifying and assessing wildfire risk.
Fire and rescue services and other stakeholders need to identify and assess wildfire risk within
their area of responsibility.
When identifying and assessing wildfire risk, consideration should be given to the following:
• The causes of ignition
• Historical data
• Likely impact of fire events on local communities and the environment
• Awareness of local, regional and national weather conditions
• Vegetation and fuel
• Topography
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Each of these
considerations
will now be
explained in
turn.

Understand the causes of ignition
• What are the main causes of wildfires in your
area?
• What data do you have to support this? Is the
data complete and reliable?
• Are fire investigations routinely completed to
identify the causes of wildfires?
• If not, how can you be sure you know what the
actual causes of wildfires are?
• Evidence from fire investigations is crucial for
the development and implementation of
effective wildfire prevention activities
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Photo (below): Identifying the Cause of a Wildfire during a Fire Investigation

Understand the causes of ignition
Information and evidence gathered during fire investigations is crucial for:
• Developing and implementing effective wildfire prevention activities
• Developing appropriate wildfire preparedness plans
• Assessing and evaluating wildfire response
• Identifying lessons learned and improving current practices
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Fire investigation for wildfires requires specialist knowledge and training.
Visit the following websites to learn more about fire investigation of wildfires:
• EUROPE - Wildfire Investigation Course 2015
• USA - Wildfire Origin and Cause Determination Handbook – National
Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), USA
• AUSTRALIA - Australian training package in serial wildfire arson
investigation goes international
Find out more about

The videos on the following page provides more information about fire
investigation at wildfire incidents.
The videos provide an introduction to the processes used in fire
investigation and some of the indicators that fire investigators can use to
investigate wildfires and determine the point of origin and cause of
ignition. Please be aware that processes and procedures can vary
according to different national and local legislation and practices.
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Analyse historical data
• Where have fires occurred in the past?
• How much damage did they cause?
• What were the weather conditions at the time?
• When do wildfires tend to occur? Why may this be the case?
• Are there any identifiable trends?
• For example, have previous wildfires occurred in particular locations and/or during
particular weather conditions?
• What were the impacts of previous wildfires?
• You should consider impacts on life, property, environment, infrastructure, economy and
local communities.
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Assess the likely impact on local communities
Potential impacts can be wide ranging, but some of the issues to consider
when identifying and assessing risk are:
• How would a wildfire affect the local community?
• Could a wildfire affect telecommunications and the road infrastructure?
• Could a wildfire entrap members of the local community?
• Are evacuation plans needed for specific communities?
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Analyse national, regional and local
weather patterns
• Analysis of weather conditions recorded during
previous wildfires can help to identify trends and
patterns
• For example, large wildfires which are difficult to
contain may occur during particular weather
conditions – perhaps during dry periods and/or
when winds blow from a particular direction
• Identification of trends can help identify when and
where wildfire risk may be greatest – which can in
turn be used to develop effective:
• preparedness plans
• response plans
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Photo (below): Using Analysis of Weather Patterns and
Topography to Predict Potential Fire Spread

Understand the vegetation and fuel within
your area
• What vegetation and fuel is available to
burn?
• How does it burn?
• How does fire spread through the fuel?
• How is the fuel arranged -horizontally
and vertically?
• Are there ladder fuels?
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Source: Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (UK)

Understand the topography within your
area
• What is the topography like?
• How steep are the slopes?
• Are there particular locations that are
high risk due to topography?
• Does the topography limit access to
vehicles and personnel on foot?
• How does the local topography influence
wind speed and direction?
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Part 1: How to plan for wildfires
Step 2: Formulate Plans

Once you have identified and assessed wildfire risk, you then need to
start formulating appropriate plans to ensure a safe and effective
response.
There are two key types of plans:
• Strategic Wildfire Plans
• Local or Operational Wildfire Plans
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Step 2 a) Formulate Strategic Plans

Strategic plans
Fire and rescue services and other stakeholders should develop strategic plans
for wildfire which may include:
1. Detection, notification and mobilisation of resources
2. Agreements between agencies/stakeholders regarding roles and
responsibilities
3. Provision and allocation of appropriate resources
4. Provision of appropriate training
5. Provision of welfare
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Strategic plans
Fire and rescue services and other stakeholders should develop strategic plans
for wildfire which may include:
responsibilities
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Each of these
elements will now
be explained in
turn.

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a) Detection is:
“The act or process of discovering,
locating and reporting wildfire
incidents.”
* Definition from the EUFOFINET Project’s European Glossary for Wildfires
and Forest Fires (2012)

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a) Detection is:
“The act or process of discovering,
locating and reporting wildfire
incidents.”
IMPORTANT: Early detection is
very important for effectively
suppressing wildfires before
they become extremely
damaging and difficult to
contain.
* Definition from the EUFOFINET Project’s European Glossary for Wildfires
and Forest Fires (2012)

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Detection of wildfires can take many different forms, dependent upon
local resources and requirements.
The three different key types of detection are:
Type of detection Description Examples
Manual detection “A wildfire detection system which is operated by
and requires direct control from a person”*
Observation towers, patrols
Semi-automatic
detection
“A detection system which is partially operated by
itself and partially operated by manual control.”*
Semi-automatic camera
systems
Automatic detection “A wildfire detection device which operates by itself
with little or no direct human control.”*
Camera systems, satellite
systems
* Definitions from the EUFOFINET Project’s European Glossary for Wildfires and Forest Fires (2012)

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Automatic
DetectionSystems
Manual detection using
lookout towers

Detection can also take place from the air.
Aerial detection can be either planned or
unplanned:
• “Planned – where an agency mobilizes aircraft
with aerial observers for the specific purpose of
detecting wildfires;”
• Unplanned – “where an aircraft not specifically
hired or mobilised to detect wildfires reports a
wildfire to a responsible agency. For example,
unplanned aerial detection may come from
passenger airplanes or other leisure aircraft.”*
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* Definition from the EUFOFINET Project’s European Glossary for Wildfires and Forest Fires (2012)

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To find out more about detection systems,
click on the Synthesis of Good Practice on
Detection (right) which was produced by
the National Forest Center in Slovakia
during the EUFOFINET project.
Find out more about

b) Notification of an emergency
When a wildfire is detected, the
appropriate organisation(s) will be
notified, most likely via a call to the
emergency number 112.
Emergency call handlers receive the call
and record the information provided by
the caller. They are often responsible for
mobilising personnel and other resources
to attend the incident. Emergency call
handlers relaying the information
gathered from the caller to the first
responders to help prepare them for
what they may encounter when they
arrive on scene.
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c) Mobilisation of resources
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• Once notified of a wildfire, appropriate resources
must be mobilised to the fire.
• Appropriate mobilisation procedures must be in place
to ensure the correct resources are mobilised quickly
and effectively.
• An effective communication system also needs to be in
place to enable those handling emergency calls to
communicate effectively with officers travelling to
and attending the wildfire incident.
• Personnel mobilising resources need to know what
resources are available, where they are located and
the basic limitations of those resources.
• They also need to have information about any
resources that may be unavailable for any reason on a
particular day or at particular times.

2. Agreements between agencies/stakeholders regarding roles
and responsibilities
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Wildfires can be multi-agency incidents. This
means multiple organisations and individuals
may attend to provide assistance which means
there are multiple parts to the puzzle.
This creates opportunities for collaboration. But
it also creates hazards that need to be managed.

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Multiagency involvement can
create opportunities- for
instance, sharing personnel,
equipment and expertise.
It can also create hazards that
need to be managed. The
development of agreements with
other organisations is important
for helping to control some of
these hazards.

responsibilities
Wildfires can be multi-agency incidents. This means multiple organisations
and individuals may attend to provide assistance with fire suppression or
other related activities.
It is crucially important that roles and responsibilities of all
agencies/organisations are clearly defined and agreed before wildfire
incidents occur. This helps ensure:
• Safety
• Effectiveness
• Efficiency
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Strategic planning for wildfire incidents should consider that
collaborative, joined-up, partnership working and planning between all
stakeholders can provide significant benefits.
The video on the next page explains how multiple partners from the
public and private sector are working collaboratively together to
strategically plan how to prevent, prepare and respond to wildfire
incidents in Northumberland (UK). Similar local/regional groups have
been established in other areas of the UK and in other countries.
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It is important that all personnel from all organisations attending
wildfires know:
• Which organisation will take responsibility for the commanding the
incident?
• What incident command system will be used?
• How does everyone fit into the incident command system?
• What personnel, equipment and vehicles will each organisation
supply and/or operate?
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It is also important to outline how
communications will work at an
incident:
• What information will be
communicated?
• How will information be
communicated?
• Who will communicate the
information?
• When will briefings be used and when
will other forms of communication be
used
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Some organisations use standard briefing systems that include specific
categories that must be covered during briefings.
SMEAC is an example of a briefing system used at wildfire incidents.
Letter Category Brief explanation
S Situation Description of the fire, fire behaviour, fuel, weather and topography
M Mission Details of the overall incident plan and role/tasks of the team
E Execution Information on how the team will operate and carry out tasks
A Administration Information about logistics and welfare arrangements
C Command and Control Information on command structure and communications

• To find out more about how SMEAC can be used at wildfire incidents,
refer to pages 187-188 of the Scottish Government’s (2013) Fire and
Rescue Service Wildfire Operational Guidance
• To see an example of a SMEAC briefing form refer to page 323 of the
Scottish Government’s (2013) Fire and Rescue Service Wildfire
Operational Guidance
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Find out more about SMEAC

Importantly, strategic planning needs to ensure:
• Appropriate agreements are made between organisations that might
respond – this may include
• The content of the agreements are communicated to all relevant
personnel
• All personnel attending from all organisations know how the incident
will be managed and understand their roles and responsibilities
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Fire and rescue services and other stakeholders should procure and
supply appropriate resources for wildfire suppression. The resources
required will include:
a) Appropriate equipment
b) Provision of personal protective equipment
c) Trained personnel
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Each of these three
types of resources
will now be explained
in turn.

a) Appropriate Equipment
Wildfires often occur within
remote, challenging locations
and can spread over large areas
of the landscape with varied
vegetation and topography.
Roads and footpaths may or may
not be present.
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Even if there are roads and
footpaths, these may be steep,
uneven and unsuitable for
vehicles. Fire crews may need to
walk distances to where they
are working
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The topography, terrain
and weather conditions
may make access and the
movement of equipment
difficult.
It may mean that
responders require
specialist equipment.
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Strategic plans should identify any specialist equipment that may be
needed to safely and effectively deal with wildfire incidents.
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Strategic plans should also outline:
• how specialist equipment will be
made available
• who can use the specialist equipment
• What training is required to operate
the specialist equipment

Strategic planning needs to solve the issue of how equipment will be supplied when
it is needed. There are many different ways of making these arrangements, but
broadly speaking they fall within two different types of arrangements. Fire and
Rescue services and other stakeholders may:
• Purchase specialist equipment.
• Develop arrangements with other organisations that may be able to provide
specialist equipment if and when it is needed.
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Strategic planning needs to solve the issue of how equipment will be supplied when
it is needed. There are many different ways of making these arrangements, but
broadly speaking they fall within two different types of arrangements. Fire and
Rescue services and other stakeholders may:
• Purchase specialist equipment.
• Develop arrangements with other organisations that may be able to provide
specialist equipment if and when it is needed.
Some examples of specialist equipment that may be used effectively at wildfire
incidents are now provided.
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Vehicles with off-road capability
Large fire appliances and vehicles
are often not suitable and/or may
experience difficulties.
Strategic plans need to assess the
places that fire crews need to
drive with their vehicles and
provide appropriate vehicles.
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Options for vehicles may
include:
4x4 fire appliances and
support vehicles
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Options for vehicles may include:
4x4 Utility Vehicles
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Options for vehicles may include:
Other off-road vehicles
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Portable pumps and fogging systems
Smaller pumps, mounted on 4x4
vehicles
Fogging systems can be extremely
effective for wildfire suppression as
they produce a fine mist is very
effective at reducing fire intensity
while using less water than larger
pumps and hoses.
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Hand tools
There are a wide variety of different hand tools that can be used
effectively at wildfire incidents.
Some are used to remove vegetation (i.e. fuel). Examples include:
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McLeod Rakes
Pulaskis Mattocks,
Hoes and
Adzes

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Knapsack
sprayersFire
beaters/flappers
Hand tools
Some hand tools are used to directly attack the fire:, sometimes in a
combined attack (as illustrated below)

Hand tools
Hand tools come in many different shapes and designs. For example,
there are numerous different designs of fire beaters (examples pictured
below).
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Some have wooden handles and rubber flappers,
while others have metal handles and shovel type
heads.
Different designs work well in different fuels.
Strategic plans need to identify and provide the
hand tools that will be most effective in the fuels
that will be encountered.

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Here are some additional examples of
useful hand tools for wildfire incidents.
Some of these tools are standard tools
that will be used at other types of
incidents attended by fire and rescue
services.

This picture shows a team of firefighters
using hand tools (pulaskis) to remove
fuel – in this case a small shrub called
heather.
This photograph also illustrates the
importance of good team work.
One member of the team is monitoring
the fire and surroundings and can
quickly communicate and changes and
hazards to the rest of the team, helping to
keep everyone safe. This approach is
based on the LACES safety protocol,
which is explained later in this module.
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Power tools, mechanised equipment and
vehicles
A range of different power tools may be
effective for different suppression activities.
Some examples are included on this page.
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Above - Leaf
blowers have been
used to suppress
grass fires
Left – chainsaws can be used by specially trained
personnel to remove trees in front of an
advancing fire, perhaps to protect property,
overhead power lines

Heavy mechanised equipment and vehicles
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Source: Frederikssund-Halsnæs Fire and Rescue Service (Denmark),
Junta de Andalucia (Spain) and Northumberland Fire and Rescue
Service (UK)
Bulldozers and
tractors
Pedestrian
mowers

Heavy mechanised equipment and vehicles
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Source: Frederikssund-Halsnæs Fire and Rescue Service (Denmark)
Water tankers, slurry tankers and
water sprayers

Alternative water
containers and supplies…
such as portable dams
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Source: Frederikssund-Halsnæs Fire and Rescue Service (Denmark)

Equipment for using fire as a
suppression tactic
Some fire and rescue services light
controlled fires as a suppression tactic.
Fires can be lit to burn fuel in front of an
advancing fire. Further information is
provided in the next module on
“response and recovery”.
The main tool required for using fire as
a suppression tactic is a drip torch.
These come in different sizes (pictured
right)
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Source: Junta de Andalucia (Spain) Northumberland Fire and Rescue
Service (UK)

Communications
equipment
Topography may make
communications difficult. There
may be black spots for mobile
phones and standard radios.
Specialist communication
equipment may therefore be
required at wildfires.
Some fire and rescue services have
specialist command vehicles that can
provide specialist communications
equipment at wildfire incidents (pictured
right). e-Learning for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to
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INSIDE
OUTSIDE

Aerial firefighting resources
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Source: Junta de Andalucia (Spain) and Steve Gibson

Aerial firefighting resources
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Source: Junta de Andalucia
(Spain) and Steve Gibson

b) Provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
To protect personnel from the direct effects of wildfire, including flames, heat and
smoke, appropriate PPE should be procured and supplied.
PPE should also be provide d to give protection to personnel from the terrain and
environment in which they are working.
PPE used for structural fires may not be suitable at wildfire incidents because it can
accelerate the onset of fatigue and heat-related illnesses due to its insulation value.
Strategic plans should consider whether wildfire-specific PPE should be provided to
personnel.
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Wildfire-specific PPE, as
shown in the picture, is
light-weight and flame
retardant.
It provides protection from
heat and flames while also
allowing evaporation of
sweat and body cooling.
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Source: Steve Gibson

ISO is an independent, non-governmental, international organisation that publishes
International Standards for products, services and systems to ensure quality, safety and
efficiency.
ISO has published international standards for wildfire firefighting PPE:
• ISO 16073:2011 Wildfire firefighting personal protective equipment – requirements and
test methods (new and updated version)
• ISO 15614:2007 Wildfire firefighting personal protective equipment
Visit the ISO website for further details on these PPE standards
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Other types of PPE that are important for wildfires include:
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Eye protection – for instance goggles. Wildfires often generate a lot of
smoke and burning embers in the air. It is vitally important that
personnel have eye protection, like goggles, to protect their eyes.
Helmet – Helmets used for structural fires may be too heavy for use at
wildfires. However, personnel still need head protection at wildfires
for instance to protect them from burning embers and tools being
used. Smaller, light weight helmets may be more appropriate and
comfortable

Other types of PPE that are important include:
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Footwear – Footwear is extremely important . Footwear needs to
provide a good level of comfort and ankle support for personnel
because they may be required to walk over varied terrain. Footwear
also needs to provide protection from the fire and from equipment
being used.
Gloves – Gloves need to have good insulating properties to protect
from heat and flames. However, the gloves must also allow personnel
to adequately grip tools and operate equipment.

Strategic plans need to outline the training personnel
need in order to deem them competent to perform
their roles safely and effectively at wildfire incidents.
If multiple organisations will be attending wildfire
incidents then personnel from all organisations will
require appropriate training, both from their own
organisation and as part of multiagency training.
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Strategic plans need to outline the training personnel
need in order to deem them competent to perform
their roles safely and effectively at wildfire incidents.
If multiple organisations will be attending wildfire
incidents then personnel from all organisations will
require appropriate training, both from their own
organisation and as part of multiagency training.
Part 2 of this module will explain in more detail how
to train and exercise for wildfire incidents.
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Wildfires can be long protracted
incidents. Fire crews may need to work in
very difficult conditions, including heat,
smoke and strenuous work.
Strategic plans need to include
arrangements to keep personnel healthy
and safe while suppressing wildfires.
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Welfare planning should include
arrangements for:
• Rest periods for fire crews - how
and when will these be
provided?
• Relief periods for fire crews –
how and when will they be
replaced?
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Welfare planning also include arrangements
for:
• Provision of adequate food and water for fire
crews
• Provision of toilet and washing facilities for
fire crews
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Step 2 b) Formulate Local Wildfire Plans

Formulate local wildfire fire plans
Fire and rescue services and other stakeholders should also develop
local wildfire fire plans. These plans will identify and assess localised
risk and will need to address similar issues to strategic planning but
focusing on the local scale.
In addition, local plans should gather more site specific information
about wildfire risk within the area of responsibility.
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Formulate local wildfire fire plans
Fire and rescue services and other stakeholders should also develop
local wildfire fire plans. These plans will identify and assess localised
risk and will need to address similar issues to strategic planning but
focusing on the local scale.
In addition, local plans should gather more site specific information
about wildfire risk within the area of responsibility.
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Please note: local wildfire fire plans are also sometimes called “local suppression
plans” or “operational wildfire plans”

The main purpose of developing local wildfire plans is to assist with
preparedness for wildfire incidents. Wildfire plans provide firefighters with
information they need when responding to a wildfire incident in a particular
location.
The information contained within the plans is gathered before there is an
incident. The information required often comes from many different sources
and it may be difficult and time-consuming to obtain at an actual incident.
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102

The main purpose of developing local wildfire plans is to assist with
preparedness for wildfire incidents. Wildfire plans provide firefighters with
information they need when responding to a wildfire incident in a particular
location.
The information contained within the plans is gathered before there is an
incident. The information required often comes from many different sources
and it may be difficult and time-consuming to obtain at an actual incident.
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103
Wildfire plans can also be used as a useful training and exercising tool. This is
explained later in the module.

When developing local wildfire fire plans, organisations need to decide:
• An appropriate scale and coverage for local plans, based upon risk and
other factors
• What information needs to be included within local plans to make them
effective
Local plans should always be developed in collaboration with other
organisations and stakeholders because they may have specific knowledge
and expertise that could be important for the plan.
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However, for wildfire fire plans to be effective they need to:
• Be simple and easy to use
• Be readily available to firefighters and fire officers on route and at the
scene of a wildfire
• Include maps showing the location of important features and hazards
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REMEMBER: the creation of wildfire fire plans helps save time and enables fire
officers and other stakeholders to make informed decisions more quickly and
efficiently should a wildfire occur.

Maps included within local wildfire fire plans are invaluable. Make sure
that maps use appropriate common symbols that are easily recognisable.
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106

Some countries within the EU are developing or have already developed
common map symbols for emergency responders. Common symbols
help all responders to understand one another and use the same
information effectively.
For more information about the common symbols for emergency
responders in the UK, visit the UK Government website and the
Ordnance Survey website.
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107
Find out more about Common Map Symbols
for Emergency Responders

The simple step-by-step
process shown on the next
page has been implemented
successfully to develop local
wildfire plans in the UK.
This process serves as a useful
guide for developing effective
local wildfire fire plans
anywhere in Europe.
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108

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109
1. IDENTIFY AND PRIORITISE - Identify sites with wildfire risks & prioritise
2. GATHER INFORMATION - Gather information from all available sources – also
consider completing site visits to gather information and enable fire crews to
familiarize themselves with the site
3. RECORD - Record all important information within a standardized wildfire fire
plan template. The form should be designed to be concise, easy to read and easy
to recognise.
4. PUBLISH - Publish the wildfire fire plan and make it readily available to fire
crews and officers attending wildfire incidents
5. REVIEW, TRAIN AND EXERCISE – Schedule regular reviews and to check the
accuracy of the wildfire fire plan and update as necessary. Also consider
organizing training to test individual wildfire fire plans.
5 step process for
developing local
wildfire fire plans
Repeat
process

The next three pages provide some suggestions of important information that
could be included within local wildfire plans. The idea is to provide some
general suggestions and inspiration.
Please note that these are purely included as examples. There might be other
pieces of useful information available at the local level that could be included.
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110

The next three pages provide some suggestions of important information that
could be included within local wildfire plans. The idea is to provide some
general suggestions and inspiration.
Please note that these are purely included as examples. There might be other
pieces of useful information available at the local level that could be included.
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111
Remember… local plans should always be developed with local needs
and requirements in mind.

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112
Category of information Description
Relevant contact details For example, the names and telephone numbers of the land owner and land
manager for a particular site/area.
Communication methods
and procedures
Establishing what means of communication can be used in the area and what
procedures may be put in place.
Rendezvous Points (RVPs) ‘A predetermined location where resources arriving at a wildfire incident will
report’.* An appropriate RVP needs to have good access, be relatively easy to find
and have ample space for numerous vehicles.
Hazards Identification of anything within the area that has the potential to cause harm to
those responding to a wildfire.
Fuels Description of the types, condition and arrangement of fuels found within the area.
Access points ‘A point of entry, exit and/or route to an incident location.’*
* Definitions from the EUFOFINET Project’s European Glossary for Wildfires and Forest Fires (2012)

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Water supplies List of water sources available within the local area and an assessment of what
equipment can be used. For example, plans should identify which water sources can
be used for aerial resources and which can be used by pumps on the ground. If
water sources are seasonal, then this should be recorded on the plan.
Equipment List of any useful equipment that may be available locally. The location of the
equipment should also be recorded.
Building and site plans Plans of important buildings may help in the development of suppression plans and
perhaps also with evacuation plans, if these are needed.
Land cover and stock maps Land cover maps show the location different types of fuel (vegetation) and stock
maps show the locations and groupings of different types of trees and trees of
different ages. These can be invaluable for predicting likely fire behaviour and
therefore for developing suppression plans.

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114
Protected sites Areas and habitats that have protected status – for instance, World Heritage Sites,
national parks, nature reserves, archaeological sites, ancient monuments
Neighbouring landowners
and land managers
Contact details of those owning and managing neighbouring land – to contact in
case of a wildfire that may also affect their land and/or to request assistance.
Insurance arrangements Details of any insurance arrangements the landowner has in place which may
influence suppression tactics. For example, some landowners have insurance that
covers the cost of using helicopters to fight wildfires.
Maps Maps are invaluable parts of wildfire fire plans. They indicate where key features
and hazards are located and can be a key tool to assist in the development of
appropriate suppression plans and the delivery of briefings to suppression crews.
Digital photography Photographs can assist personnel by illustrating the landscape and vegetation
within the area. It can also be useful for showing and making personnel aware of
specific hazards.

The video on the next page explains some of the difficulties that may be
experienced when trying to provide water for fighting in rural and
rural-urban interface environments.
These difficulties can be mitigated through carefully pre-planning at
the local level.
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115

Like strategic plans, local plans must be subject to regular review and
revision to ensure they are kept up to date.
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118
If local plans contain information
that is out of date then fire crews
may waste time and effort. It may
also lead to unsafe situations!
Once a local plan is produced this is
not an end result. Reviews and
updates are crucial parts of the
process!

Visit the following websites in the UK to find out more about local wildfire
fire plans developed within different sectors:
• Scottish Government’s (2013) Fire and Rescue Service Wildfire Operational
Guidance :
• See pages 34-35 for an explanation of fire plans
• See page 307 for an example fire plan
• Forestry Commission’s (2014) Building wildfire resilience into forest
management planning
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Find out more about Local Wildfire Fire Plans

You can also find out more about fire
plans by clicking on the Synthesis of Good
Practice on Prevention (right) which was
produced by Frederikssund-Halsnæs Fire
and Rescue Service (Denmark) during the
EUFOFINET project.
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Find out more about Local Wildfire Fire Plans

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121
End of Wildfire Preparedness: Part 1
We hope you enjoyed this
part of the module!
Please visit the next part
which covers explains how to
train and exercise in
preparation for wildfires.

This educational resource has been produced by the partners of the e-PPR Project (e-Learning for the Prevention, Preparedness and
Response to Natural Disasters) with the support of the Erasmus+ programme.
Unless otherwise stated, this educational resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
License. It is attributed to the partners of the e-PPR project. Further information can be found at www.e-ppr.eu
The authors are committed to respecting the intellectual property rights of others, and have taken all reasonable efforts to ensure that
the reproduction of content (text, pictures, etc.) has been done with the full consent of copyright holders and that all copyright holders
are acknowledged in such reproductions. If you feel that your copyright has not been fully respected, please contact us by email at
projectmanager@e-ppr.eu.
If you are going to use parts of the content with materials whose copyright holder(s) is/are not the authors, it is your responsibility to
make sure you do so, respecting the original holder’s copyrights.
This content is the sole responsibility of the project partners and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.
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122
Copyright Statement

Professionals - Wildfires - Preparedness part 1

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