This document provides information on warning and informing the public during wildfires. It discusses how weather services can be used to predict fire severity and issue early warnings. Plans should outline who is responsible for warnings and how they will be disseminated. Warnings may instruct people to stay indoors, temporarily evacuate less at-risk areas, or fully evacuate if danger is imminent. Evacuation plans must coordinate transportation, routes, and shelter for evacuees.

1. E-Learning for Wildfires
Professionals

2. Wildfire Preparedness – Part 3:
How to warn and inform the public
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3. This is the third part of the module on wildfire preparedness and will
cover the following topics:
• Warning and informing
• Preparing for evacuation
The aim of this part of the module is to provide a brief explanation of
how first responders can prepare so that they are ready to warn and
inform the public in the event of a wildfire.
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4. At any stage of the wildfire disaster, it may be necessary to warn
members of the public and to provide important information to help
keep them safe and to help with the suppression of the fire.
Both strategic and local wildfire plans need to include specific plans for
how to warn, inform and communicate with members of the public
during a wildfire incident. The level of communication and warning
will depend upon the scale and severity of the wildfire, so plans should
be easily scalable for different circumstances.
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How to warn and inform the public

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Communication with the public can and
should start when forecasted conditions
indicate the potential for wildfires to burn
and spread.
Most European countries have weather
warning services to alert the public and
emergency responders of severe weather
which has the potential to cause danger to
life or widespread disruption.
A standardised warning system is often used
to warn of the potential impacts of
forthcoming weather events (see right)
How to warn and inform the public

6. Existing weather services may or may not include warnings for wildfire
risk/fire danger.
The UK Met Office, however, does produce Fire Severity Index (FSI)
Maps for England and Wales. These maps are publicly available and
show the current day’s fire severity and a forecast of likely fire severity
over the next five days.
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How to warn and inform the public

7. Existing weather services may or may not include warnings for wildfire
risk/fire danger.
The UK Met Office, however, does produce Fire Severity Index (FSI)
Maps for England and Wales. These maps are publicly available and
show the current day’s fire severity and a forecast of likely fire severity
over the next five days.
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How to warn and inform the public
Fire severity is defined by the Met Office as an assessment of how severe a
fire could become if one were to start (but it is not an assessment of the
risk of wildfires occurring).

8. The England and Wales Fire Severity Index (FSI) is calculated using
parts of the the Canadian Fire Weather Index System (FWI). Other fire
weather indices around the World also use some or all of this system.
Click on the following links to find out more about the England and
Wales FSI on the website and within a Met Office leaflet
The video on the next page provides some further information about the
Canadian FWI.
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How to warn and inform the public

9. The index values of the UK FSI are from 1 to 5 (1 being low severity and
5 being exceptional severity).
On a practical level, fire danger/severity forecasts are used around the
World to trigger wildfire prevention and preparedness activities. Some
of these activities relate specifically to warning and informing the
public while others focus on other aspects of prevention and
preparedness.
Some specific examples are provided on the next page.
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How to warn and inform the public

10. e-Learning for the Prevention, Preparedness and Response to
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How to warn and inform the public
Wildfire Prevention Example:
In England and Wales, if the FSI
reaches Level 5 within an area
then open access rights (i.e. the
“right to roam” freely over access
land without using footpaths) are
suspended. The purpose of this is
to limit access to these areas and
reduce the likelihood of accidental
fires occurring.
Wildfire Preparedness Example:
Some Fire and Rescue Services in
England and Wales use the Met
Office’s FSI to trigger preapredness
activities. For example, if the FSI
reaches a certain level then
specific wildfire vehicles and
equipment are made ready for fast
deployment in case a wildfire is
reported.

11. Another source of information about potential wildfire risk is the
European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).
This system covers the whole of Europe and is publicly accessible. It
produces fire danger rating forecasts and presents these on maps.
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How to warn and inform the public

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How to warn and inform the public
You can find out more about the FSI on the Met Office’s website.
The Met Office has also produced a number of interesting factsheets and reports on fire
weather conditions and how weather influences fires in different fuels:
• FSI Factsheet
• Spring 2011 fire weather conditions report
• Weather and grass fires
• Weather and fires in peat soils
• Fire behaviour in shrub fuels
Find out more about the Met Office’s Fire
Severity Index (FSI)

13. Warning and informing in practice
Wildfires can be complex and dynamic incidents. Fires can change
directions and this can alter what and who is at risk at different times.
Incident commanders must be able to predict where a wildfire will burn
and how quickly it will spread. They also need to know when and
where changes in fire behaviour will occur.
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How to warn and inform the public

14. Warning and informing in practice
Wildfires can be complex and dynamic incidents. Fires can change
directions and this can alter what and who is at risk at different times.
Incident commanders must be able to predict where a wildfire will burn
and how quickly it will spread. They also need to know when and
where changes in fire behaviour will occur.
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Please note: wildfire prediction will not be explained further here as it has
already been explained in the wildfire prevention module.
How to warn and inform the public

15. Warning and informing in
practice
For the population located in
areas which are part of a local
wildfire fire plan, the
individuals and businesses
should be contacted using the
contact details included
provided within the plan.
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How to warn and inform the public
Source: Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (UK)

16. For those members of the public who do not have their contact details recorded
within local wildfire fire plans, some or all of the following options could be
considered, depending upon the target groups that need to be reached:
• Door to door visits
• Information via loud speakers
• Information circulated through the media, radio, social media, etc.
It is important that plans for warning and informing state which organisation and
individuals are responsible for issuing warnings and outline how those warnings
will be issued. Where possible, plans should try to make sure that any warnings
issued are done in conjunction with and/or shared with other partner agencies.
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How to warn and inform the public

17. Where possible, plans should try to make sure that any warnings issued
are done in conjunction with and/or shared with other partner agencies.
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How to warn and inform the public
This helps ensure:
• Clear, consistent messages are circulated to
the public
• All agencies are aware of what is going on
• All agencies involved can circulate the same
messages through their networks and contacts
to ensure as many people as possible are
informed
Source: Junta de Andalucia (Spain)

18. In the event of a wildfire, members of the public may simply need
information about what is happening and where they should try and
avoid.
However, during other wildfire incidents members of the public living
or working in the area might need to be asked to take one of the
following specific actions:
• Scenario 1: Stay indoors.
• Scenario 2: Move away from an area for a short period of time
• Scenario 3: Evacuate
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How to warn and inform the public

19. In the case of the first scenario,
members of the public might be asked to
stay indoors and take certain measures
to help protect themselves from the
smoke from a wildfire. Smoke can hurt
people’s eyes, irritate their respiratory
systems, and worsen chronic heart and
lung diseases.
Examples of some of the measures that
might be advised could include:
• Close all external windows and doors
• Keep internal air as clean as possible
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SCENARIO 1 – Public advised to
“Stay Indoors”
How to warn and inform the public

20. The Ready campaign in the USA provides further advice about how members of the
public can prepare for natural disasters, including wildfires.
Ready is a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and
empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies. The goal of the
campaign is to increase the level of basic preparedness across the country.
Click here to look at a Be Ready! Wildfires leaflet.
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How to warn and inform the public

21. The Ready campaign in the USA provides further advice about how members of the
public can prepare for natural disasters, including wildfires.
Ready is a national public service advertising campaign designed to educate and
empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies. The goal of the
campaign is to increase the level of basic preparedness across the country.
Click here to look at a Be Ready! Wildfires leaflet.
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How to warn and inform the public
You may wish to supply similar advice to people within your local area,
either during a fire or as part of a preparedness/readiness campaign.

22. In the case of the second
scenario, a safe location must be
established before the order is
given. Access roads must also be
controlled to ensure members of
the public can travel safely to
the identified safe location(s).
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SCENARIO 2 – Public advised to
move away from a specific area for
a relatively short period of time
How to warn and inform the public

23. In the case of an evacuation being required , access
roads must be controlled to make sure they are safe.
In addition, evacuation plans need to outline:
• Who will be in charge of the evacuation, what
personnel will be involved how many people are
available?
• How will members of the public be informed of the
evacuation and its procedure?
• How will vulnerable groups be identified (injured,
people with reduced mobility) and taken care of.
• What transport and equipment will be available?
• Where will people go when they are evacuated?
• What will people need to take with them when they
are evacuated (clothes, food, blankets,...)? How will
they be informed of what to take and how long will
they have to gather these items?
• What will happen if people refuse to evacuate and
choose to remain within the risk area?
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SCENARIO 3 – Public are advised to
“EVACUATE”
How to warn and inform the public

24. Evacuation of members of the public is usually the last choice option,
but it is important to understand that evacuation can take considerable
time, particularly in remote areas. Plans must allow sufficient time to
evacuate and transport everyone from the risk area to the identified
place of safety.
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How to warn and inform the public
EVACUATION ROUTE

25. Evacuation plans also need to consider the need for maintaining security
within the evacuated area. For example, theft and looting may take
place in areas that have been evacuated.
This responsibility may sit with the police or another organisation(s),
but all agencies involved in the incident will need to be informed of
plans and procedures and any occurrences of theft and looting to enable
them to manage the safety of their personnel.
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How to warn and inform the public

26. It is always better to prepare for the possibility of evacuation before a
wildfire. It also makes sense to help the public to prepare for the
possibility of evacuation if they live in an area prone to wildfires.
The Ready, Set, Go Programme has been developed in the USA and tries
to prepare the public for wildfires and potential evacuation. The videos
on the next page provide information about the national programme
and the implementation of the programme in California.
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How to warn and inform the public

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End of Module Summary

28. Now that you have worked through this module you should understand the
importance of preparing for wildfires.
You should also understand that preparedness includes a number of key
elements, including:
• Identifying and assessing wildfire risk
• Formulating plans:
• Strategic plans
• Local wildfire plans
• Training and exercising for wildfires
• Preparing to warn and inform the public when wildfires occur
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End of Module Summary

29. We hope you enjoyed the
module!
Please visit the next module
which explains how to respond
to and recover from wildfires.
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End of Module Summary
Source: Junta de Andalucia (Spain)

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Response to Natural Disasters) with the support of the Erasmus+ programme.
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