WORKING WITH AERIAL FIREFIGHTING ASSETS IN THE UK

CRAIG HOPE

Station Manager Craig Hope

Joined the fire service in 1993.

Current rank Station manager

Wildfire project since 2007

Developing Education

Prevention

Response

South Wales Fire and Rescue

Service

UK WildFire Tactical Advisor

WILDFIRE IN THE UK

WILDFIRE IN THE UK

Between 2009 -2017 there were 260,000 wildfires

in England. ( not including Wales, Scotland and Ireland)

Approximately 32,000 per year

This involved around 37,000 hectares of land

being burnt an average of about 4,600 hectares

per annum

Drought years such as 2011-12 saw almost 50,000

incidents, over 14,000 hectares burnt

The summer of 2018 saw widespread fires all across

The UK and stretched fire services enormously

Firefighting in the UK is carried out by local Authority Fire services.

Very little Wildfire training – fire fighters rely on Structural firefighting techniques.

Very little specialist equipment.

Few services have wildfire PPE.

The risk from wildfires is not seen

until wildfires occur, it is then usually

to late.

WILDFIRE IN THE UK

AERIAL FIREFIGHTING IN THE UK

• Very little capacity

• Ad-hoc arrangements –no contracts

• Helicopters only

• Maximum 1000 litres Bambi bucket

• Paid for by insurance companies or

private utility companies

AERIAL FIREFIGHTING IN WALES

Wales is a country which is

part of the United Kingdom

and the Island of Great

Britain.

It is bordered by England to the East,

the Irish Sea to the North and West and

the Bristol Channel to the South.

It has a population of just over

3 million people and has a total

area of 20,779km2.

Wildfires and Wales

Warm wet summers lead to

an abundance of annual

wildfire fuels such as bracken

and Molinia grasses.

Less grazing animals and

changes land use have

lead to a higher fuel

loading.

Summer Winter and spring

Wildfires can occur as soon as the fuels are dead, usually November to May

with most fires occurring in March, April and May and coinciding with Easter

holidays.

Wildfires and Wales

Wildfires and Wales

As well as large areas of grass and scrub nearly 15% of Wales is covered by

trees, the majority of this being pine plantations, these were originally planted to

be used as pit props for the mining industry.

Urban interface

Large areas of scrubland and

forestry very close to residential

properties.

Between 2000 and 2008 there were over 55,000 recorded grassfires and nearly 550 forest fires in South Wales; this equates to eight times more per unit area than in the United Kingdom as a whole.

Statistics

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service estimate an annual cost in their service area of around£7m due solely to wildfires.

Firefighters engaged in extinguishing wildfires areunavailable to respond to other emergency calls, meaning lives are potentially put at risk.

www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/wildfiresinwales

Because of the risk to Welsh forests

the Forestry Commission

have paid for a helicopter and

firefighting equipment for

Many years

In April 2013 Natural Resources Wales was

Formed with an amalgamation of

• Forestry Commission Wales

• Environment Agency Wales

• Countryside Council for Wales

THE NEWLY FORMED ORGANISATION

REALISED THEY NOW

MANAGED A FIREFIGHTING

HELICOPTER CONTRACT AND

DECIDED

THEY WOULD HAND OVER THE

COMMAND AND CONTROL TO

THE FIRE SERVICE

HOW THE CONTRACT WORKS

4 year aerial fire-fighting tendered contract

Provide a firefighting helicopter when required within 2 hours

Airbourne solutions paid an annual

Retaining fee

Airbourne solutions paid per hour

for firefighting

During busy periods helicopter is

Based at South Wales Fire Service

Head quarters and available

immediately

Fight fire on NRW land , Protect life, Protect property

CALLOUT PROCEDURES

The helicopter does not form part of

the first attendance

• Helicopter required

• Permission from senior officer

• Level 3 wildfire officer mobilised

• Helicopter requested

• Helicopter attends and makes a

plan with fire service incident

commander

ADVANTAGES

Fire service have command of

all fire fighting resources

Helicopter used to fight all of fire

not just certain areas

Fire officers can use the helicopter for

aerial observation

DISADVANTAGES

Helicopter can be delayed

No crew within helicopter

FIREFIGHTING WATER

Water can be taken from any source to

Fight a fire

Issues with taking from ponds

with invasive species and then

contaminating drinking water supplies

SUMMER 2018

Aerial firefighting used almost every day in July, fire service in South Wales attended

1195 wildfires many of which burnt for many days and threatened life and property

150 hours fighting fires using helicopter

THE FUTURE

THE END

ANY QUESTIONS?