Europe sees three of its worst fire seasons in the last six years

by Breaking NewsWildland Fire

The European Commission has revealed the latest European Forest Fire report which found that three of the worst fire seasons on record in Europe took place in the last six years.

The Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) published the latest edition of its Annual Report on Forest Fires in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa in 2021 and concludes that last year’s fire season was the second worst in the EU territory in terms of burnt area (since records began in 2006), after 2017 when over 10,000 km² had burnt.

More than 5,500 km² of land burnt in 2021 – more than twice the size of Luxembourg – with over 1,000 km² burnt within protected Natura 2000 areas, the EU’s reservoir of biodiversity.

The report does not yet cover this year’s fires, which have been even more destructive than the ones in 2021. 2022 is looking even worse, confirming the trend of recent years with an area covering 8,600 km² already burnt this year. 

Whilst the area burnt by wildfires has been remarkably extensive in 2022, the number of human casualties has been contained as a result of prevention measures implemented by EU Member States and the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).

In 2021, the EU strengthened this mechanism’s capacity by increasing aerial firefighting means to assist countries during that fire season – support which was extensively used during the fires that hit the Mediterranean region in 2021 and in 2022.

The full report can be found here.

California to drive down insurance costs with wildfire safety regulations

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is set to enforce a new insurance pricing regulation recognising and rewarding wildfire safety and mitigation efforts made by homeowners and businesses.

Commissioner Lara’s regulation is the first in the nation requiring insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the Safer from Wildfires framework created by the California Department of Insurance in partnership with state emergency preparedness agencies. The regulation is now state law and enshrined in the California Code of Regulations.

The regulation requires insurance companies to submit new rate filings incorporating wildfire safety standards created by the Department, and to establish a process for releasing wildfire risk determinations to residents and businesses within 180 days. Transparency is an important benefit of this regulation, by requiring insurance companies to provide consumers with their property’s “wildfire risk score” and creating a right to appeal that score.

This regulation is part of a comprehensive solution that Commissioner Lara initiated after taking office to protect consumers from climate change-intensified wildfires. When Commissioner Lara took office in 2019, insurance companies representing 7 percent of the residential market provided insurance discounts and, under his leadership, that figure has grown to 40 percent. When this regulation is fully implemented, it will be 100 percent of the residential and commercial market aligned with the Safer from Wildfires framework.

“Protecting Californians from deadly wildfires means everyone doing their part, including insurance companies by rewarding consumers for being safer from wildfires,” said Commissioner Lara.

“The reality of climate change is driving my determination to help communities better prepare, help our firefighters save lives, and help more Californians find insurance they can afford. My Department will work diligently to increase discounts to reward the hard work that California consumers do to protect their families, homes, businesses, and communities.”

Commissioner Lara directed the Department to write the regulation to protect consumers and improve market competition after hearing first-hand from consumers and business owners about their frustration with insurance companies that did not consider mitigation in their rating plans. During town hall meetings in more than 38 counties and an extensive Department investigatory wildfire hearing in 2020, many consumers testified that their homes and businesses were subject to “wildfire risk scores” that many did not know existed and had no right to appeal if inaccurate.

“Home Hardening retrofits, along with Defensible Space significantly increase a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire,” said Chief Daniel Berlant, CAL FIRE Deputy Director of Community Wildfire Preparedness & Mitigation. “Using the latest fire science and recent wildfire data, these retrofits and landscaping requirements provide a strong path to structure survivability. CAL FIRE is currently funding over three hundred million dollars in local wildfire prevention projects to prepare communities against wildfire, but we know it will take every resident doing their part to ensure California is fully protected.”

“I applaud and welcome the new insurance pricing regulation developed by Commissioner Lara,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents approximately 2 million residents, including many who own properties in the county’s wildland urban interface. “Over the years, I’ve met with many wildfire survivors who were underinsured and, as a result, were financially ruined – left with a home that’s uninhabitable, that they can’t afford to repair, yet still liable for meeting their mortgage payments. The discounts offered to property owners who harden their homes and take action to mitigate wildfire threats are a financial reward that I believe will be embraced by many. This is a big step forward towards promoting community-driven preparedness and resilience.” 

“Communities have been engaging in wildfire risk reduction through the national Firewise USA program for two decades,” said Michele Steinberg, wildfire division director for the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). “The Firewise USA process requires annual preparedness work across neighbourhoods, and a long-term commitment. This ongoing effort has proven to reduce property losses from wildfire and should factor into risk evaluations and insurance rates.”

New Community Wildfire Prevention grants available in Canada

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (Wawanesa) has partnered with the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and collaborated with FireSmart Canada to offer a new community wildfire prevention grant.

Wawanesa and ICLR have announced six grants of up to $15,000 each to help communities across Canada increase their resilience to wildfire through prevention and mitigation activities.

“Climate change is here and one of the most destructive implications is the increased threat of wildfires,” said Carol Jardine, President of Canadian P&C Operations for Wawanesa.

“As a Canadian owned and operated mutual company, we want to help communities across Canada improve their climate resilience and protect themselves, their homes and their businesses. That’s why we are working with experts at ICLR and FireSmart Canada to reduce the risk of wildfires and help make communities across Canada safer and more resilient.”

These grants will support prevention, mitigation, and preparedness activities aligned with FireSmart Canada’s seven disciplines: education, emergency planning, vegetation management, legislation, development, interagency cooperation and cross training.

Grant applications must be received before December 1, 2022 at 12 p.m. CST and will be evaluated by a committee of wildfire prevention subject matter experts from Wawanesa, ICLR, and FireSmart Canada. Grant recipients will be announced on March 1, 2023.

Paul Kovacs, Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, commented: “From 2008 to 2021, wildfires have cost Canadian insurers more than $4.6 billion, with over 87,000 claims filed. This represents only a portion of the overall costs caused by wildland fires, as uninsured public infrastructure is damaged, lives are disrupted, and individual health – both physical and mental – is affected.

“Wawanesa’s leadership in supporting grants targeted at preventing and mitigating the impacts of wildfires will help communities increase their resilience to this increasingly prevalent peril, serve as learning opportunities for other communities wishing to take action, and reduce the immense personal toll wildfires have on people and businesses across our country.”  

Ray Ault, Director of FireSmart Canada, added: “FireSmart Canada is happy to provide support for and input towards Wawanesa’s Community Wildfire Prevention Grants. This is an important initiative that will help Canadians increase their wildfire resilience.”

Interested community groups can visit the program webpage for project eligibility and application criteria at wawanesa.com/wildfire-grants. Communities across Canada are now welcome to apply.

Wildfire sensor field-tested in Ventura County

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

GRID2020, Inc. has announced that its GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY® wildfire sensor capabilities were once again successfully demonstrated during a field test on 6 September at a training facility operated by Ventura County Fire Department near Camarillo, CA.

The field demonstration involved igniting a series of individual brush fires; ranging in size from small to medium. By lighting individual fires, then extinguishing each, the attendees were able to witness the versatile capabilities of the GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY outdoor wildfire sensor solution.

Alan Snook, company spokesperson explained the test process: “We staged multiple brush piles encompassing nearly 1/3 acre, then individually ignited them so our attendees could visualize the incoming fire conditions data being reported by the GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY device.

“We also included our valuable Auto Alerts feature to direct incoming wildfire data to certain attendee’s cell phones. The Auto Alerts began streaming via text messages, indicating to attendees that GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY not only was successfully detecting the wildfire conditions, but also was providing Early Detection and swift notification capability.”

Conditions for the demonstration included a clear sunny day, near record-level heat and humidity, and an intermittent prevailing wind of 5-10mph. The GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY device was able to capture and reporting key data for the attendees to view in real time regardless of fires being ignited upwind or downwind.

The device successfully detected ground-level fire surface temperature escalations, outdoor smoke from multiple nearby and upwind points of origin, and fire-induced humidity level decreases; conditions which are indicative of developing or unfolding wildfire events.

Fire Chief Dustin Gardner, Ventura County (CA) Fire Department, commented: “The successful GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY demonstration spurred several discussions about the importance and impact of technology solutions in early wildland fire detection and warning.”

Deputy Fire Chief Chad Cook, Ventura County (CA) Fire Department commented: “We are concerned about wildland fires year-round in our community, and have a very progressive mindset in leveraging technology tools, such as GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY, for the fire service to help mitigate these types of fires.”

Snook added: “We hope to see a grassroots percolation of interest and request for deployment of GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY in at-risk areas.

“We believe that as the public at-large, and vested stakeholders begin to realize that we can provide an always-on outdoor monitoring solution to create an added level of wildfire defense protections, then GRIDWIDE FIRE-SPY will be vastly adopted.”

Wildfire causes damage to iconic Easter Island statues

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

A wildfire on Easter Island has reportedly caused significant damage to some of the iconic stone-carved statues for which the island is most known, according to authorities.

The fire, which is currently being treated as a case of arson, marred a number of the famous statues, known as moai, after it swept across more than 247 acres around the Rano Raraku volcano, a UNESCO world heritage site.

The fire comes just three months after the island was reopened to tourism on 5 August, after two years of closure due to Covid-19. Before the pandemic, Easter Island – where the main livelihood is tourism – received 160,000 visitors a year, on two daily flights. The arrival of Covid-19 in Chile saw tourist activity completely suspended.

Rapa Nui has more than 1,000 stone statues. The iconic giant heads are believed to have first been carved in the 13th century by the island’s original inhabitants. 

Ariki Tepano, director of the Ma’u Henua community in charge of the management and maintenance of the park, called the damage irreparable: “The moai are totally charred and you can see the effect of the fire upon them,” he said.

Easter Island mayor, Pedro Edmunds Paoa, claimed that fire was not an accident, telling local broadcaster Radio Pauta that all the fires on Rapa Nui are caused by humans

Paoa said: “The damage caused by the fire can’t be undone. The cracking of an original and emblematic stone cannot be recovered, no matter how many millions of euros or dollars are put into it.”

EU proposes €170 million budget for transitional firefighting fleet

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

Following a record-breaking forest fire season in Europe, the European Commission has proposed €170 million from the EU budget to reinforce its rescEU ground and aerial assets, starting from the summer of 2023.

With this budget, the rescEU transitional fleet would have 22 planes, 4 helicopters and more prepositioned ground teams.

It also proposed that as of 2025 the fleet would be further reinforced through an accelerated procurement of airplanes and helicopters.

Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, said: “Due to climate change the number of regions affected by wildfires is increasing, going beyond the traditionally affected Mediterranean countries. The last summers have clearly shown that more firefighting assets are needed at EU-level.

“By building up our fleet of aerial means and ground forces, the EU will be able to ensure a prompt, flexible response, including in situations where fires are burning in multiple Member States at the same time.”

Commissioner for Budget and Administration, Johannes Hahn, said: “While the record-breaking forest fires this summer may have been overshadowed by other crises, today’s proposal to reinforce rescEU shows that the EU budget will continue to support those in need.

“European solidarity across EU Member States remains strong and we are ready to support this solidarity with financial means.”

Western Fire Chiefs Association introduces phase 2 of its wildland fire map

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The Western Fire Chiefs Association (WFCA) has announced the introduction of Phase 2 of its Fire Map, which launched in July this year. Phase 2 now includes 3D map views, reporting of active fire-fighting aircraft in real-time, and Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) specific to the state of California, providing a higher level of detail to keep lives, land, and property safe.

The WFCA Fire Map is the first of its kind to integrate real-time flight mapping of fire-fighting aircraft. The Forest Service uses aircraft to track, manage, and fight wildland fires.

This includes aerial supervision aircraft that communicate with firefighters on the ground, air attack aircraft coordinating aerial firefighting, air tankers with the capability to deliver up to 8,000 gallons of fire retardant, water scoopers, and smoke-jumper aircrafts. Fire Suppression Aircraft are depicted on the WFCA Fire Map, with aircraft type, speed, and altitude.

Said Brent VanKeulen, Deputy Director, WFCA, said: “Wildland fires are often at their most dangerous when they first start. This information will significantly impact the speed in which we can get information out to the public, and will also provide a more detailed and richer level of visual communications to communities at risk.”

Clicking on an individual aircraft will reveal the aircraft’s recent flight path indicating where current fire-fighting activity is taking place. The WFCA Fire Map is also the first to depict Wildland Fire activity in 3D, where the viewer can rotate their vantage point around the fire map and view the fire from 360 degrees.

Specific to California, the WFCA Fire Map will integrate fire-perimeter data provided by FIRIS (Fire Integrated Real-time Intelligence System) and will be the first to do so.

FIRIS is a public-private partnership that provides real-time intelligence data on emerging incidents in California. Funded by the California Office of Emergency Services, the funding supports aircraft, a common operating picture, and near-real-time fire modelling that is available at the onset of emerging incidents.

Brian Fennessey, founder of FIRIS, California Fire Chiefs Fire Chief of the Year, and Orange County Fire Authority Chief, said: “FIRIS provides real-time situational awareness for firefighters on the ground, helping them make critical decisions. I believe that the same information helps the public, too. That is why we have partnered with the WFCA.

FIRIS began in 2019 and uses the Overwatch Imaging platform, which includes an aerial infra-red (IR) platform that integrates cutting-edge technologies provided by Aevex Aviation. That data is fed to Intterra’s wildfire decision support software where WIFIRE retrieves the data for predictive analytics.

NSW Rural Fire Service issues warning as bush fire danger period begins

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

Following the start of the bush fire danger period on 1 October, the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) has encouraged residents to know and understand their fire risk, with the increased potential for grass fires.

NSW RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said the official Bush Fire Danger Period (BFDP) begin in a further 92 Local Government Areas on 1 October 2022.

“Recent rain has led to good grass and crop growth across the state especially in western areas of NSW, and with more rain predicted over spring, this vegetation will continue to flourish. said Rogers. “As warm weather sets in, this will dry out, increasing the risk of dangerous and fast moving grass fires.

“Despite the wet weather, we have already seen more than 1000 grass fires across the state since July, and the risk will increase in the months ahead.”

Commissioner Rogers said the introduction of the new Australian Fire Danger Rating System will help people make informed decisions this bush fire season.

“Know your risk, and check the daily fire danger ratings. The new Fire Danger Rating System has four levels – Moderate, High, Extreme and Catastrophic – with clear actions for each level,” Rogers added. “Each rating gives an indication of the consequences of a fire if one was to start.”

Permits are required in areas where the Bush Fire Danger Period is in place, and landholders using fire must notify the RFS, such as online at www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/notify.

Deadline to apply for Community Wildfire Defense Grant nears

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The deadline to apply for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) is just over a week a way with the deadline for applications set for October 7th.

The Community Wildfire Defense Grants are intended to help at-risk local communities and Tribes plan and reduce the risk against wildfire.

The Community Wildfire Defense Grant helps communities in the wildland urban interface (WUI) implement the three goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (Cohesive Strategy):

  • Restore and Maintain Landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire-related disturbances, in accordance with management objectives. 
  • Create Fire Adapted Communities: Human populations and infrastructure can better withstand a wildfire without loss of life and property. 
  • Improve Wildfire Response: All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective, efficient risk-based wildfire management decisions. 

The grants are funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. There are two primary project types for which the grant provides funding: The development and revision of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, and the implementation of projects described in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan that is less than ten years old. 

Meghan Housewright, Director, Policy Institute at the NFPA said: “One key thing to know is that applicants will need to ground their proposed projects in their Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs). Communities without a CWPP, or those with a CWPP over 10 years old, can use the grants to develop these plans.”

She added: “The deadline to apply for the CWDG is October 7. However, communities that miss out this year will have an opportunity next year, as the program is set to run for five years. The Infrastructure Act provided a valuable down payment to help lower wildfire risk for millions of homes with significant exposure. Now, it will be up to communities to sustain it. Learn more about the grant program—and download a fact sheet on how the grant money can be used to invest in NFPA resources—at nfpa.org/wildfire.”

Oregon announces strategy to create fire-resilient communities

by Featured NewsIndustry SectorsWildland Fire

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) announced a revised action plan and timeline for engaging the public on wildfire protection efforts as part of the state’s strategy to create more fire-resilient communities.

“A big part of our work over the next year is focused on engaging with, listening to and informing the public about wildfire risk,” said Cal Mukumoto, Oregon State Forester and director of ODF.

“This engagement will involve visiting communities across the state, talking with people, addressing concerns and answering questions. Ultimately, all of the agencies involved in this effort want to make sure Oregonians in the most at-risk communities know what they can do to better protect themselves, their families and friends, and their homes from wildfire.”

The revised plan will be implemented in collaboration with Oregon State University’s (OSU) College of Forestry, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) and the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS).

Doug Grafe, Wildfire Programs Director with the Office of the Governor, said: “Most Oregonians understand wildfires are becoming more catastrophic and more frequent. I have witnessed, across the state, that Oregonians want to be part of the solution in protecting our communities.

“It’s clear that steps can be taken to increase the survivability of homes and communities when wildfires do occur, including creating defensible space, hardening homes and implementing hazardous fuels reduction projects.”

One component of SB 762 was the creation of a state-wide wildfire risk map to serve as a planning and information tool for Oregonians, communities and state and local government. The purpose of the map—a collaboration between ODF and wildfire scientists at OSU’s College of Forestry—is to provide transparent and science-based information to Oregonians about the factors near them that drive wildfire exposure including weather, climate, vegetation and topography. The tool will also be used to guide the state in directing resources to communities with the greatest likelihood of wildfires.

“Oregon State University’s College of Forestry has used, and will continue to use, the best science to contribute to state-wide wildfire risk mapping,” said Tom DeLuca, dean of OSU’s College of Forestry. “

We support the importance of changing the timeline for the mapping component of SB 762. This added time provides an opportunity to better share information and conduct authentic community engagement by listening to Oregonians and community leaders across our state in the implementation of the new law.

“Even with the timeline change, we must all recognize that addressing fire risk in Oregon is a priority that will require all of us to work together.”

The revised timeline is as follows:

  • October through February 2023: Public and stakeholder engagement, outreach and education. Includes wildfire science, risk and mitigation outreach and education, with focus on the most vulnerable areas; identifying opportunities for investments in wildfire prevention; completing building codes and defensible space standards for the most vulnerable communities; compilation and analysis of feedback received; and technical refinements.
  • March 1, 2023: Public rollout of draft wildfire risk map. Draft map shared with the public.
  • March through September 2023: Public outreach, engagement and education on draft wildfire risk map. Includes working with ODF, OSU College of Forestry, local governments, planning departments, Department of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon State Fire Marshal and the state Building Codes Division to review the draft map; public outreach, education and engagement on the draft map and related topics including building codes and defensible space standards; and making any necessary revisions based on feedback received on updated map.
  • October through December 2023: Final wildfire risk map shared with the public for implementation. Includes sharing a final wildfire risk map with the public, initiating a 60-day appeals process and notifying those who are in the most high-risk areas about the steps needed to protect their homes and properties from catastrophic wildfires and how to comply with defensible space standards and building codes.

Grafe commented: “The revised plan and timeline allow us to prioritize engagement, collaboration and communication. We are committed to ensuring people understand what they can do to increase the likelihood their homes and properties will survive wildfires. The wildfire risk map is one of several tools we will use to inform this work.”

SB 762 directs state agencies to focus resources in Oregon’s highest-risk areas to ensure homes are adhering to building codes and defensible space standards. These building codes and defensible space standards will not be adopted or implemented until the wildfire risk map is finalized in late 2023, but will be available in the near future so people can familiarize themselves with the new expectations.