New Scotland wildfire strategy launched after record 2025 fire season

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Scotland action plan sets out wildfire response changes

A new strategic action plan has been launched to strengthen wildfire prevention, preparedness and response across Scotland following the country’s most severe wildfire season in recent memory.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said the plan is designed to improve coordination between agencies, expand operational capability and increase public awareness of wildfire risk.

Scotland’s high-risk wildfire period, traditionally between March and May, has expanded in recent years.

Firefighters spent more than 100 days responding to more than 230 wildfires during 2025.

The executive summary of the Wildfires: strategic action plan records 241 wildfires during the year, including the Carrbridge and Dava Moor fire which burned nearly 10,000 hectares and is described as the UK’s largest recorded wildfire.

The plan was developed in partnership with SFRS with input from His Majesty’s Fire Service Inspectorate alongside other stakeholders.

It sets out coordinated actions under three areas covering prevention, preparedness and response.

Measures include strengthening public awareness of wildfire risks, investing in wildfire vehicles and equipment and developing a multi-agency Concept of Operations ahead of the 2026 wildfire season.

Local and regional Incident Response Plans will also be enhanced to strengthen protection for responders, rural communities and Scotland’s natural environment during periods of heightened wildfire activity.

Additional actions include reviewing and expanding the Community Asset Register and examining a mountain rescue-style approach to trained wildfire volunteers with a potential trial in Cairngorms National Park.

Scotland equipment investment and operational preparation

SFRS said it reviewed the 2025 wildfire season and has invested in equipment, training and specialist capability.

Four new wildfire support units with enhanced equipment have been placed in Alford, Oban, Galashiels and Dornoch.

Two interim wildfire units have also been introduced in Lockerbie and Thurso.

Controlled burn training is being delivered to support operational readiness.

The service worked with partners to review wildfire incidents from 2025 through the Scottish Multi-Agency Resilience Training and Exercising Unit (SMARTEU).

Recommendations from the SMARTEU debrief will be progressed through the Scottish Wildfire Forum.

More than 30 fire stations across Scotland are already equipped with dedicated wildfire resources.

Wildfire tactical advisers are also available to provide strategic support during incidents.

To inform the public, SFRS issues Wildfire Danger Assessments through its website and social media channels when weather conditions increase wildfire risk.

SFRS Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Kenny Barbour said: “Wildfires continue to pose an increasing threat to Scotland’s rural communities and natural environment.

“We welcome the strategic action plan, which is an essential step in ensuring our firefighters, land managers, public bodies and partners can enhance their collective response to wildfires.

“It is vital for everyone to play their part in protecting Scotland’s natural environment with responsible outdoor behaviour.

“Never assume a small fire, like a campfire or portable BBQ, is safe and harmless.

“The smallest spark or ember in dry conditions can quickly lead to wildfire destroying large parts of the countryside.”

Scotland ministers link plan to future wildfire preparedness

SFRS said Minister for Community Safety Siobhian Brown and Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie joined the service at Pitlochry fire station to present wildfire appliances and equipment as the annual wildfire awareness campaign launched alongside the action plan.

Brown said: “Last year’s wildfires were a warning that we must be prepared for this to be a more regular occurrence as a result of climate change.

“The strategic action plan will improve coordination between the SFRS and other responders during wildfires and includes the development of Incident Response Plans to strengthen the protection of responders, rural communities, and the natural environment during periods of heightened wildfire activity.

“It will also see the Community Asset Register – a list of volunteers and equipment to help with wildfire response – reviewed and expanded.”

Fairlie said: “All of us who saw the devastation caused by last year’s fires know that it took an incredible effort to get them under control and I would like to repeat our thanks to all the SFRS staff, landowners, managers, keepers and workers who stepped in.

“So many communities stepped up to save their local landscape and the species that live there and this plan is intended to help us better prepare for the future.

“Each of us has a part to play in preventing wildfires and must be mindful of their behaviour when enjoying our wonderful countryside during the dry months to ensure we do not do anything or leave behind litter that could ignite a fire.”

The strategic action plan sets out a coordinated approach intended to strengthen Scotland’s wildfire resilience ahead of the 2026 wildfire season and in future years.

Applications open for 2026 wildland firefighter drinking water donations

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Wildland emergency water programme opens for 2026

Applications have opened for the 2026 Anheuser-Busch Emergency Drinking Water for Wildland Firefighters Program, which will distribute 1.5 million cans of emergency drinking water to eligible volunteer fire departments in the United States.

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) announced that Anheuser-Busch and its wholesaler partners are delivering the programme in partnership with the NVFC.

Departments are encouraged to apply if they are more than 50% volunteer.

Applicants must serve a population of 25,000 or less.

Applicants must respond to wildfires, including uncontrolled fires in forests, prairies, grasslands, brushlands or lands sown to crops.

Selected departments will receive one pallet of emergency drinking water totalling 2,352 cans.

The application period closes at noon Eastern Time on March 6, 2026.

Departments will be notified of selection by the end of May.

Eligibility and programme scale

Hydration is described as essential to firefighter health, safety and performance during long incidents in extreme conditions.

Since the partnership between Anheuser-Busch and the NVFC began in 2019, nearly 12 million cans of emergency drinking water have been distributed to volunteer fire departments across the United States.

Steve Hirsch, NVFC Chair, said: “These water donations help keep volunteer firefighters safe and healthy during active incidents while reducing the financial strain on departments with limited resources,

“We’re grateful to Anheuser-Busch for its continued commitment to providing first responders with the essential resources needed to protect their communities.”

Colleen Lucas, Vice President of Community Impact at Anheuser-Busch, said: “Showing up for our communities is who we are at Anheuser-Busch, and our partnership with the National Volunteer Fire Council reflects our deep gratitude for the first responders who work every day to keep them safe,

“Over the years, we’ve seen firsthand how something as simple as a can of water can make all the difference and we’re proud to use our manufacturing expertise to do our part in supporting these local heroes.”

Anheuser-Busch traces its disaster relief support back to 1906.

Each year the company periodically pauses beer production to produce emergency drinking water for communities impacted by or preparing for disaster.

Since the launch of its Emergency Drinking Water initiative in 1988, more than 100 million cans of drinking water have been donated for communities in need.

Aspen partnership brings AI-powered wildfire suppression aircraft to WUI operations

by Aerial FirefightingFeatured NewsFire SuppressionProjectsWildland Fire

Coordinated autonomous system ordered for Colorado wildfire response

Aspen Fire Protection District is set to receive a coordinated autonomous wildfire suppression system from Seneca in summer 2026.

Seneca announced the five-year, multi-million dollar partnership in a PRNewswire release.

The Seneca Strike Team will comprise five autonomous suppression aircraft, a mobile operations base and five years of software, connectivity and maintenance.

Each strike team has a capacity of approximately 500 gallons of finished foam per sortie.

A single pilot can operate multiple aircraft due to the system’s artificial intelligence and autonomy capabilities.

The system is intended to support operations in the wildland – urban interface (WUI).

Funding, intended uses and training timeline

According to the PRNewswire release, the aircraft system acquisition was supported through public private partnerships involving Aspen Fire Protection District (AFPD), the Aspen Fire Foundation and local donors.

Over the coming years, Seneca and AFPD aim to deploy additional autonomous aerial response bases.

Those bases are designed to respond within seconds of detection to reach new starts earlier.

The system is intended to help with starts in inaccessible areas, support night operations, maintain the safety of pile and prescribed burns and carry equipment on incidents in complex terrain.

Stuart Landesberg, Founder and CEO of Seneca, said: “Aspen has a unique blend of high-risk terrain, exceptional collaboration across their valley, and a highly skilled and forward-thinking team.

“They understand the importance of modernizing wildfire response to safeguard communities across the American West.”

Chief Jake Andersen, Fire Chief and CEO of Aspen Fire, said: “We are partnering with Seneca because this technology will help us save homes and save lives.

“Wildfires in our region are moving faster and growing more complex every year.

“Stu and the full Seneca team have listened to firefighters and built a system designed for the realities we face on the ground.

“This gives us another critical tool to protect our community before small starts become major incidents.

“We are grateful to the donors who partnered with Aspen Fire to make this possible, and we are proud to bring this capability to Aspen this summer.”

Aspen Fire expects training to begin in the early summer, with firefighters integrating Seneca into their core operations as fire season intensifies.

Autonomous ground vehicles trialled for wildfire response supplies and PTZ overwatch

by Americas - Featured NewsFeatured NewsVehicles

Wildfire response demonstration at Camp Pendleton

A demonstration at Camp Pendleton, California, showcased autonomous resupply and wildfire logistics using unmanned ground vehicles and a pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and Overland AI demonstrated autonomous resupply, wildfire logistics and fire suppression efforts via PTZ camera for wildfire operations.

ULTRA vehicles and payloads used in the mission

Two of Overland AI’s ULTRA autonomous ground vehicles were piloted by OverDrive, the company’s autonomy software.

The vehicles were described as fully autonomous ground platforms with off-road manoeuvrability and modular payloads.

Payloads referenced in the announcement included a PTZ camera and mission packages designed to deliver food, water, hose, batteries and other critical equipment to remote fire lines.

The coordinated mission described the vehicles autonomously delivering supplies across austere terrain and establishing persistent overwatch.

The vehicles were also described as repositioning to elevated ground to support future communications relay needs.

Deputy Chief Jack Worden, Office of Wildfire Technology, Research and Development at CAL FIRE, said: “This demonstration is in line with what CAL FIRE is trying to do today with our larger autonomy plan and how we see the future of firefighting as a force multiplier.

“That applies not only within CAL FIRE but across the fire service as a whole.”

Overland AI co-founder and chief executive officer Byron Boots said: “ULTRA continues to show how autonomous land systems can strengthen missions from national defense to critical public safety.

“It is an honor to support wildfire operations with our capability.”

Bushfires destroy hundreds of buildings across Victoria

by Featured NewsWildland Fire

Bushfires: deaths, damage and emergency response

One person has died and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed as bushfires burn across south-east Australia, prompting a state of emergency in Victoria.

BBC News coverage published on 11 January reports that fires have been active for several days across Victoria and parts of New South Wales, driven by hot, dry and windy conditions.

Thousands of firefighters and more than 70 aircraft have been deployed, with residents in more than a dozen communities advised to leave their homes.

Victoria’s Premier Jacinta Allan said 30 active fires were burning across the state, including 10 of particular concern, with about 350,000 hectares burned as of Sunday morning.

Jacinta Allan said: “We will see fires continue for some time across the state and that is why we are not through the worst of this by a long way.

“There are fires that are continuing right now that are threatening homes and property.”

Police confirmed that human remains were found in the village of Gobur near Longwood, with the victim later identified as Max Hobson.

Smoke from the fires has affected air quality across large parts of Victoria, including metropolitan Melbourne.

Scientists told BBC News that climate change is making hot and dry conditions linked to bushfires more common, while noting that land management practices also influence fire behaviour.

Communities affected as homes destroyed

Several towns have suffered extensive damage, with Harcourt among the hardest hit after dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed.

Firefighter Tyrone Rice lost his own home while responding to fires in the area.

Rice said losing his home was “like a kick in the guts”.

Volunteer firefighter Jess Bell said embers landed on her property before she was forced to evacuate, with her house later spared after a containment line was cut behind it.

Bell said: “Our home was one of the fortunate houses to remain standing.

“Harcourt is devastating to see.”

ABC News live coverage reports that residents returning briefly to fire-affected areas were warned to prepare for emotional distress, with access restricted in some locations due to hazardous trees and fallen powerlines.

Farmers across affected regions reported heavy livestock losses, with the Victorian Farmers Federation estimating that more than 15,000 animals have been lost, a figure expected to rise as assessments continue.

Government and interstate support for response

Interstate assistance has been deployed to support local crews as fire conditions remain severe.

Government of Western Australia confirmed that 38 emergency services specialists were sent to Victoria following a request coordinated through the National Resource Sharing Centre.

The deployment includes frontline firefighters and an Incident Management Team supporting operations in the Barwon South West and Gippsland regions.

Western Australia Emergency Services Minister Paul Papalia said: “Our thoughts are with all Victorians who have been impacted by these catastrophic bushfires.

“They will play key roles in the emergency response.”

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said resource sharing allows specialist teams to rotate and provide sustained support.

Additional measures reported by ABC News include mental health support services, emergency grants for uninsured households and recovery hubs offering access to power, water and essential services.

Authorities continue to urge residents to monitor official warnings and prepare for changing conditions as bushfires remain active across multiple regions.