Bush fire website launched

Last Modified: 02 Apr 2007
Source: PA News

Outdoor lovers in Scotland can access a bush fire forecast for the first time.

A new website detailing the risk of wildfires starting across the country is being launched.

Created and managed by scientists from Edinburgh University, it uses a new wildfire danger rating system that aims to help fire services, land managers and the public monitor threats to the environment.

Firefighters are called to hundreds of fires every summer that consume hedges, trees and vegetation around the country.

The creation of the website has been led by the Scottish Wildfire Forum, which was set up after the hot and dry summer of 2003.

Large areas of plant life, forests and other rural areas suffered from wildfires that year, including several that were caused deliberately.

The new rating system, funded by the Scottish Executive and Scottish Natural Heritage, is an extension of the existing Met Office Fire Severity Index operating in England and Wales.

It provides a five-day forecast with five different grades of fire danger, displayed on a map of Scotland and updated daily. The grades are calculated from air temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and wind speed, and range from very low to exceptional.

Dr Colin Legg, a plant ecologist at Edinburgh University, said it was the first step to more precise forecasts for people in Scotland.

He said: "We know there are a very large number of fires that affect the countryside every year. This will be the first facility of its kind in Scotland."

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