Norwegian Pilot in the TREEADS Project
TREEADS, an EU HORIZON2020 project focusing on wildfire prevention, detection, response, and restoration, is progressing at full speed. As part of the Norwegian pilot in TREEADS, the RISE Fire Research team has conducted one wildfire case study, hosted two stakeholder meetings, and participated in two prescribed burn exercises.
Prevention of Scandinavian wildfires
Wildfires in northern Europe are expected to become more frequent and intense with climate change. Factors such as vegetation, topography, climate, weather, as well as the organization of rescue and response preparedness, distinguish Norway from other regions with more well-documented wildfires. To facilitate preparedness and response for Scandinavian wildfires, the Norwegian pilot in the TREEADS project focuses on characterizing the forest and coastal fires in Norway, evaluating the performance of fire-resistant coating for buildings and infrastructure exposed to wildfires, and providing suggestions and guidelines regarding necessary safety zones around critical infrastructure and Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) areas.
Roan Wildfire case study
A winter wildfire in the coastal municipality of Roan in Norway started on 26th November 2022. According to the local fire service, it was a rare event, not expected this time of year. With proximity to WUI, heavy winds, and dry vegetation, the fear was that the situation would escalate to resemble the winter fires of 2014 in Flatanger, Frøya, and Lærdal. With tactical and technical measures, as well as favorable changes in the weather, escalation was avoided. Although not large in scale, the Roan fire represents an important case study in understanding and preventing Norwegian wildfires.
A post-burn site inspection showed a total burnt area of around 400 m by 150 m, or 6 hectares. The fire spread was mostly superficial, with shallow burn depth into the soil (ranging from 0.5-1 cm), resulting in scorched twigs, roots, and branches. Deeper burn depths (around 10 cm) were observed in shielded locations with residual smouldering fires. The burn height on birch and pine trees was 0.5-1 m on the hillsides, and 1-2 m in the valley. The highest burn height measured was approximately 4-5 m in the valley near the largest junipers.
Findings from this case study will be implemented in TREEADS’s WUI guidelines for Norwegian conditions.
Haugesund Prescribed Burn
On 1st of March 2023, the RISE Fire Research attended a prescribed burn in Haugesund, Norway, organized by Lyngbrennerlauget in collaboration with Haugalandet fire and rescue service, as well as the DYNAMIC project at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences.
The plan was to burn juniper, spruce, and heathland, which are high-risk factors for wildland fires, to decrease the fire risk in the WUI and restore the cultural landscape. Our team studied the controlling parameters of the prescribed heathland fire, such as wind, relative humidity, and fuel conditions. They also had a chance to observe the planning and execution of a prescribed burn in a safe and controlled manner.
Kvam Exercise
In collaboration with Norwegian fire services (led by Bergen fire service and hosted by Kvam fire and rescue service), we participated in a field exercise at Kvam on May 8-9, 2023. In this 2-day exercise, more than 40 firefighters from 13 fire and rescue services were in the field to test equipment (ATVs, water pumps, hoses, temporary water reservoirs, helicopters, etc.) and practice wildfire fighting methods.
The first day of the exercise was dedicated to a controlled burning scenario, allowing our team to simulate real-world wildfire conditions. Our team collected vegetation and soil samples to quantify the humidity and classify fuel content in the burn area. Strategic locations in the forest were instrumented with 40 thermocouples and 20 plate thermocouples to measure the flame temperature and emitted heat flux, respectively. Six cameras and a drone from the fire service were used to measure the flame propagation, height, and burnt area, providing valuable insights into fire dynamics.
It was a great experience for us to witness the water drop from the helicopters. However, the exercise’s highlight was the innovative utilization of a helicopter to enhance the intensity of the fire by blowing air into the flames. On the second day, our team was back in the field to conduct post-burn observations.
Ragni Fjellgaard Mikalsen
ragni.mikalsen@risefr.no
Edvard Aamodt
edvard.aamodt@risefr.no
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