TECHNICAL MEETING OF THE FIRE SERVICE

CAPACITY FOR MANAGING FOREST FIRES

18th and 19th November 2009
Organised by: Collaboration:

PORTUGAL AFTER THE 2003 FIRES, WHAT?

HAVE WILDFIRES CHANGED?
SALGUEIRO, Antonio 1
1
Coordenador do Grupo de Análise e Uso do Fogo, Autoridade Florestal Nacional/Gestão Integrada de Fogos
Florestais (GiFF SA).- antonio.salgueiro@giff.pt

1. THE 2003 AND 2005 ANNUS HORRIBILIS OF PORTUGUESE FOREST FIRES

Areas affected by forest fires in Portugal in the years of 2003 and 2006, have reached
proportions never observed and not thought to be possible, with a cumulative affected area
around 765,000 hectares (representing about 8% of the total Portuguese area and 23% of
total forest areas). These catastrophic events reinforced the need to examine the current
adopted policies and to propose new guidelines, especially since this previous scenario
reflects a gradual increase in investments in prevention and control (mainly water based fire
suppression), which were occurring since the late 90's.

2. MAIN CHANGES ON FIRE (Suppression) POLITICS

The analysis of the situation resulted in the National Forest Fire Defence Plan (PNDFCI), that
proposes the main strategic guidelines of the country for the period between 2006 and 2018.
Other relevant documents have been published, such as the National Forest Fire Defence
System, the Regulation of the Use of Technical Fire (prevention and suppression fire); the
National Strategy for Forests (forest policy instrument that considers the DFCI to be an important
factor for the sustainability of the Portuguese forests).

3. MAIN CHANGES ON FIRE SUPRESSION STRUCTURES

Structural measures have been implemented since 2005, namely with the objective of
creating professionalized structures to fighting forest fires, as the national structure for civil
protection. In this sense structures have been created with interventions based in the use of
hand tools, such as the Special Bombers (bombeiros) Forces (from Civil Protection) and
the Group of Intervention for Protection and Rescue (GIPS), from Guarda Nacional
Republicana (GNR). The reinforcement after 2006 of the Sapper Forestry Program (created
in 1999), a collaborative effort between the National Forest Authority and Forest Owners
Organisations, with functions in wildfire prevention and combat-support. In this context it
was also allowed the creation (not provided) of the Group of Analysis and Use of Fire
(GAUF), an initiative of technicians from the National Forest Authority, with knowledge on
fire behaviour, largely experience in the use of prescribed burning and training in forest fire
analysis.

An important note also for the enormous contribution that the National Civil Protection had
for the effectiveness of the system (especially on first intervention), the changes operated in
the simplification and speed of deployment of air assets.

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 TECHNICAL MEETING OF THE FIRE SERVICE
CAPACITY FOR MANAGING FOREST FIRES
18th and 19th November 2009
Organised by: Collaboration:

BUT HAVE THESE CHANGES REALLY AFFECTED THE PORTUGUESE FOREST FIRE
REALITY AND ITS PROBLEMS?

4. PORTUGUESE WILDFIRE STATISTICS

As in most countries with major problems of forest fires, in Portugal also a small percentage
of fires are responsible for most of the burnt area. If we reduce the number of large fires,
we are directly contributing to a reduction in the area affected. When we analyzed the
number of major fires since 1990, we found that indeed the years with larger burnt areas
correspond to the largest number of fires with an area exceeding 10,000 ha, as occurred in
2003 and 2005, and since that last year until 2009 did not occur any fire of this dimension,
which is in itself (simplistically) an indicator that something has improved.

The short time taken place since 2005 can make any analysis premature and hasty, but
after this year has been an average area covered by fire well below that recorded for any
similar period (4 years) since 1990.

The high number of occurrences normally recorded in Portugal (mainly from 1995) makes it
extremely difficult for any system of DFCI, however effective it may be, to respond
effectively to numerous simultaneous events in extreme propagation conditions. The
tendency for the sharp fall in the number of incidents recorded from 2005, was reversed in
2009 (for reasons unclear), which, to continue, can lead again in situations of disruption of
the system and the sharp increase in area affected. It happened already this year, where
we move from 2.2 ha/occurrence, recorded in the period between 2006 and 2008 to 3.5
ha/occurrence (an increase of 59%) recorded in 2009.

Thus, despite the measures introduced after 2005 having been led to clear improvements
in the system and the results of the DFCI, the future success of this remains uncertain,
especially since it is progressively losing the impact of the huge size of burnt areas in 2003
and 2005 and therefore the "effective reduction in the load and fuel continuity" occurred in
these areas.

MOVING TOWARDS A FIRE MANAGEMENT.

5. DIFFERENT PROCESSES / EQUIVALENT RESULTS

In the years 70’s, technical and operational forestry, responsible for wildfire suppression,
used their knowledge in the suppression (including the use of suppression fire), and their
needs on prevention to experiment and implement controlled fires for fuel management.

In recent years (2000 years) technical experts in controlled fires use their motivation, their
knowledge and experience in the application of this technique to introduce and use new
perspectives and techniques in the management and suppression of forest fires.

Two different sources on time and functions converge in the results, which can be
translated for a more wise use of fire, learning and integrated both, the prevention and
suppression, of reciprocal increase efficiency, a constant interaction of learning and action.
In practice is mainly reflected by a more intensive and rational use of fire, as technical
management of ecosystems, as a tool for education and training, as a factor in the
interaction of actors, and as an element of wildfire suppression.

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 TECHNICAL MEETING OF THE FIRE SERVICE
CAPACITY FOR MANAGING FOREST FIRES
18th and 19th November 2009
Organised by: Collaboration:

6. GROUP OF ANALYSIS AND USE OF FIRE (GAUF)

This recently reality created conditions for the reunion of a group of experts within the
National Forest Authority, for the creation of the Group of Analysis and Use of Fire, with
assignments in the prevention and suppression of forest fires. At the suppression, in
operational dependence of the National Authority for Civil Protection, providing support
through the analysis of fire behaviour, decision support and use of suppression fire (fire
tactical and Fire). At prevention, under the coordination of The National Forest Authority,
through the development of strategic plans for fuel management, prescribed burning plans
and their implementation, and carrying out dissemination and training of various
stakeholders of the SNDFCI.

The group began in 2006 with an “international composition” with 11 members from 4
different countries and their number increased up to 24 staff in 2009, all of Portuguese
origin, and continues to be open, in case of need, to be strengthened with the support of
colleagues from other countries.

The expertise and evolution of this group was possible in a specific situation facilitated by
the existence of the Fire Paradox project, which allowed the knowledge of different
philosophies and realities of action and the meeting and cooperation between people of
different backgrounds around common objectives, teaching each other.

The operations of GAUF, subject to the activation from the National Command of Relief
Operations (operational backbone of the Civil Protection) and primarily focus on large fires
(or with the potential to be large), and to wildfires occurred out of the critical time (wildfires
in autumn and spring, where there may be a strong component of management), varied
over the years depending on the needs of the system. In 2009, there was a strong increase
in the participation of these teams, operating in 135 fires, where they played for analysis
and decision support, use of fire suppression (mainly fire against fire) and use of hand
tools.

7. RELEVANT (young) EVOLUTION

Previous situation (before 2006): Wildfire protection system mostly based in suppression
activities, where the recurrent solution is mostly resumed to increase investment,
essentially aimed at acquiring more means to increase the water capacity of a corporative
(closed) extinction system, water-dependent and officially based on complete fire exclusion.

Last years: Development of technical components and expertises, particularly through the
increased use of strategic, technical and tactical fire fighting diversification. Permanent
learning and interaction between prevention and suppression: strategic management of
fuels; use of fire (technical and traditional); analysis of wildfires and suppression
management. Exchanges between fire professionals for learning, collaboration and
cooperation between different realities and approaches (Fire Paradox Project). Interaction
between researchers and operational expertise increased and greater integration of
objectives and products.

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 TECHNICAL MEETING OF THE FIRE SERVICE
CAPACITY FOR MANAGING FOREST FIRES
18th and 19th November 2009
Organised by: Collaboration:

8. PRESENT / NEAR (?) FUTURE

PORTUGAL:

Concerns: Unexpected and pronounced increase in the number of occurrences in

2009.Progressive accumulation of fuels in the 760,000 ha "managed" by the wildfires of
2003 and 2005, with consequent reduction of fragmentation and increased of structural
wildfire risk.

Orientations: Attempt to return the right of the rational use of fire by traditional users of the
territory (sheppard’s) in order to reduce the causes of fires in high risk seasons and
increase the local and traditional land management. Official possibility to manage wildfires
(monitoring and specific suppression) in some areas and with weather conditions previously
defined, streamlining efforts and take in advance the opportunities of fuel management.
Implementation of recent regulations for the use of technical fire. Reduction of illegal and
improper use of suppression fires (special “tactical fires”) by unqualified personnel without
proper preparation and knowledge.

EUROPE:

Concerns: Economic situation that could undermine many of the actual systems of
prevention and extinction. This could have a positive influence on some of them, by
creating the necessity to increase strategies of intervention, based on rationalization, rather
than large investments with not evaluated efficiencies.

The increase of abandon (which is still promoted by EU politics!) of agrarian activities and
rural depopulation will undoubtedly improve the continuity and loads of fuel, with all
negative consequences involved. The situation may be further aggravated by climate
change, which extend the problem in terms of geography (for unfamiliar territories) and
temporal (for different times of year out of the traditional critical periods).

Frequent lack of responsiveness of decision makers, of many EU countries and the EU

itself, to these new realities and perspectives.

Achievements and needs: The technical increased of knowledge about the processes
related to the use of fire prevention and suppression should be created conditions for its
development, to contribute effectively to rational and effective DFCI systems.

Increasing relationship between fire professionals from different regions and countries.
Mechanisms need to be created for the capitalization of their motivations and collaboration
capabilities, for the creation of European teams of experts to provide strategic and
operational expertise in extreme circumstances in any EU country. Urgent need to create a
real concern, adaptability and efficiency, of central political institutions (European
Commission Monitoring and Information Center, etc.) to this new perspectives, in order to
enhance their development and to create the administrative and logistical resources to this
application.