New EFI Research Report looks at the Best Practises of Fire Use in Europe

Fire has traditionally been a management tool for rural societies and it is still a part of European culture in many regions. Furthermore, fire use plays an increasing role in forest and other land management practices and policies in Europe. In the form of prescribed burning it appears to be a potential management technique to attain different objectives such as silvicultural improvement, control of insects and diseases, habitat management and biodiversity conservation. Also in the field of fire management the use of fire has demonstrated to be an efficient tool for the reduction of hazardous fuels and in indirect attack during wildfire suppression (suppression fire). However, in most European countries there are still important constraints and negative attitudes towards the use of fire that need to be overcome.

In the frame of the EU Fire Paradox project, the newly published research report aims to provide policy makers, policy implementers, as well as the general public, background information and analysis for the successful regulation of traditional fire use practices and implementation of prescribed burning and suppression fire practices in European countries. Within this context, it seeks to understand the factors that influence the success of prescribed burning and suppression fire programmes and to facilitate their application in other countries through analysing successful case studies. It also provides the main criteria considered for the identification of good examples.

A selection of good practices and best programmes is presented for the fields of nature conservation in protected areas, management of habitats for hunting, landscape management, fire use in fuel reduction and during fire fighting operations (suppression fire use). The authors of the case studies are managers responsible for the creation and implementation of the practices or programmes. The book concludes with an analysis of potential barriers and factors for success for the development of prescribed burning and suppression fire in Europe, as well as a discussion on the lessons learned and the way ahead.

Best Practices of Fire Use – Prescribed Burning and Suppression Fire Programmes in Selected Case-Study Regions in Europe
Cristina Montiel and Daniel Kraus (editors)
European Forest Institute Research Report 24, 2010

The Integrated Project Fire Paradox, contract n°FP6-018505, was financially supported by the European Commission under the 6 th Framework Programme priority 6 – Sustainable Development, Global Change and Ecosystems.