The Fire Paradox Project (more)

Fire risk in the Mediterranean is increased exponentially as a result of fuel accumulation in the landscape because of land abandonment and the implementation of fire exclusion policies. The project will have a significant impact on European forestry policy in general.

The systematic implementation of global fire exclusion in Europe, followed North America in the realization that this policy resulted in an increase in fire risk as a result of protected, accumulating, biomass.

Based on the experience of a few prescribed burning practitioners and the result of fire-ecological research conducted in the past, the key-objective of this project is to develop new fire management policies adapted for European-use, to reduce forest fire risk. The vision of Fire Paradox participants will be (through their R&D contribution) to develop concrete and operation-viable solutions to the fire problem with regard to the social, economic and ecological impact on high intensity fires, such as the recently-experienced wildfires in Portugal, Spain and France in 2003 and 2005.

A work programme centred around fire

The aim of this project is to provide scientific and technical corner stones, to learn to live with fire.

Fire Paradox examines four components of fire:

• - Prescribed Burning: This fuel reduction technique has already been studied and developed in some European countries. The significant development of this technique in Europe requires not only accompanying research work, including sociological research, but also the development of demonstration tools and specific means adapted to each country.
• - Wildfire Outbreak: This is the phase from the outbreak (ignition) of a wildfire until the first intervention action by fire fighting forces commences. Control during this first link in the chain is particularly important in member States that have an operational priority fire prevention policy (by means of addressing the underlying causes of human-ignited fires), and initial fire fighting operations (initial attack).
• - Wildfire Spread: With special emphasis on highlights of research conducted, which has been identified as being of particular importance with regard to: “flash over”*, the development of a European propagation simulator, forest interfaces (wildland and residential), etc.
• - Back fire (counter fire):: This wildfire suppression technique is not sufficiently used in Europe. To master this technique, it is necessary to work in a co-coordinated manner using experience acquired by present-day operators, backed up by the necessary research.

Equal priority allocated to research, development and communication

When the Fire Paradox programme was drawn-up, it was decided to allocate equal effort to the following:

• - Research: The focus is on the study of mechanisms in the field of physics, biology and human sciences by means of either experimentation or modeling, to make it possible to understand occurring processes.
• - Development: A key to the success of technology transfer is to bring together and implement research results during the project. Four areas of work are planned: Evaluation and risk mapping; development of technological tools; evaluation of damage and damage avoided (economic, sociological, environmental, landscape); demonstration of successful methods.
• - Knowledge transfer : Communication techniques will be adapted for each user group. This concerns university education and training, awareness improvement (among the public at large), knowledge transfer to decision-makers (compilation with recommendations).

Within these three domains, action will focus on innovation, but will also attempt to concentrate on existing ideas and will question ineffective policies and practices.

In addition, specific tasks will be undertaken in other spheres that mey influence forest fire occurrence, such as land-use planning (urban development, environment), economic aspects (tourism, agricultural policy), forest management, energy policy, climate change, etc.

An opportunity to share experience from various European geographical regions

The Fire Paradox consortium includes 31 partners from 13 different countries, but concentrates on Mediterranean European countries most affected by fires: Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and also two Maghreb countries - Tunisia and Morocco.

The programme participants also include international non-governmental organisations, so that it can have an influence both in Northern Europe and in developing countries: European Forest Institute (EFI), Université Méditerranée Avicenna Knowledge Centres, Global Fire Monitoring Center (GFMC) and the Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIEHAM).

Modules

In order to ensure that the integration is fully achieved, FIRE PARADOX has two dimensions of integration: one that ensures the coherence of the work done at the three domains (Research, Development, Dissemination), that we will refer to as the horizontal integration, and the other that ensures the achievement of the objectives for each aspect of fire (prescribed fire, fire initiation, wildfire, suppression fire), that we will refer to as the vertical integration. On the whole, the FIRE PARADOX project is structured into thirteen interrelated modules. Twelve modules deal with the horizontal or disciplinary integration and module 13 ensures the vertical integration.