Wildfire2024 conference agenda outlines expert discussions on resilience and wildfire management in Aberdeen

The UK Wildfire Conference, known as Wildfire2024, will bring together industry experts, scientists, and wildfire professionals in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 12-13 November 2024.

Under the theme “Resilience in a Changing World,” the conference will explore the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change, shifting landscapes, and new scientific advancements.

With over 300 delegates expected, the event will provide a platform for sharing insights and fostering discussions on wildfire resilience.

Experts gather in Aberdeen for Wildfire2024 conference

The two-day conference will be held in two rooms, focusing on global and UK perspectives.

Day one will begin with a keynote on extreme fire behaviour from Marc Castellnou of the Catalan Fire Service, followed by discussions on wildfire forecasts, community resilience, and the vulnerability of tourist infrastructures.

Room two sessions will cover wildfire impacts on public health, resilience strategies, and UK wildfire science.

On day two, sessions will concentrate on UK-specific issues.

Francesca Osowska of NatureScot will deliver a keynote on resilience in wildfire-prone areas.

Discussions will span topics such as vegetation impacts, fire danger ratings, and multi-agency collaboration for wildfire response.

Agenda highlights for day one: Global perspective

Day One – Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Morning Sessions:

• 9:30 – Formal Opening by a Scottish Government spokesperson (TBC)
• 9:45 – Opening Address by Katrina Candy, The Heather Trust
• 10:00 – Keynote: “Abnormal extreme fire coupling/decoupling processes under climate change” – Marc Castellnou, Catalan Fire Service
• 10:30 – “UK wildfire forecasts and risk assessments within an international context” – Will Lang, Met Office
• 10:50 – “Building wildfire resilient communities in Europe: Insights from the UK and Ireland” – Christine Eriksen, University of Bern
• 11:30 – “Creating resilience for buildings and people in coastal heathlands of Norway” – Torgrim Log, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
• 11:50 – “Wildfire management in the Netherlands” – Edwin Kok, Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV)
• 12:10 – Q&A
• 12:40 – Lunch

Afternoon Sessions (Room One):

• 13:40 – Keynote: “The Portuguese wildfire challenge and the landscape fire governance framework” – Tiago Oliveira, AGIF
• 14:10 – “Perceptions of wildfire science, policy, and management: A pilot study” – Sarah Cowan, University of York
• 14:30 – “Shining a light on prescribed fire: Claims versus evidence” – Andreas Heinemeyer, University of York
• 15:10 – Keynote: “Peat fires: How we can respond to a growing threat” – Anton Bensalvasiy, Pyrocene Alliance
• 15:40 – “Assessing wildfire vulnerability of touristic infrastructures” – Bruno Guillaume, Efectis France
• 16:00 – Keynote: “The new normal: Communities learning to live with fire” – Val Charlton, Landworks South Africa
• 16:30 – Q&A and Announcements
• 16:45 – Close

Afternoon Sessions (Room Two):

• 14:10 – “Creating an international evidence-based strategy for UK community wildfire resilience” – Victoria Amato, SWCA Environmental Consultants; Linda Kettley, Firewise UK; Fiona Newman-Thacker, Wageningen University & Research
• 14:30 – “State of wildfires” – Douglas Kelley, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
• 15:10 – “Limited spatial co-occurrence of wildfires and muirburn across Scottish moorlands” – Stuart Smith, The James Hutton Institute
• 15:30 – “The great fuel moisture survey: Developing wildfire science in traditionally non-fire-prone societies” – Nicholas Ketttridge, University of Birmingham
• 15:50 – Close

Agenda highlights for day two: The UK story

Day Two – Wednesday, 13 November 2024

Morning Sessions (Room One):

• 9:15 – “Welcome to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire” – Chris Foy, VisitAberdeenshire
• 9:30 – Keynote: “Wildfire: Adapting and increasing resilience within the landscape” – Francesca Osowska, NatureScot
• 10:00 – “Wildfire impacts on upland vegetation” – Robin Pakeman, The James Hutton Institute
• 10:20 – “An integrated wildfire management plan for the Cairngorms National Park” – Colin McLean, Cairngorms National Park Authority
• 11:00 – “Towards a UK fire danger rating system: Developing tools for a resilient future” – Gareth Clay, University of Manchester
• 11:20 – “Fighting future fires: Integrating sensors, machine learning, and satellite earth observation” – Tia Crouch, The National Trust
• 11:40 – “Developing local multi-agency arrangements for wildfire response” – Martin Ogilvie, Dumfries and Galloway Council

Morning Sessions (Room Two):

• 10:00 – “The drivers of urban wildfires in London in the summer of 2022” – Jamie John, Imperial College London
• 10:20 – “Raising awareness of the public health impacts of wildfires in the UK” – Iestyn Jones, UK Health Security Agency
• 11:00 – “What is the IDEAL UK Fire for?” – Sarah Baker, University of Exeter
• 11:20 – “Landscape controls on fuel moisture variability in fire-prone heathland and peatland landscapes” – Kerryn Little, University of Birmingham

Afternoon Sessions (Room One):

• 13:30 – Speaker Roundtable: “Prescribed burning to create resilient landscapes”
  • Craig Hope, South Wales Fire & Rescue Service
  • Steve Maynard, Peak District National Park Authority
  • Nadia Flaherty, Scottish Land and Estates
  • Donna Smith, Scottish Crofting Federation
  • Alex Held, European Forest Institute
  • Eric Baird, Glen Tanar Ranger Service
• 15:20 – “Challenges to controlled burning by crofters in the Scottish Highlands” – Cathy Smith, Royal Holloway, University of London
• 15:40 – “Wildfire recovery through conservation grazing: Building resilience in upland habitat” – James Fisher, The National Trust
• 16:00 – Keynote: “Policy and technology for more resilient communities: Opportunities and risks” – Mark Jones, Aberdeen City Council
• 16:30 – Q&A
• 16:50 – Summary and Closing Remarks – Michael Bruce / Gareth Clay
• 17:00 – Close

Wildfire2024 conference agenda revealed: Summary

The Wildfire2024 Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland, will convene experts to discuss resilience in the face of growing wildfire threats.

On 12-13 November 2024, the conference will feature a range of sessions addressing both global and UK-specific wildfire management challenges.

Key topics include climate-driven wildfire behaviour, community resilience, fire forecasting, vegetation impact, and multi-agency collaboration.

The conference programme can be found here.