Responding to a Vegetation Fire - Timeline

Scottish Woodlands Health & Safety Shared Learning

The FWM was contacted around 6pm on Thursday night making him aware of a potential forest fire near Loch Maberry. Forty minutes later it was confirmed that a fire had broken out in the Barhill Forest Complex.

The timeline of the incident is shared.

FWM Feedback - The situation was fairly calm, company structures and resources were helpful for locating the information needed and understanding how best to approach the incident. SFRS had command of the situation on the ground, so major decisions were their responsibility including when to call the helicopter out. My role was very much to help them understand the geography of the area, who the neighbouring landowners were, where properties or utilities that might be at risk lay and help them deploy teams and equipment as close to where they needed to fight the fire as possible. I had background support from my Line Managers and Company Directors.

Being prepared is key in emergency situations to ensure an efficient response.