Welcome to FireBeaters Website

This site is being developed by The University of Edinburgh and the Met Office to provide information for all those concerned with vegetation fires, both wild and prescribed, in the UK. This is part of a project funded by the Scottish Executive and Scottish Natural Heritage to provide a Fire Danger Rating System for Scotland. The Fire Danger Index is the first output and can be seen by clicking on the map of Scotland on the right, or on the Fire Danger Index menu on the left-hand side.

NEWS FIRES Seminar Series - Fire and Ecosystem Services in UK Moorlands and Heaths. A series of seminars on the role of fires in provision of ecosystem services. The second seminar on wildfires in moorlands and heathlands will be in Manchester on 24th June 2008. There will be a public lecture by Jim Smalley of the National Fire Protection Association in the USA at 17:10. Anyone interested is invited to attend. Forest Fires 2008 : Modelling, Monitoring and Mangement. International Conference, 17-19 September 2008, Toledo, Spain The Final Report of FireBeaters Phase I project has now been submitted. Download the Executive Summary here

The Fire Danger Index is an extension to the Fire Severity Index published by the Met Office for England and Wales. We will shortly (May 2007) be producing a more detailed forecast that relates to fire behaviour in heather (Calluna vulgaris) and heather-dominated vegetation. This will be valuable to all those involved in fires in heathland vegetation, both gamekeepers and others who use fire for managing moorland vegetation. It will also be valuable for conservation and for minimising the risk and damage caused by wildfires.

This project depends on the collaboration of land managers, rangers, fire fighters and those who work in the countryside. To find out how you can contribute to this project then please read the Get Involved page.