FIREBAR - Developing wildfire observation in the Barents region : Project report

The report investigates aerial wildfire observation methods within the Barents region, focusing on Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Collectively, these nations have vast expanses of forest land, representing a significant portion of Europe’s forested areas. However, climate change presents an immense challenge, with rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and alterations in vegetation composition increasing the risk of wildfires in Fennoscandia.
In terms of detection methodologies, the longstanding tradition of forest fire surveillance via manned aircraft remains a cornerstone of the approach employed in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. Manned surveillance crews follow a predetermined flight route, scanning the landscape for signs of smoke or fire. The surveillance flights are mostly undertaken by flight club volunteers. Beyond traditional aerial surveillance, other approaches such as sensor technologies, predictive fire risk modelling, and unmanned aviation methods have gained considerable attention. Both research and technological innovation have paved the way for enhanced wildfire understanding and management strategies.
The domain of forest fire surveillance via aircraft operation encompasses a diverse array of stakeholders, ranging from state authorities and fire and rescue services to municipalities, flight clubs, and operators. The administrative organisation of forest fire surveillance is national in Finland, regional in Sweden and local in Norway.
The data consists of interviews, documents and the results of a literature review. The interviewees argued that manned aircraft surveillance works well and they saw it as useful especially in vast areas with sparse population and difficult terrain. The challenges of manned aircraft surveillance related to the societal changes and availability of volunteer personnel to undertake surveillance operations. The authorities were interested in the possibilities that unmanned aviation and satellite technology could bring for wildfire detection and agreed that utilizing several methods simultaneously, a so-called hybrid system, could ensure operational reliability in various weather conditions in which an aircraft cannot operate. Aviation organisations and flight clubs argued that the weaknesses of the technological alternatives are for example high costs and slow transfer of information.
The interviewees recognized that international cooperation, especially cross-border collaboration between the Nordic countries would be valuable. In particular, the stakeholders wished more active cooperation in exchanging information about best practices and sharing experiences. Several interviewees argued that the Nordic countries have the same problems regarding the wildfires and therefore fires should be tackled together. National, regional and local cooperation were seen as important, but especially cross-border national level cooperation was considered useful.