Wildfire risk in Community Risk Registers (CRR), Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMP) and Incident Recording System (IRS)

Using maps and diagrams, this paper compares relative risk of wildfire as assessed in Integrated Risk Management Plans (IRMP) and Community Risk Registers (CRR), with the actual occurrence of wildfire from the Incident Recording System (IRS). We aim to show and explain why these three data sources convey different pictures of wildfire risk, and how IRS data could help quantify the likelihood of vegetation fire of different magnitudes within and between areas. CRRs are prepared for emergency planning purposes by Local Resilience Forums (LRF). LRFs rate likelihood, impact and overall risk of any hazards affecting local communities within their area. A survey of the 38 CRRs available online for England, Scotland and Wales in February-April 2015, showed that three-quarters included ‘moorland and forest fire’. Also in 2015, Fire and Rescue Services were surveyed to determine whether they had considered and identified wildfire within their IRMPs. Like CRRs, they assess wildfire risk relative to other local risks. In contrast, IRS data gives a quantitative estimate of the actual number of wildfire incidents, how this varies within areas, and allows comparison nationally between areas. Different magnitudes of fire can be mapped, ranging from all vegetation fires regardless of size, duration or appliances deployed, to ‘wildfire’ as defined in the Scottish Wildfire Operational Guidance (2012).