Programme

The Wildfire2024 Steering Committee are excited to announce a jam-packed programme - details of which are below.

We’ve compiled a rundown of core programme elements, including details of keynote speakers, themes and discussion topics. Day 1 focuses on the global perspective regarding wildfire and its mitigation, while Day 2 will focus on tackling these issues in the UK.

The sessions below will be taking place in two different rooms in order to provide you with a wealth of interesting talks and interactive sessions while maintaining a condensed schedule, as well as plenty of opportunity to visit our exhibitors and view our poster submissions.

Presentation Materials

Day One- The Global Perspective

Formal Opening
Jim Fairlie MSP, Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity

Opening address
Katrina Candy, The Heather Trust

The new normal: Communities learning to live with fire 
Val Charlton, Landworks South Africa

UK wildfire forecasts and risk assessments within an international context and in a changing climate
Will Lang, Met Office

Building wildfire resilient communities in Europe: Insights from the UK and Ireland
Christine Eriksen, University of Bern

Creating resilience for buildings and people in the re-wilded coastal heathlands of Norway – copying and modernising the Vikings land management practises
Torgrim Log, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences

Not just water, but also fire! Wildfire management in The Netherlands
Edwin Kok, Netherlands Institute for Public Safety (NIPV)

The Portuguese wildfire challenge and the landscape fire governance framework
Tiago Olivera, President AGIF

Perceptions of wildfire science, policy, and management: A pilot study
Sarah Cowan, University of York

Creating an international evidence-based strategy for UK community wildfire resilience
Victoria Amato, SWCA Environmental Consultants
Linda Kettley, Firewise UK
Fiona Newman-Thacker- PhD Candidate, Wageningen University & Research, NL

Shining a light on prescribed fire: claims versus evidence
Andreas Heinemeyer, University of York

State of wildfires
Douglas Kelley, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Peat fires: How we can respond to a growing threat
Anton Beneslavskiy, Pyrocene Alliance

Limited spatial co-occurrence of wildfires and muirburn across Scottish moorlands
Stuart Smith, The James Hutton Institute

Assessing wildfire vulnerability of touristic infrastructures
Bruno Guillaume, Efectis France

The great fuel moisture survey: Developing fundamental wildfire science and sustainable community owned agency in traditionally non-fire prone societies 
Nicholas Kettridge, University of Birmingham

Adapting international ideas to help develop wildfire strategies in Scotland / UK​
Michael Bruce​, Firebreak Services Ltd​

Day Two- The UK Story

Welcome to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Chris Foy, VisitAberdeenshire

Wildfire: Adapting and increasing resilience within the landscape
Francesca Osowska, NatureScot

Wildfire impacts on upland vegetation
Robin Pakeman, The James Hutton Institute

The drivers of urban wildfires in London in the summer of 2022
Jamie John, Imperial College London

An integrated wildfire management plan for the cairngorms national park
Colin McLean, Cairngorms National Park Authority

Raising awareness of the public health impacts of wildfires in the UK 
Iestyn Jones, UK Health Security Agency

Towards a UK fire danger rating system: Developing tools for a resilient future 
Gareth Clay, The University of Manchester

What is the IDEAL UK Fire for?
Sarah Baker, University of Exeter

Fighting future fires: Integrating sensors, machine learning and satellite earth observation to combat wildfire risk
Tia Crouch, The National Trust

Landscape controls on fuel moisture variability in fire-prone heathland and peatland landscapes 
Kerryn Little, University of Birmingham

Developing local multi-agency arrangements to respond to the wider consequences
Martin Ogilvie, Dumfries and Galloway Council

Challenges to controlled burning by crofters in the Scottish Highlands
Cathy Smith, Royal Holloway, University of London

Wildfire recovery through conservation grazing: Building resilience in an upland habitat 
James Fisher, The National Trust

Policy and technology for more resilient communities - opportunities and risks
Mark Jones, Aberdeen City Council

Thank you to our sponsors

  • Scottish Woodlands logo

    Scottish Woodlands

  • Heather Trust logo

    Heather Trust

  • IAWF logo

    IAWF

  • NatureScot logo

    NatureScot

  • CNPA logo

    Cairngorms National Park Authority

  • Vallfirest logo

    Vallfirest

  • SSE Transmission logo

    Scottish & Southern Electricity

  • Waterax

  • Forestry and Land Scotland

  • Angloco

  • Pau Costa Foundation

  • Brodies

  • Scottish Forestry