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GAMEKEEPERS, MUIRBURN & WILDFIRES
The Practitioner's View
on Good & Bad Fires
Iain Hepburn – Head Gamekeeper, Dunmaglass Estate, Inverness-shire.
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Iain Hepburn – Head Gamekeeper, Dunmaglass Estate, Inverness-shire.
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Role of the Gamekeeper - Why burn?
1. Manage the moor responsibly.
2. Habitat preservation.
3. Manage appropriate resources.
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WHY, WHEN and WHERE
• Four tier rotation.
• 1st October – 15th April
• Reduce risk of
WILDFIRE.
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Four Tier Rotation
Long Medium Young Burnt
FOOD SOURCE
SHELTER/COVER
RANK/UNPRODUCTIVE
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LEARNING POINTS
1. Wind direction
2. Dampening
3. An eye for the land
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Firebreaks
• Natural
• Manmade
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Good v’s Bad
• Planned and in control. • Well-staffed and
equipped. • Following Muirburn
Code.
• Out of control, endangering wildlife, public and property.
• Large area burnt. • Under staffed and poor
communications • Burning deep into
peat.
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Risk Assessment
• Safe area
• Check wind direction/speed
• Check which/how fuels are burning: heather, moss etc
• Check how difficult to put out e.g. is water needed
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Back burn
• Knowledge from Muirburn
• Least labour
• Small & controlled fire
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The Battle without Backburn
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The Battle with Backburn
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Partnership and the Future?
• Opportunities to expand on
existing good working relations.
• Opportunities to train together.
• Open invitation to join us for
muirburn to watch controlled fire
behaviour in practice and view
available techniques in action.
• Improved partnership
communications.