Leafblowers 'absolute gamechangers' when tackling wildfires

A Scottish Fire and Rescue chief has said leaf blowers and drones are “an absolute game changer” in tackling wildfires.

Station commander Joe Fitzpatrick was providing an update to Perth and Kinross Council’s Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee on Wednesday, October 1.

He told the committee forced air units – otherwise known as leaf blowers – and drones were now being used by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Mr Fitzpatrick said leaf blowers could help stop the fire from spreading.

He explained: “Our strategy has now introduced these for personnel.

“We can attack now basically up to about a flame-length of 50cm to one metre with this.

“It’s basically blowing the fire back into the area. It’s tackling the triangular fire by preventing the fire spreading and radiating into the field.”

Drones have also become “absolutely essential” in combating fires and ensuring firefighters’ safety.

The fire chief added: “Drones too are an absolute game-changer as well. If we can get sight on the fire and where it’s progressing, that can help us in formulating a tactical plan, particularly in terms of a safety protocol we use.

“It ensures that all the fire personnel on the ground are aware of safe areas, areas of escape. We quite often can’t get a big picture of a wildfire because of the sheer extent of it – it’s not practical to go round a wildfire. So the deployment of a drone is absolutely essential.”

Highland Perthshire ward councillor Mike Williamson asked about the impact of the recent introduction of the Cairngorms National Park byelaw which will ban campfires and barbecues in the park between April and September every year.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: “We hope to see some reduction in the incidents of wildfires, not only wildfires but smaller fires. Every wildfire starts off as a small fire.

“So if we can capture these smaller fires – which the byelaw is directed at – then we can prevent the number of fires we’re having to intervene in and also, those fires that we are having to intervene in, we’ll have resources available to do so.”

Bailie Williamson asked if there was a concern there could be a “displacement impact” with tourists lighting campfires and barbecues just outside the Cairngorms National Park and within the SNP councillor’s own Highland Perthshire ward.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: “There could very well be but tourists are going to these areas anyway.”

The fire chief also highlighted the issue of wildfires being ignited underground from campfires.

He explained: “Barbecues are often a source of ignition, campfires as well. People don’t understand that fire doesn’t just propagate up the way and out across the ground, it goes down the way. People – with the best intention of extinguishing a campfire – quite often find they go away and the fire breaks out somewhere in the vicinity due to it travelling underneath the ground.”