Follow us on twitter
  • Parts of Scotland receive some of the highest levels of rainfall in Europe, but we also experience periods of intense drying when the danger of wild fires can be severe.
  • Wildfires cause significant damage to agricultural, forestry, biodiversity, recreational and sporting interests, and threaten infrastructure, property, and life
  • Wildfires place a significant operational and cost burden on the Fire and Rescue Service, directly in fighting wildfires, and in the requirement to redeploy resources to maintain geographic coverage
  • The aim of the project is to contribute to the development of a Fire Danger Rating System for the Scottish environment and vegetation
  • Wildfires destroy large and small with impunity
  • Wildfires destroy large and small with impunity
  • Understanding how fires become established and spread in complex vegetation is challenging
  • The project is carrying out field studies to examine fires spread in Scottish vegetation types (Andy Taylor discussing vegetation characteristics with Rory Hadden and colleagues)
  • Determining the quantities and moisture contents of different fuels are integral to modelling potential fire risks
  • Numerous weather, vegetation and soil parameters are included within the rating system model to predict the level of fire risk.

You are here

Michael Bruce

Michael Bruce BSc (Hons) owner and operator of Firebreak Services Ltd, established the company in in 2003. Michael has also been running Glen Tanar Estate since 1986. He practises Muirburn (prescribed burning) for a variety of objectives including wildlife habitat management, ground preparation for tree regeneration, the creation of fuelbreaks and applied research on the estate. 

In addition, he is the chairman of the local South Grampian Wildfire Group and Vice-Chair of the Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF) and has carried out applied fire research projects.  Further information is available on Firebreak Services  and Glen Tanar Estate.