Poland Fire Management Week 2015
The first National Conference Fire in Forest Management and Nature Conservation, and a scientific-technical prescribed fire experiment (demonstration burn) was organized by the Directorate General of the State Forests of Poland and the State Fire Service of Poland and the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Zielona Gora. The conference day (Osrodek Wapoczynkowy LESNIK, Lagow, 17 March 2015) was attended by representatives of both organizations and the Nature Conservation Agency. Apart of the contribution Intentional Burning in Nature Conservation, Biodiversity, Landscape Management and Forestry in Europe and Globally: Historical Aspects, Current Application and Future Challenges the GFMC (Johann G. Goldammer) took over the responsibility of conducting the prescribed fire experiment together with the colleagues of the Forest Research Institute, Forest Fire Protection Department, Raszyn (Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa, Laboratorium Ochrony Przeciwpożarowej Lasu).
The experiment in Forest District Przemków took place on 18 March 2015 and aimed to demonstrate the use of prescribed fire in maintaining / regenerating the open Calluna vulgaris heathland ecosystem, which is common throughout continental Central-Eastern Europe. The experience in the use of prescribed fire in Brandenburg State, Germany, was provided by the German Federal Forest Service Office Lausitz (represented by Egbert Brunn).
Related agreement, conference materials and immediate follow-up reports:
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Crossboundary Fire Management Cooperation Agreement between Poland and Germany (PDF, 5.4 MB)
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Conference and Exercise Programme (PDF, 1.4 MB)
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Experiment and Exercise Programme (PDF, 0.6 MB)
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Online reports of Polish agencies and media (PDF, 1.5 MB)
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Report by the Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation, Wroclaw (PDF, 0.4 MB)
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Article in Forestry Journal Magazyn Pracownikow Lasow Panstwowych No. 3 (543), pp. 9-10 (PDF, 0.5 MB)
Follow-up research of post-fire development by the Forest Fire Protection Department of the Forest Research Institute of Poland
Follow-up publication:
- Szczygieł, R., Goldammer, J.G., Kwiatkowski, M., Brunn, E., Szczęśniak, E., Kołakowski, B. 2016. Experimental Application of Prescribed Fire for the Management of Calluna vulgaris Heathlands on Abandoned Military Terrain in Poland. Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 152, 123-140. DOI 10.19213/973152; ISBN 978-3-7843-4052-4 (PDF, 1.1 MB)
- Film report of the fire experiment and demonstration (in Polish, with background explanations and narrative in English)
- Prescribed-burning-experiment-Forest-District-Przemkow-Poland-2015.mpg – MPG, 212 MB)
Visual impressions of the prescribed burning field experiment,
Forest District Przemków, Poland, 18 March 2015
Photos: Miroslaw Kwiatkowski, Instytut Badawczy Leśnictwa (Forest Research Institute), Raszyn, Poland
View of the Experimental Site from the Air and from Space
Aerial view of the beginning of the prescribed burn as seen from a drone
(MP4, 34.0 MB)
Second part of the aerial view of the beginning of the
prescribed burn as seen from a drone
(MPG 36 MB)
The pre-burn map of the experimental site shows the typical character of an open heathland ecosystem. The ochre lines represent the location of the firebreaks.
On the day after the experiment (19 March 2015) at 09:50 UTC the overpassing Landsat ETM+ acquired the post-fire scene. The top image illustrates the burn scar visible on the Landsat ETM+ image (band composite 5, 4, 3). The lower image shows the temperature distribution (in degrees Celsius) in the area affected by fire and surroundings. The temperature was calculated based on the thermal band recorded by Landsat ETM+ 19 March 2015. One day after the fire the burn scar was still warm. Source and credit: Agata Hościło, Remote Sensing Center, Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw, Poland.
Follow-up Training in Przemków Forest District
On 23-24 March 2022 a workshop and field training in the use of prescribed fire in the maintenance / regeneration of heathlands was s organized by the Forest Fire Protection Laboratory (Laboratorium Ochrony Przeciwpozarowej Lasu) of the Forest Research Institute of Poland (Instytut Badawczy Lesnictwa – IBL) were held in Przemków Forest District:
The training prescribed fire and the team.
©Photo: Kacper Borkowski
