The IV international Prescribed Fire Meeting of Mafra, comes as a result of the use of prescribed fire as a territory management tool during the last decade, and after the trainings conducted in 2017, 2018 and 2019, with a frankly positive evaluation by all the participating technicians.

Since 2006, the Mafra county Forestry Office (GTF) received a wide range of technicians and entities from several areas, all of them linked to the fire use and wildfires fighting. This exchange allowed the participants to receive technical and scientific knowledge related to the fire use. But this know-how was growing individually and limited to the technicians who worked on it.

To break this cycle of individual knowledge and continue the teaching route held in 2017, the Mafra County is organizing, together with other entities, the IV International Prescribed Fire Meeting of Mafra - 2020, which will offer one program of exercises of prescribed fires to fire technicians.

This tactical and operational exercise will enable the professionals involved to gain / exchange experience, learn about various fire-related areas and test their capabilities outside of their normal and usual work environment. They will engage in various tasks and roles of fire operations, from the planning stage to implementation and evaluation briefings. They will have the opportunity to work in scenarios of fire use with various objectives (ecological, fire prevention, support to landowners, etc.), in which their knowledge and techniques are put to the test.

The Mafra 2020 Operational Training will bring together expert technicians from all around the world and will create opportunities for knowledge exchange. One of the objectives of this exercise is to make it as practical and operational as possible, simulating a training camp so that participants can strengthen partnerships, spirit of friendship and increase the cohesion of the fire community.

Training Program:

1st Day - May 3th (Sunday): 15h00 – 19h00 - Reception of participants in camping site Ericeira Camping (on National Road 247, km 49.4 - near BP Supply station). 20h00 - Welcome Dinner.

2nd day - May 4th - Monday: FlameWORK International Prescribed Fire Seminar.

3rd day - May 5th - Tuesday: Field session - planning, organize and implement fire, operation of fire teams, safety protocols, communications protocols, prescribed fire control system, ignition techniques and fire control , fire monitoring, burning assessment;

4th day - May 6th - Wednesday: Field session - Implementation of Burning - using tactics and tools from different regions and country’s;

5th day – May 7th - Thursday: Field session - Implementation of burning - using the tactics and tools of the different participating regions;

6th day – May 8th - Friday: Room Session - final evaluation of the training. Departure from the Ericeira Camping.

Location of the campsite:

Contactos

Notes:

All participants sleep in Tepees - http://www.ericeiracamping.com/o-parque/teepees/, which include bed linen and cushion. No bath linens are included. These structures are very simple and basic, so if there are special needs please let us know in advance.

The reception of participants will take place at the entrance of the camping site Ericeira Camping (on National Road 247, km 49.4 - between the Ericeira centre and the BP Supply station), on 3th May.

Meals will be the responsibility of participants, except for the welcome dinner and fieldwork periods (All lunches will be provided by the organization on the field – if you have any dietary restrictions, please let us know in advance).

The provisional program is a plan of intentions for perfect conditions, that is, they may be changed due to weather conditions versus prescribed fire operations.

Personal protective equipment (PPIs) is mandatory for burn actions activities.

There will be a transport vehicle from Lisbon (airport) to Ericeira Camping.