Introduction

Australia has one of the most idyllic climates and conditions for bushfires. History validates
this claim, with many deadly bushfires occurring previously in the past. Black Saturday was
Australias worst bushfires in its history, claiming 173 lives and over 2000 homes. Many
more people were injured. Bushfires also have long term effects, not only on the
environment, but also on the mental health of bushfire survivors. However, innovative
measures and regulations are being put into action to help prevent bushfires as well as help
preserve human life in the event of one that has reached a catastrophic level.
The pattern of occurrence of bushfires in Australia
Spatial Distribution

Figure 1.1

There are many different variables that impact the

intensity and duration of bushfires. The time of year
tends to dictate in what areas of Australia are
bushfires more likely to occur.
As seen in Figure 1.1, different locations are under
threat at different times and seasons of the year.
The Northern part of Australia has their fire season
during winter and spring because they have their wet
season during summer. North Australia witness
torrential rainstorms and high humidity levels. The wet
landscape combined with the high amounts of moisture in the air mean that it is hard for a
bushfire to sustain itself in those conditions.
Australias fire seasons are inversely related. This means that when it is fire season in the
south of Australia, there is less likely hood of a bushfire occurring on the other end of
Australia. The reason for the south part of Australia to have their fire seasons in summer
and autumn is due to the high temperatures and dry climate during that time of year. After
a cool winter and spring, vegetation flourishes, adding more potential fuel for a bushfire.
That means that in summer, the dry conditions mixed with the heavy fuel load make ideal
conditions for bushfires to spark; this is especially the case with dry winters, where there is
still vegetation but little moisture within them.
Figure 1.2 shows the different levels of fire intensity
across Australia. The red zones indicate extreme
levels of fire intensity. The locations that fall within
these red zones are usually areas that experience hot
and dry summer, yet cold and wet winter. During the
winter, flora increases in density, increasing the total
fuel available in the case of a fire during the summer.
The red zones not only have the ideal conditions for a
bushfire, but are also usually densely populated areas
or communities.

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.3

Temporal Distribution
Figure 1.3 shows 10 of Australias major bushfires. Australias history is tarnished by
bushfires that have ravaged the country since English settlement. You can also see that half
of the major bushfires occur in Victoria. This is mainly
Figure 1.4
attributed to the atmospheric phenomenon known as El
Nino. Although El Nino affects the whole world, its impact
is more notable in the pacific, mainly Australia and
Indonesia. During an El Nino event, East Australia
experiences less than normal rainfall. Figure 1.4 illustrates
the differences between a neutral period and an El Nino
period. It was during an extended Super El Nino period in
1983 that influenced the catastrophic impact of the Ash
Wednesday fires in Victoria and South Australia.
Due to the decrease in rainfall, areas of East Australia
become more volatile to ignition, further increasing the
threat of a major bushfire. There is no doubt that a
correlation between an El Nino event and bushfires exists.
Figure 1.5 further emphasises this point, showing the
average reoccurrence of bushfires in certain areas.
Figure 1.5

The magnitude and intensity of bushfires

only increase during this atmospheric
period. Along the coast of Victoria a very
high return average is evident, with fires
nearly occurring every five years. It is
evident that this high bushfire return
average is due to the atmospheric
phenomena known only as El Nino.

Natural and human causes of bushfires

Natural

Figure 2.1

There are not many natural processes that

directly ignite bushfires. The most common
cause of bushfires is from lightning; a factor
that is completely out of the control of
man. 26% of bushfires occur due to
lightning strikes (Figure 2.1). These strikes
have the potential to cause bushfires. The
fires are not necessarily ignited as soon as
the lightning hits and it may take a few
days for it to ignite. This because the roots
of trees and fallen logs can smoulder for
long amounts of time and all it takes is one
ember to spark a bushfire.
Indirect natural causes of bushfire present nearly as much as a threat as natural ignition
sources. Vegetation type plays a crucial role in the volatility of areas to bushfires. As a rule
of thumb, plants that lost a lot of moisture during extended periods of hot weather are
most combustible than those that retain their moisture. Figure 2.2 illustrates why
Eucalyptus trees are the idyllic fuel source for bushfires.
The native vegetation of Australia also has a
leading role in increasing the sustainability of
bushfires. Eucalyptus trees tend to be very dry
and hold flammable oil. These aspects make
them the ideal fuel for bushfires, especially
given that the taller the tree the older it is. Fuel
age is also a determining factor in the risk that a
Figure 2.2
fire can cause. As the fuel age increases, so does
the potential for a high duration and intensity bushfire.
The most intense fires are usually located in semi-arid regions. This is because the climate
can reach high temperatures, drying vegetation,
while still maintaining biodiverse flora and fauna.
On average the global temperature has increased
by nearly 1 degree Celsius since 1860, Figure 2.3.
Though it may not seem like much, even the
slightest increase in temperature can have
catastrophic impacts on the land and risk of
wildfires.

Figure 2.3

Wind direction and speed is also a factor when

determining the level of risk a wildfire has. For
example, if the wind has been blowing south

during the first days of a bushfire, there is a very long fire front. The wind however, can
suddenly blow west or eastwards, bringing a long fire front across a wide area; leaving
firefighters to battle the blaze in catastrophic conditions. Figure 2.4 depicts a synoptic chart
of weather conditions during the Ash
Figure 2.4
Wednesday fires. Notice the incoming
westerly winds and the current northerly
winds.
Human
There are many different human induced
causes of bushfires. Arson alone accounts to
25% of the fires caused in Australia. Arson is
the act of deliberately lighting a fire. Due to
the high number of arson related fires, fines for arson are high and rewards are given to
those who help find the arsons that cause fires that have or had the potential to threaten
lives.
It is not only arsons that cause human influenced fires. There is a plethora of other ways in
which fires can be ignited. These other ways, however, are all usually unintentional or
accidents. Sparks from power tools have the potential to ignite fires as well as fallen down
power lines from car crashes. Ironically controlled burns, a method used to prevent
bushfires, can also be the cause of a wildfire if it suddenly gets out of control.
Social, Economic, Political and Physical Impacts of Bushfires
Social
The effect of bushfires on the populace can be immense and devastating. Some of the more
clear influences are death toll, damage and costs. The loss of life is a major social impact
that bushfires have the potential to cause.
Figure 3.1
Bushfires can not only take away your home, but
also your friends and family. The death of those
close to you not only has the immediate effect of
losing their life but can also have long-term
repercussions, with the possibility of losing the
source of income for the family and long-lasting
emotional trauma.
Those injured by bushfires also suffer social
problems, possibly losing the ability to continue
working to provide income for themselves or their
family, or even losing functionality in their basic motor skills. The injuries they sustain can
impede also their future prospects if the person injured is still young or developing their
career. In the Black Saturday bushfires, 414 people were injured and 173 killed. Figure 3.1
shows the location of all the causalities associated with the Black Saturday bushfires.

As well as directly affecting people, a bushfire can also indirectly affect citizens with long
term psychological issues, including post-traumatic stress and depression. The long term
effects of such psychological damage are that of panic attacks when close to fire in some
severe cases. Depression can stem from the results of bushfires, especially if some have lost
loved ones, their home, income and maybe even business.
Economic

Figure 3.2

The immediate economic impact that bushfires

have is the damage costs affiliated with the fire.
This figure rises rapidly the more deadly the
bushfire becomes, especially in residential areas
where homes are at risk. Along with damage
costs is also the cost of emergency workers and
organisations. In the event of a national disaster,
resources have to be transported by air, further
increasing the total cost of Bushfires. These
resources can vary from extra firefighters to
water-bombers and fire trucks. For the Black Saturday fires, total net costs were estimated
to be around $942 million. This not only includes the costs of damage but also the costs of
rebuilding infrastructure to limit the economic, social and environmental costs. Figure 3.2
shows just a small portion of the total damage done along with the costs.
Political
Political issues are also prevalent within the impacts of Bushfires. The general population
expect the government to very quickly respond to bushfires
Figure 3.3
and try to contain the blaze before it gets out of control.
However, the government may need to give a response in
the case of public outcry, as was the case of the 2011
Margaret River bushfire. This particular bushfire was caused
by a prescribed burning that became uncontrollable. A
Political response was given by Colin Barnett due to the
backlash by the community. Though not likely in Australia,
political unrest may occur if the government fails to respond
adequately to the threat. This is a probable reason as to why
large bushfires that are not contained are quickly deemed
national disasters. The Margaret River fires also raised the
question whether or not to do prescribed burning. Though
no lives were lost during the fire, large areas of land were
affected by the blaze. This severely affected tourism in the
area, a main source of income for the local community.
Figure 3.3 shows the land affected (Red Zone) by the blaze.
The green zones show areas that were left relatively
unscathed.

Figure 3.4

Physical/Environmental
Fire also has adverse impacts on the environment. As
depicted in figure 3.4 (next page), large bushfires
produce large amounts of smoke. This smoke can affect
the life of avian creatures as well as plants. Fire also
devastates land-scapes; entire forests being set ablaze,
leaving lifeless husks behind. With the torching of
forests, biodiversity is also threatened.

Many animals and wildlife die due to bushfires and those that survive, migrate to other
areas, possibly unbalancing the local food chain, causing one species to either flourish, or
another to become endangered due to an increase in their natural predators.
The carbon dioxide that is stored in trees is also released in the event of a bushfire. As trees
burn, the carbon dioxide that they store is released into the atmosphere. This adds to the
total amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. With the increased levels of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere, it could potentially block incoming solar radiation. This could, in
some ways, effect earths energy budget, seen in figure 3.5.

Figure 3.5

Mitigation and Prevention of Bushfires

What is being done
Prescribed burns are often done in areas where bushfire risk is high. By burning off the
vegetation, the risk is reduced two-fold. This is because along with burning the fuel that a
bushfire would use, they also create a firebreak. Controlled burns also have the effect of
creating biodiversity, as some plants thrive in burned areas along with the animals that take
shelter in such plants.
Figure 4.1

Figure 4.1 shows how to negate the risk of fire

destroying your home and the safety
measures that you should put in place to
ensure that your property is at least risk of a
fire. This image was taken out of the Sunday
Times and was authorised by the Australian
Government and FESA.
However controlled burning, as
aforementioned, can also be the cause of
bushfires. There is also debate about whether
the carbon dioxide released in controlled burn
offs is a serious threat.
To authorise a controlled burn also requires
lots of paperwork that needs to go through
many different government institutions before
being accepted. The conditions also have to be
just right so that in the case that it does get
out of control, firefighters can quickly regain
control of the blaze.
What can be done
Provide more awareness to the threat of bushfires in certain areas where the potential for a
bushfire is high. The government could show advertisements on TV or before YouTube clips
on what do to in the event of a bushfire or the government response.
More studies into bushfires and the factors that cause it can also be done, so that more
mitigation plans can be devised so that those at risk of wildfires can remain relatively safe.
This research, however, can take quite a while and it may be a long time before we see any
new developments in the prevention of bushfires.

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