The history of fire in Australia — and how it can help us face the bushfires of the future
5 years, 1 month ago

The history of fire in Australia — and how it can help us face the bushfires of the future

ABC  

This summer's horrific bushfires have felt more intense than ever, the threat more immediate and encompassing — but fires are not new in Australia. "What had already been a fire continent became even more so with the work that was done by Aboriginal people over a long period with the fire stick," Professor Griffiths says. "In other words, we haven't been in Australia long enough to understand fire," Professor Gammage says. "Following the Dwellingup fires sanctioned serious controlled burning and brought it about very successfully," Professor Griffiths says. "In this fire season of 2019-20 we've seen the evacuation policy being implemented across Australia, and one of the successes of this fire season I think has been the careful planning of evacuation and the way in which that has surely saved lives," Professor Griffiths says.

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History of this topic

U.S. and Australia have long fought fires together. Climate change threatens joint efforts
2 months, 1 week ago

U.S. and Australia have long fought fires together. Climate change threatens joint efforts

LA Times  

As flames engulfed swaths of Los Angeles County this month and U.S. fire authorities scrambled to coordinate help from overseas, one longtime firefighting partner was left off their list: Australia. “Requests for international assistance are typically sent first to the countries experiencing the least wildfire activity as they are more likely to be able to send firefighters and equipment,” said …

America has much to learn from Indigenous strategies of fire control
2 months, 1 week ago

America has much to learn from Indigenous strategies of fire control

Live Mint  

The devastation from California’s wildfires is unique in its horror—but it has precedents elsewhere. In each case, a landscape transformed through thousands of years of Indigenous fire agriculture has proven deadly to a modern society more averse to burning vegetation. Harness Indigenous know-how: Australia’s history of bushfire disasters helped it learn the lessons of Indigenous fire control early. A wildfire …

Fire lessons from the Australian capital, where a 2003 inferno changed everything
2 months, 1 week ago

Fire lessons from the Australian capital, where a 2003 inferno changed everything

LA Times  

The Clear Range fire burns near Bredbo North after overrunning the property of Lawrence and Claire Cowie on Feb. 1, 2020, near Canberra, Australia. Today, Scott is the chief of the Australian Capital Territory’s Rural Fire Service, which oversees Canberra’s outlying regions. We’ve also got bushfire modeling software and we know where a fire is going to run in a …

Heat wave sparks wildfire warnings in Southern Australia
3 months ago

Heat wave sparks wildfire warnings in Southern Australia

Deccan Chronicle  

Newcastle: Communities and firefighters across Australia’s second-most populous state were preparing on Thursday for potentially devastating wild fires as a heat wave fanned by erratic winds presented the worst fire conditions in several years. “Firefighters, I can say, are doing everything possible to protect life and protect property.” An emergency warning was issued by fire authorities for the small town …

Heat wave leads to warnings of potentially devastating wildfires in southern Australia
3 months ago

Heat wave leads to warnings of potentially devastating wildfires in southern Australia

Deccan Chronicle  

Newcastle: Communities and firefighters across Australia's second-most populous state were preparing Thursday for potentially devastating wildfires as a heat wave fanned by erratic winds presented the worst fire conditions in several years. With temperatures in Victoria state reaching 37 degrees Celsius and with wind changes expected throughout the day, fire chiefs have issued stark warnings to rural communities to delay …

Heat wave leads to warnings of potentially devastating wildfires in southern Australia
3 months ago

Heat wave leads to warnings of potentially devastating wildfires in southern Australia

Associated Press  

NEWCASTLE, Australia — Communities and firefighters across Australia’s second-most populous state were preparing Thursday for potentially devastating wild fires as a heat wave fanned by erratic winds presented the worst fire conditions in several years. “Firefighters, I can say, are doing everything possible to protect life and protect property.” An emergency warning was issued by fire authorities for the small …

A burning desire to understand fire
4 months, 1 week ago

A burning desire to understand fire

ABC  

Is it time to rethink our relationship with fire? Bushfires are part of Australian life but the scars run deep in those communities affected - loved ones killed, homes destroyed. He's passionate about how Indigenous knowledge combined with new tools and technology are playing a vital role in fire management. A group of women in Perth are learning to ride …

Australian bushfires could be more intense and extensive than current predictions, study suggests
9 months, 1 week ago

Australian bushfires could be more intense and extensive than current predictions, study suggests

ABC  

In short: A new study says the intensity and extent of future Australian bushfires is being underestimated. Bureau of Meteorology senior research scientist Mika Peace and independent study co-author Lachlan McCaw identified several variables missing from the IPCC report's fire predictions under climate change. She said one of the factors exacerbating future fires, not taken into account by the IPCC, …

Bayindeen bushfire still burning as Victoria and South Australia swelter through extreme weather
1 year, 1 month ago

Bayindeen bushfire still burning as Victoria and South Australia swelter through extreme weather

ABC  

In short: A catastrophic fire danger warning has been issued for communities in Victoria's far west today. Stay up to date on bushfire information For the latest warnings, visit the ABC Emergency website Listen to ABC Local Radio for regular updates — find your local broadcaster here Download the Vic Emergency app on your phone to receive official updates A …

Aerial firefighting units on standby as South Australia prepares for 'extreme' fire danger
1 year, 1 month ago

Aerial firefighting units on standby as South Australia prepares for 'extreme' fire danger

ABC  

In short: South Australian authorities have urged residents to prepare for possible bushfires on Wednesday ahead of "extreme" conditions. The Country Fire Service said the Flinders, Mid North, Upper South East, Lower South East, Mount Lofty Ranges, Riverland and Murraylands districts will experience extreme danger. Fire authorities have urged South Australians to prepare for possible bushfires on Wednesday ahead of …

Australian Authorities Warn Citizens of Horrific Bushfire Season
1 year, 5 months ago

Australian Authorities Warn Citizens of Horrific Bushfire Season

News 18  

Warm winds fanned multiple blazes on Wednesday in an unusually early start to Australia’s annual fire season, prompting a state leader to warn of a “horror” summer of bushfires ahead. “Be prepared for a horror summer,” New South Wales Premier Chris Minns told a news conference in Bega. “Bushfires love this environment and it is devastating for regional communities in …

Another Black Summer for Australia? Residents told to Flee Victoria Bushfires
1 year, 5 months ago

Another Black Summer for Australia? Residents told to Flee Victoria Bushfires

News 18  

Firefighters warned people on Tuesday to flee or take shelter if it is too late to leave as warm, gusty winds fanned “very challenging” bushfires in Victoria, eastern Australia. People who had not yet left from another seven neighbourhoods were told to take shelter immediately because “it is too late to leave the area safely”. “We are experiencing spot fires …

Australia is better prepared for bushfires now than before Black Summer, but firefighters say there's still more work to do
1 year, 6 months ago

Australia is better prepared for bushfires now than before Black Summer, but firefighters say there's still more work to do

ABC  

For the first time in three years, Australians face the risk of significant bushfires. "We're much better prepared than we were prior to the Black Summer," Dr Cope says. The royal commission recommended Australia invest in things called "downscaled climate models" — models that provide projections for areas down to just a few kilometres. "It was a royal commission put …

'Australia is sleepwalking': A bushfire scientist explains what the Hawaii tragedy means for our flammable continent
1 year, 7 months ago

'Australia is sleepwalking': A bushfire scientist explains what the Hawaii tragedy means for our flammable continent

ABC  

As I hear reports of the fire tearing through the Hawaiian island of Maui, I feel utterly depressed. Northern Hemisphere inundated with climate disasters Photo shows Men in white shirts fight an orange blaze of fire As the global temperature hits a record high, the Northern Hemisphere is feeling the full impact of how climate change is hitting us hard …

Northern Australia's fire management and mapping: How the integration of 'old and new' has led to success
2 years, 8 months ago

Northern Australia's fire management and mapping: How the integration of 'old and new' has led to success

ABC  

For nearly two decades, researchers have been mapping fires in Northern Australia's tropical savannas and rangelands. Mimal Land Management CEO Dominic Nicholls said one reason Northern Australia's fire management had been so successful was because it was built on the "old land management principals and traditional knowledge" from First Nations people. "The fire management in Northern Australia is certainly very …

Wildfires to increase up to 30 per cent by 2050: experts
3 years, 1 month ago

Wildfires to increase up to 30 per cent by 2050: experts

The Hindu  

Exhausted firefighters have been battling blazes in northern Argentina for weeks. "At the same time, climate change is made worse by wildfires, mostly by ravaging sensitive and carbon-rich ecosystems like peatlands and rainforests," said the authors of the report. That destruction — to crops and homes, human health and the natural environment — means wildfires "disproportionately affect the world's poorest …

Scientist investigating Australia's past says Indigenous cultural burning key to controlling bushfires
3 years, 9 months ago

Scientist investigating Australia's past says Indigenous cultural burning key to controlling bushfires

ABC  

Nestled beside one of Melbourne's busiest roads, sits the Bolin Bolin Billabong — a site of immense cultural significance for the traditional owners, the Wurundjeri people. to unpack the history of landscape change from Aboriginal management through to the modern day, not only for how we manage this country but understanding how it operates," Dr Fletcher said. " "The biggest …

The debate over fighting fire with fire in the Kimberley
3 years, 9 months ago

The debate over fighting fire with fire in the Kimberley

ABC  

Every year, 40 per cent of West Australia's massive Kimberley region burns. "There's absolutely no question that if you do a lot of burning in the early dry season, by definition, you can't have a lot of late dry season fires," he said. Proponents believe early aerial burning will shift the pattern of fire away from the late dry season …

Australia’s wildfires released as much smoke as a massive volcanic eruption, study finds
4 years ago

Australia’s wildfires released as much smoke as a massive volcanic eruption, study finds

CNN  

CNN — Australia’s devastating recent wildfires thrust as much smoke into the Earth’s atmosphere as a powerful volcanic eruption, causing cooling over the region’s oceans with potentially long-lasting impacts, according to the authors of a new study. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels onboard HMAS Adelaide during Operation Bushfire Assist, on Sunday, …

Australian Forests Could Take a Long Time to Recover from 'Black Summer' Bushfires: Study
4 years, 2 months ago

Australian Forests Could Take a Long Time to Recover from 'Black Summer' Bushfires: Study

News 18  

A new study published on Thursday revealed “massive concerns” about the long-term recovery of Australian forests from the devastating 2019-20 “Black Summer” bushfires. The study, which was published by Australian National University and Griffith University, warned that early signs of recovery from the fires could be deceiving, reports Xinhua news agency. “It’s wonderful to see the green growth back in …

“We” creatures of the earth: Ethical reflections on Australia’s fires
4 years, 4 months ago

“We” creatures of the earth: Ethical reflections on Australia’s fires

ABC  

I was overseas in December 2019. Though we are Australians by virtue of citizenship, the character of our grief as Australians didn’t focus on the nation as a political entity: it focused on the country, as we think of “country” when we speak of love of it, a love that is always mediated by local affections for a region, a …

Australia wildfires probe recommends climate risk forecasts
4 years, 5 months ago

Australia wildfires probe recommends climate risk forecasts

Associated Press  

CANBERRA, Australia — An investigation into Australia’s catastrophic wildfire season on Friday recommended greater efforts to forecast the impacts of climate change on specific parts of the country, warning fire behavior was becoming more extreme. Discrepancies between states’ fire hazard mapping methods “make it difficult to measure risk at a national scale or to undertake comparative risk between regions.” “Improving …

Could Aboriginal fire practices help combat Australian wildfires?
4 years, 6 months ago

Could Aboriginal fire practices help combat Australian wildfires?

Al Jazeera  

Jenny Brown, who leads Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Strategy and Impact at the Australian Red Cross, has seen how wildfires devastated her community and others. A Wandi Wandian woman from Yuin country – a seawater First Nations in New South Wales – she spoke to Al Jazeera about how a resurgence in traditional practices is helping tackle issues such …

Bushfire royal commission told Aboriginal people routinely ignored in post-disaster commissions
4 years, 9 months ago

Bushfire royal commission told Aboriginal people routinely ignored in post-disaster commissions

ABC  

The bushfire royal commission has been told that Indigenous land management is critical to preventing catastrophic bushfires but that in the past, Aboriginal voices have been ignored. Key points: The bushfire royal commission has focussed on hazard reduction and indigenous cultural burning this week Commission told Indigenous people must be involved in cultural burning practices Calls for long-term funding to …

Australia heading into new 'fire age', warns global fire historian
4 years, 10 months ago

Australia heading into new 'fire age', warns global fire historian

ABC  

Australia could be at the beginning of a new "epoch of fire", driven by humans and climate change. Key points: This summer’s bushfires have been described as "forever fires" by fire historian Stephen Pyne March 2 was the first time in 240 days that not a single wildfire was burning in Australia The royal commission into last summer's bushfires has …

Fires Where They Are 'Not Supposed To Happen' In Australia's Ancient Rainforest
5 years ago

Fires Where They Are 'Not Supposed To Happen' In Australia's Ancient Rainforest

NPR  

Fires Where They Are 'Not Supposed To Happen' In Australia's Ancient Rainforest Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Rott/NPR Nathan Rott/NPR Nestled in the mountains of eastern Australia are fragments of an ancient world. Enlarge this image toggle caption Nathan Roth/NPR Nathan Roth/NPR For Graham, who trains people about wildfire for the Nature Conservation Council, an Australian environmental group, it's …

Deadly fires in Australia have made climate change converts, as in California
5 years, 1 month ago

Deadly fires in Australia have made climate change converts, as in California

LA Times  

The turning point came in 2017, when wind-whipped blazes swept through the foothills, jumped a freeway and burned through thousands of homes and businesses, killing more than 40 people. “No one can recall an event like this,” said Nick Clark, a farmer who lost most of his sheep’s pasture to a wind-driven fire on Southern Australia’s Kangaroo Island in mid-January. …

‘We are a ghost town’: Counting the cost of Australia’s bushfires
5 years, 2 months ago

‘We are a ghost town’: Counting the cost of Australia’s bushfires

Al Jazeera  

The agriculture and tourism industries are feeling the worst effects of Australia’s devastating bushfire season. “The costs also remain manageable for the general government, with the immediate fiscal costs expected to be less than 0.1 percent of Australia’s gross domestic product in 2020 and 2021,” Moody’s Analytics said in a recent statement. And AMP Capital’s head economist Shane Oliver predicts …

Some Hope Wildfires Will Change Australia's Relationship With Coal
5 years, 2 months ago

Some Hope Wildfires Will Change Australia's Relationship With Coal

NPR  

Some Hope Wildfires Will Change Australia's Relationship With Coal Widespread bushfires are creating new calls to end the country's dependence on fossil fuels. And as NPR's Nathan Rott reports, some hope this will change the country's relationship with one of its biggest and most controversial exports - coal. ROTT: Protests against the country's coal-friendly Prime Minister Scott Morrison - or …

Australia wildfires reveal ancient aboriginal aquaculture system built before the Egyptian pyramids
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia wildfires reveal ancient aboriginal aquaculture system built before the Egyptian pyramids

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Australia‘s wildfires have revealed an …

Australian bushfire photos from the air show scale of carnage and destruction
5 years, 2 months ago

Australian bushfire photos from the air show scale of carnage and destruction

ABC  

As the smoke begins to clear, we're seeing for the first time the unimaginable scale of Australia's worst bushfire season. "I've grown up in the bush and when you see there's nothing left in those places it leaves you wondering, you know, how does an ecosystem recover from this?" "Your mind gets switched off from family life and work life," …

Australian animals' bushfire survival tactics save many, but some species are dying en masse
5 years, 2 months ago

Australian animals' bushfire survival tactics save many, but some species are dying en masse

ABC  

Scientists warn the megafires on the eastern seaboard will result in the loss of entire species of birds and wildlife. "Smoke can trigger different behaviour in wildlife — they might appear more active or a bit unsettled," Dr Palmer said. At least a billion animals have died in the eastern Australian bushfires, but Dr Palmer said the number of invertebrates …

How Australia’s Indigenous people can help the country fight fire
5 years, 2 months ago

How Australia’s Indigenous people can help the country fight fire

Al Jazeera  

Fire plays a central role in indigenous life and could hold the key to better management of bushfires in Australia. “We know from research we’ve done, from over 200-plus years of documentation, that fire was actually in our landscape.” Nelson describes how Aboriginal people would move through the bush, systematically setting undergrowth alight, in order to promote the growth of …

Australia wildfires will be ‘normal’ if world warms 3C, warns Met Office
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia wildfires will be ‘normal’ if world warms 3C, warns Met Office

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists have warned the bushfires razing large swathes of Australia could become “normal” around the …

Australia fires: Indigenous people have a solution for the country’s bushfires. And it’s been around for tens and thousands of years
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia fires: Indigenous people have a solution for the country’s bushfires. And it’s been around for tens and thousands of years

CNN  

CNN — The fires in Australia have been burning for months, consuming nearly 18 million acres of land, causing thousands to evacuate and killing potentially millions of animals. The Aboriginal people would set small-scale fires that weren’t too intense and clear the land of the extra debris. Rick Rycroft/AP And though current fire fighters on the ground still use some …

How bushfires and air quality are putting pressure on the health system in communities away from the fire front
5 years, 2 months ago

How bushfires and air quality are putting pressure on the health system in communities away from the fire front

ABC  

Sydney was blanketed in thick smoke the morning I drove to the city's south west to meet GP Tim Senior. Pressure across Australia's health system While Dr Senior and some his patients and colleagues have been affected by the smoke, he acknowledge other communities that had been hit much harder. "I know it's much, much worse for people I've spoken …

Aussie burned in massive inferno caused by wildfires
5 years, 2 months ago

Aussie burned in massive inferno caused by wildfires

Deccan Chronicle  

Burragate, Australia: Two wildfires merged to form a massive inferno in southeast Australia on Saturday, near where a man suffered serious burns protecting a home during a night of treacherous conditions during the nation’s unprecedented fire crisis. Authorities were assessing the damage after firefighters battled flames fanned by strong winds through the night and lightning strikes sparked new blazes in …

What are hazard reduction burns, are we doing enough of them, and could they have stopped Australia's catastrophic bushfires?
5 years, 2 months ago

What are hazard reduction burns, are we doing enough of them, and could they have stopped Australia's catastrophic bushfires?

ABC  

As Australia's eastern states endure the most widespread and intense bushfires we've ever seen, experts, politicians and social media pundits are again debating whether the country needs more hazard reduction burns. Others say that while hazard reduction burns are useful for risk reduction, they are not the "silver bullet" some proclaim, and their benefits are sometimes outweighed by costs and …

Australia's Wildfires Spark Disinformation Battle As They Take A Tragic Toll
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia's Wildfires Spark Disinformation Battle As They Take A Tragic Toll

NPR  

Australia's Wildfires Spark Disinformation Battle As They Take A Tragic Toll Enlarge this image toggle caption Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Wiktor Szymanowicz/Barcroft Media via Getty Images Australia is struggling to cope with deadly infernos and faces losing nearly a billion animals in the terrible bushfires — but in the midst of those tragedies, authorities are also battling hoaxes …

A continent on fire: on Australia wildfires
5 years, 2 months ago

A continent on fire: on Australia wildfires

The Hindu  

Australia’s catastrophic fire season that began in August last year is unprecedented, and has caused large scale destruction, mainly in New South Wales and Queensland. In a world set to warm at least half a degree more in coming decades, Australia’s encounters with devastating fires could become more frequent, perhaps even once in eight years, making large parts of the …

Australia wildfire devastation saddens Dalai Lama
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia wildfire devastation saddens Dalai Lama

India TV News  

Australia wildfire devastation saddens Dalai Lama Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has expressed sadness over the devastations caused by bushfires in Australia. In a message to Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the Dalai Lama said that he would like to express his sympathies to the people of Australia for the widespread damages caused by bushfires. Tibetan spiritual leader the …

Australia bushfire crisis: 24 killed, over 6 mn hectares of land burned
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia bushfire crisis: 24 killed, over 6 mn hectares of land burned

India TV News  

Australia bushfire crisis: 24 killed, over 6 mn hectares of land burned Around 23 fires were still burning in Victoria, according to the state's emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp. Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews on Thursday announced extending state's first-ever state of disaster ahead of "significant fire activity" forecast for the next two days. Australia's raging bushfire crisis, one of …

Australians urged to evacuate as monster bushfires regenerate
5 years, 2 months ago

Australians urged to evacuate as monster bushfires regenerate

Al Jazeera  

Hot temperatures and high winds expected to fan flames of blazes that have devastated parts of country since September. The Rural Fire Service in New South Wales state told fire-weary community meetings in coastal communities south of Sydney that northwesterly winds were likely to drive blazes towards the coast once again. “Don’t get complacent from the rain we have had …

A Californian in Australia shares advice from Paradise fire
5 years, 2 months ago

A Californian in Australia shares advice from Paradise fire

Associated Press  

SOMERVILLE Australia — An American living in Australia who has endured wildfires on both continents is sharing heartfelt messages of hope and advice for those who have fled their homes Down Under. When hundreds of wildfire evacuees sought safety in her southeastern Australian town of Somerville, Victoria, recently, Kasey Baines reached out to survivors of her hometown in Paradise, California, …

Australians on southeast coast urged to flee as fire risk escalates
5 years, 2 months ago

Australians on southeast coast urged to flee as fire risk escalates

LA Times  

A firefighter tackles a wildfire south of Nowra, Australia, earlier this week. The Rural Fire Service in New South Wales state has told fire-weary residents in the coastal towns of Nowra, Narooma and Batemans Bay south of Sydney that winds were likely to once again drive blazes toward the coast. “We can’t guarantee your safety and we don’t want to …

Australia Fires: Military deployed to keep deadly fires from spreading further — 'It's an atomic bomb,' say authorities
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia Fires: Military deployed to keep deadly fires from spreading further — 'It's an atomic bomb,' say authorities

Firstpost  

Authorities claim that the evacuations are likely the largest peacetime maritime rescue operation in Australian history. “There’s nowhere safe,” said Liddy Lant, a hospital cleaner still in her uniform who had fled from her home on Saturday. “I could seriously just sit down and cry.” The Fire Commissioner of the Rural Fire Service in New South Wales, Shane Fitzsimmons, told …

This year's Australian bushfires prompt calls to heed lessons learnt after Ash Wednesday trauma
5 years, 2 months ago

This year's Australian bushfires prompt calls to heed lessons learnt after Ash Wednesday trauma

ABC  

For nearly 40 years, Susan Laundy has spent her summers living in terror after surviving two major bushfires that hit her Adelaide Hills property. Key points: Trauma from Ash Wednesday bushfires only appeared years after the disaster Children can be especially affected by what they go through An expert says tabs need to be kept on victims for a long …

Australia commits billions of dollars to wildfire recovery
5 years, 2 months ago

Australia commits billions of dollars to wildfire recovery

India TV News  

Australia’s government on Monday said it was willing to pay “whatever it takes” to help communities recover from deadly wildfires that have ravaged the country. If more is needed and the cost is higher, then more will be provided.” Morrison’s announcement of the funds, which will go toward rebuilding towns and infrastructure destroyed by the fires, came as authorities said …

With the Australia fires, is it safe to travel there now?
5 years, 2 months ago

With the Australia fires, is it safe to travel there now?

CNN  

CNN — As bushfires continue to rage across Australia, with scenes of glowing red skies and scorched landscapes filling social media feeds around the world, travelers planning to visit the country in the coming weeks are likely wondering whether they should cancel or postpone their plans. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images A Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk "Romeo" helicopter refuels …

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