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Recent Bushfires

Why Victoria's bushfires generated their own lightning
The Licola bushfire burnt with such intensity it generated a huge thundercloud that blasted more than 1200 lightning strikes at nearby forests, igniting several small fires.
Bunyip fire crews defended amid criticism not enough was done to protect property
Some Bunyip residents claim fire crews "didn't turn up" to help them
Albany burn-off program May 2018
My Fire Watch
MyFireWatch provides bushfire location information in a quickly accessible form, designed for general public use. Every Australian State and Territory can be searched for current fires.

Australia Fire Seasons

Source:Australia: fire seasons . image. Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 14 Nov. 2021. school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/assembly/view/227677#. Accessed 24 Feb. 2022.

school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/article/Australian-bushfires/629041#

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Bushfires and the Role of Scientists

Bushfire Basics
The “Fire Triangle” illustrates the three essential components of a bush fire: heat, oxygen and fuel. If any of these three is missing, fires cannot start or keep burning.
Understanding the true costs of managing fire
Fires are an inescapable part of life in Australia; they have been occurring for millennia, and regardless of our actions, they will continue.
Burnoff policies could be damaging habitats for 100 years
The smell of smoke in the autumn and spring air is an increasingly familiar one to many Australians. It signifies that time of year when land management agencies in southern Australia feverishly try to meet their burning targets.
Traditional Aboriginal burning
Before Aboriginal people populated the Australian continent some 40,000 to 60,000 years ago, the major cause of fires would have been lightning. Aboriginal people learnt to harness the naturally recurring fire caused by lightning and other sources to their advantage, which resulted in skilful burning of landscapes for many different purposes.
Lightning, tornadoes and mice: the science of bushfires
How does a bushfire begin and spread, and what happens to the environment once it's moved through?
Chemical fire retardants
Chemical fire retardants help delay or prevent combustion, but there are potential health and environmental issues around the use and production of the chemicals, and the cost or possible harms of chemical fire retardants need to be weighed up against the benefits.
What we lose to the flames
The true cost of bushfires to our community.
Safer Together
Our approach to reducing the risk of bushfire in Victoria
Bushfires
CSIRO has provided climate and disaster resilience science and guidance to governments, agencies, industries and communities since 1944. We work collaboratively to understand fire preparedness, prediction, management, behaviour and recovery.
Fire Weather Knowledge Centre
We issue fire weather warnings when forecast weather conditions are likely to be dangerous. The Fire Weather Knowledge Centre provides information about bushfires and fire weather as well as information about our warnings.
New CSIRO software to predict and track bushfire movements across landscape in real time
Scientists from the CSIRO have unveiled a new software system aimed at predicting and tracking the movement of bushfires.
Building in bushfire-prone areas
Keeping your home and family safe from bushfire involves many things.
Burn-offs have almost no effect on bushfire risks, Tasmania study finds
Burn-offs are a routine part of preparations for bushfire season, but modelling suggests fire authorities need to target unrealistic amounts of land to have any meaningful effect on taming future wildfires.
McArthur Mk5 Forest Fire Danger Meter
The McArthur Mk5 Forest Fire Danger Meter is used by rural fire authorities to forecast fire danger in Australian forests.
Blue Mountains bushfires cost region's tourism industry $71 million
The Blue Mountains economy is expected to take a $71 million hit from the October bushfires, even though its tourist attractions were untouched by fire.
Victorian bushfires: Millions estimated lost as tourists desert Lorne and Apollo Bay
Great Ocean Road towns are forecast to lose almost $40 million in tourism earnings in their busiest period of the year due to the bushfires driving holidaymakers away.
Health hazards from bushfires
Exposure to smoke from fires can worsen asthma and other respiratory conditions, cause coughing and shortness of breath and irritate the eyes, nose and throat.
Large particles in bushfire smoke irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. The finer particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and are more harmful. Smoke also contains toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
Fuel reduction burns would not have saved Victorian homes, says minister
Fuel reduction burns would not have stopped bushfires that have destroyed 11 properties in eastern Victoria, the state’s emergency management minister has said.