Recent Media Highlights on Fire, Policies, and Politics

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30 September 2023

Published by: https://www.weatherzone.com.au

AUSTRALIA – Bushfires are a recurring and devastating event in Australia, causing significant damage to the environment, wildlife and communities. Understanding the causes of bushfires and how they start is essential for prevention and mitigation efforts. In this article, we will explore the primary causes of bushfires in Australia, including natural factors, human activities and the role of climate change. We will also discuss fire safety measures, preparation for bushfires and government initiatives to address this issue.

How do bushfires start naturally?

Bushfires, a common phenomenon in the Australian landscape, often start naturally, with one of the primary triggers being lightning strikes. When a thunderstormpasses overhead, lightning can strike the earth, generating intense heat that can ignite dry vegetation. This is particularly probable in areas that have experienced a prolonged period of drought, where dried-out plants and grass provide perfect fuel for a fire.

Australia’s eucalyptus forests are especially susceptible to bushfires due to the trees’ oil-rich leaves. The heat from a lightning strike or existing bushfire can cause the volatile oils in eucalyptus leaves to evaporate and form a gas. This gas can then ignite, forming a fireball and setting alight the surrounding trees.

Moreover, Australia’s hot, dry summers combined with its frequent high winds create perfect conditions for bushfires to spread rapidly. Once a fire starts, the wind can carry burning debris and embers up to kilometres away, igniting new fires in different areas and causing the original fire to spread.

How do bushfires start with humans?

Human activities can also contribute to the occurrence of bushfires. These include accidental ignition, such as discarded cigarettes or unattended campfires, or deliberate acts of arson. Irresponsible behaviour, negligence and intentional fire-starting incidents can have severe consequences, endangering lives and property. Promoting responsible behaviour and fire safety measures is crucial to minimising human-caused bushfires.

What are some of the major bushfires in Australian history?

Australia has experienced its fair share of devastating bushfires. Throughout history, several notable bushfire events have left indelible marks on the country’s landscape and collective memory. Recent bushfires include the tragic Black Saturday Bushfires in 2009 and the catastrophic Black Summer Bushfires in 2019/20, which serve as a reminder of the destructive power bushfires can cause to the Australian landscape and community.

1. Black Thursday Bushfires (1851)

The Black Thursday Bushfires occurred on February 6, 1851. Fueled by prolonged drought and extreme weather conditions, these fires ravaged around one quarter of what is now the state of Victoria, scorching millions of hectares of land and causing widespread devastation.

2. Ash Wednesday Bushfires (1983)

In February 1983, the Ash Wednesday Bushfires struck southeastern Australia and caused widespread destruction in Victoria and South Australia. Powerful winds, extreme heat and an abundance of dry fuel following a prolonged drought, allowed the fires to spread quickly. The Ash Wednesday Bushfires resulted in significant loss of life and property, forever etching themselves into the nation’s memory.

3. Black Saturday Bushfires (2009)

The Black Saturday Bushfires, which occurred on February 7, 2009, remain one of the darkest chapters in Australia’s bushfire history. Raging across Victoria, these fires claimed the lives of 173 people, destroyed thousands of homes and properties and left entire communities devastated. The impact of the Black Saturday Bushfires continues to shape the country’s approach to bushfire prevention and management.

4. Black Summer Bushfires (2019-2020)

From July 2019 to March 2020, Australia experienced the relentless fury of the Black Summer Bushfires. These fires, which ravaged multiple states, including New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, were fueled by extreme heat waves, prolonged drought and strong winds. The Black Summer Bushfires resulted in widespread destruction of land, wildlife and property, leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s psyche.

Remembering the Past to Forge a Safer Future

While these notable bushfires in Australian history evoke sombre memories, they also serve as reminders of resilience and the need for preparedness. The lessons learned from these events have spurred advancements in fire management, community awareness and emergency response systems. In the face of future challenges, Australia remains committed to protecting its people, wildlife and precious natural landscapes.

Role of climate change in Australian bushfires

Climate change plays a role in exacerbating the risk and severity of bushfires in Australia. Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are increasing the likelihood of dangerous bushfire weather in some parts of Australia. Scientific research and expert opinions support the link between climate change and the increasing frequency and severity of bushfires in Australia.

How can you prepare for a bushfire in Australia?

Living in Australia means being aware of the risks associated with bushfires. Preparation is key to ensuring the safety of yourself, your family and your property. Always check the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) for your district and follow the appropriate advice for each level of threat.

The AFDRS is the official fire danger ratings used by state governments in Australia. To find out more about these ratings and how to read them, see our guide here.

Below are some more essential steps to help you prepare for a bushfire in Australia. These tips are based on guidelines provided by state government fire services.

Clearing and Maintaining Your Property

One of the first steps in bushfire preparation is clearing and maintaining your property to minimise potential fire hazards. Here are some important measures to consider:

• Keep trees well-spaced and pruned: Trim branches away from your house and other structures. This helps prevent fire from spreading through direct contact.
• organic litter: Regularly clear loose leaves, grass cuttings and other flammable materials from your property, especially during fire season.
• Clean gutters and install guards: Clear your gutters of leaves and twigs and consider installing metal gutter guards. This prevents debris from accumulating and reduces the risk of ember attacks.
• Repair and seal potential entry points: Check for gaps or cracks in walls, windows and doors. Seal them properly to minimise the penetration of embers.
• Remove flammable material around your home: Materials such as wood piles, door mats, outdoor furniture etc. can result in fire spreading more quickly.
• Prepare a sturdy hose that can reach around your entire home: Ensure that your hose is connected to a reliable source of water (e.g. water tank).

Further solutions to protect your home from bushfires

1. Installing metal fly screens on windows and vents around your property
2. Repairing missing or damaged roof tiles
3. Moving gas cylinders to the side of your home away from trees and gardens
4. Installing a fire sprinkler system to gutters
5. Replacing wooden fences with metal fences

You can find further information on fire prevention and preparation on your state government’s fire safety website.

How do bushfires progress?

Understanding how bushfires progress is essential for prevention, preparedness and response efforts. Let’s take a closer look at the process:

• Conditions for Ignition: Bushfires require three main elements: fuel, oxygen and heat. Dry vegetation, such as dead leaves, twigs and grass, acts as fuel. Oxygen is abundant in the air and heat can come from various sources, including lightning strikes or human activities.
• Ignition: When the right conditions align, ignition occurs. Natural causes, like lightning strikes during dry weather, can ignite dry vegetation. Human activities, such as discarded cigarettes or unattended campfires can also start bushfires.

What to do during a bushfire

During a bushfire, following proper safety procedures is crucial. Here are some important steps to take:

• Always follow advice from official fire authorities.
• Alert family and neighbours: Inform your family members and neighbours about the situation and help them take necessary precautions.
• Bring pets inside: Ensure the safety of your pets by bringing them inside well before the fire approaches.
• Dress in protective clothing: Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, long pants, sturdy shoes and a hat to minimise the risk of burns.
• Shut all doors and windows: Close all doors and windows to prevent embers from entering your home.
• Fill baths, sinks and buckets with water: Fill containers with water to ensure a water supply if needed for firefighting or for personal use during extended power outages.

9 facts about Australian bushfires

1. Australia is one of the most fire-prone countries in the world, due to its hot and dry climate.
2. Bushfires occur across much of Australia throughout the year, but their frequency and intensity increase significantly during the hotter months in and around summer (November to March).
3. The majority of bushfires in Australia are caused by lightning strikes, although some are deliberately lit by arsonists.
4. Some of the worst bushfires in Australian history have occurred in recent years, including the 2019-2020 Black Summer fires which killed at least 33 people and over one billion animals, and destroyed more than 24 million hectares of land.
5. Bushfires can cause significant damage to the environment, including soil erosion, habitat loss and air pollution.
6. Australia has a long history of bushfire management, with strategies such as prescribed burning used to reduce fuel loads and limit the intensity of bushfires.
7. Climate change is expected to lead to more frequent and intense bushfires in parts of Australia, with increases in average temperature and changes to rainfall patterns.
8. The impact of climate change could mean that the annual bushfire season becomes longer and more severe.
9. It is important for Australians to be aware of bushfire safety information and initiatives such as hazard reduction burning, to help reduce the risk of bushfires.

Understanding how most bushfires start in Australia is crucial for preventing and responding effectively to these devastating events. While natural causes like lightning strikes contribute significantly to bushfire occurrences, human-related factors, including arson and accidental ignition, also play a significant role. Climate change further exacerbates fire conditions, making the risk of bushfires even more pronounced. By taking precautions, adhering to fire safety measures and supporting government initiatives, we can work towards minimising the occurrence and impact of bushfires, ultimately protecting Australia’s landscapes, wildlife and communities.

30 September 2023

Published by: https://www.gov.nt.ca

CANADA – Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize this year’s historic wildfire season, the challenges faced by so many NWT residents and others across Canada, and the heroic efforts of firefighters and emergency management personnel to protect our communities.

Before the 2023 wildfire season began, weather forecasts predicted an early start to the season and a high risk for many areas in the NWT. We saw record temperatures, very little rain, and severe drought throughout the summer and fall. All of this resulted in extreme fire conditions for most of the season.

Based on the forecasts, the Department of Environment and Climate Change brought on fire crews, air tankers, and helicopters earlier in the season than normal, and added additional resources. Unfortunately, all of our wildfire personnel and aircraft were put to work right away.

We saw our first wildfire of the season on May 4th, almost a month earlier than normal, which was followed by a record number of fires, area burned, and community evacuations because of fire.

The first major fire followed on May 14th, threatening the K’atl’odeeche First Nation and Hay River. By the end of June, four NWT communities had been evacuated given the threat of wildfires, including K’atl’odeeche First Nation, Hay River, Sambaa K’e, and Wekweeti.

In July, residents of Behchoko and people living along parts of Highway No. 3 also had to leave their homes, and by mid-August, the residents of Kakisa, Enterprise, Fort Smith, Yellowknife, N’Dilo, Dettah, the Ingraham Trail, and Jean Marie River had been evacuated. Additionally, Hay River and the Katlodeeche First Nation had to evacuate for a second time this summer.

As of this week, 299 fires have burned over four million hectares across the NWT this season. These fires resulted in 12 community evacuations, displacing more than two-thirds of NWT residents from their homes.

Mr. Speaker, we have heard from some people that wildfires are not managed like they used to be 40 or 50 years ago and that with more initial attack, we would have avoided the worst of this. I want to be clear: we monitored for new fires throughout the season, and responded to every wildfire that was threatening an NWT community.

These fires grew not because of a lack of action or resources, but due to a perfect storm set in motion by nature. With record temperatures and severe droughts in the Dehcho, South Slave, North Slave, and Sahtu regions, we had fires that burned deeper, hotter, and faster.

With the buildup of forest fuels twice what is considered extreme, the forests were primed for explosive fire growth. This, combined with relentless wind events, intense smoke, and proximity to communities, made conditions very difficult for our crews. On the most difficult days, there was no amount of firefighters or aircraft we could have put in front of these fires to stop them.

Mr. Speaker, behind this year’s response are people, people who are our friends and neighbours, making critical decisions and working hard to keep the places we care about safe.

Over the course of the season, more than a thousand wildfire experts and crew members were brought in from across the NWT, Canada, and around the world. Hundreds more structural firefighters helped to protect our communities. Hundreds of armed forces members, workers from communities and private companies joined the effort, and dozens of additional aircraft and heavy equipment also assisted. Crews did an incredible job FireSmarting and building fire breaks that will now serve as long-term protection for many of our communities. Thousands of homes, cabins, camps, and businesses were saved thanks to the help of so many. Everyone who rose to this occasion deserves the deepest gratitude of this House.

Mr. Speaker, as the fire response slows down, we will turn our attention to learning everything we can from this year’s wildfire season. Over the fall and winter, we will conduct after-action reviews of this year’s fires that impacted communities and apply these lessons to our operations as we do every year. Some lessons we can immediately take away include: continuing to invest in wildfire and climate resilience to get ahead of challenging seasons, ensuring we all play a role in FireSmarting, and strengthening coordination between local firefighting forces and wildfire management teams.

Mr. Speaker, I want to close by acknowledging the immense human toll of this season. This has been the most damaging wildfire season the NWT has ever experienced. The community of Enterprise has been devastated. More than two-thirds of all NWT residents were separated from their communities for weeks. Some people lost their homes and cabins, and others had their businesses or livelihoods impacted by wildfires.

We also lost a firefighter when Fort Liard’s Adam Yeadon tragically passed away while protecting his community earlier this summer. My thoughts remain with his family, his friends, and his colleagues.

To everyone who was impacted by this year’s wildfire season, our government gives not only our heartfelt thoughts, but our commitment to help you as we work to rebuild.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

29 September 2023

Published by: https://www.abc.net.au

AUSTRALIA – Australia’s new $11 million fire warning system is exaggerating the risks, alarming communities, and undermining public confidence, an ABC investigation has found.

The Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) mistakenly warned Queensland’s Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) earlier this month that a large swathe of southern Queensland was facing catastrophic conditions – when it was not.

QFES staff scrambled to adjust the system at midnight before the day of the so-called “catastrophic” fire category in a bid to downgrade the rating that had been applied across the Darling Downs and Granite Belt.

The incorrect classification of “catastrophic” — which calls for residents in a fire area to evacuate, and warns of a high probability of loss of life and property — stood for at least 16 hours before being downgraded.

Introduced in September last year, the AFDRS was supposed to use the latest science, including detailed vegetation data maps and fire prediction models, to more accurately gauge bushfire behaviour.

But the ABC has confirmed the system has been generating misleading ratings, because it requires detailed data about vegetation that is often unavailable.

Under the previous system, fire department staff were only required to choose between two types of vegetation.

But the AFDRS calls for officers to choose from eight different fuel types and consider moisture content.

‘Teething issues’

Problems were flagged earlier this year interstate when a West Australian government fire officer briefed a Perth council about “teething” issues with the way types of vegetation were scored in the system.

Mundaring Shire Council’s June minutes recorded the briefing and noted that “public confidence in the system has faded as a result”.

The National Council for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand (AFAC), which oversaw the system’s development and implementation, this week admitted there were “some improvements to inputs needed”.

But AFAC said the system was a fundamentally safer option that was being fine-tuned and “places us in a much better position than retaining the widely-criticised system of the past”.

The system’s operations have been criticised by a former Queensland government fire behaviour expert, who has described it as not fit for purpose and called for the original ratings system to be reinstated while the AFDRS is fine-tuned.

“We don’t have the quality of inputs that we need to get really confident fire danger ratings out of the new system,” says fire behaviour expert Andrew Sturgess, who founded and ran Queensland’s Fire Service’s predictive services unit until late 2019.

“The new system, it requires a whole pile of new data relating to things like the height of the fuel and the load on the ground.

Mr Sturgess said the system was especially struggling with fire danger ratings in pine plantations and in spinifex areas.

“[It requires] a high level of detail about the pine plantations, such as the age of the trees, but this data was not available,” he said.

‘A gross over-prediction’

Mr Sturgess, who is now working as an independent fire mitigation and behaviour consultant, said presenting an incorrect outlook of a catastrophic fire season could undermine public confidence.

He said the forecast in early September of catastrophic fire danger for southern Queensland was “a gross over-prediction”.

He also noted the recent decision in New South Wales, where a catastrophic fire danger rating for a large region of the state’s far south coast led to the closure of 20 schools.

Mr Sturgess said conditions were bad, but would not have been classified at the highest level under the old system.

NSW Rural Fire Service has rejected the claim, with a spokesperson saying the inputs for the far south coast were confirmed with the local district ahead of the forecast weather last week.

The catastrophic classification in southern Queensland on September 4 triggered unease among the affected councils.

‘Fielding calls as the rain fell’

Goondiwindi Regional Council mayor Lawrence Springborg said a “higher level of explanation” was needed about how the system worked.

He said he had been fielding calls from media from around Australia about the catastrophic rating as rain fell on his roof.

“This is something we will be pursuing with the authorities to so we can get a better understanding and explanation, and also encourage them to make sure that the community have got some awareness.

“Otherwise, the community might not take it seriously.”

Western Downs Regional Council mayor Paul McVeigh said catastrophic conditions can trigger “quite a bit of effort”.

Asked about what is being done to correct the problem, QFES said it was updating vegetation maps and reviewing the system’s baseline.

“In addition, in coming weeks QFES is conducting a workshop alongside industry experts to review the AFDRS baseline and overall vegetation classification inputs, to ensure the data going into the system is of the highest standard and is providing accurate fire danger forecasting across Queensland,” a spokesperson said.

“As a partner in the development of the AFDRS, QFES was aware that the size of Queensland had the potential to generate data challenges.”

‘Over-forecasting issue resolved’

The spokesperson said there had been a review of the September 4 incident and the issue that led to the “over-forecasting” had been resolved.

An AFAC spokesperson said the “scale of change” in moving to the new system “cannot be underestimated”.

“Community confidence in the system is vital and ongoing refinements to the system will ensure more accurate and timely fire risk information to the public,” the spokesperson said.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the new system was implemented so that “no matter where in Australia someone is, they understand the fire risk and what action they need to take”.

“The Australian government has supported its national implementation at the request of states and territories, and in response to recommendations from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements,” a NEMA spokesperson said.

 “We understand that QFES has conducted a review into the incident and resolved the matter.

“QFES continues to work closely with AFAC and other jurisdictions in the ongoing refinement and enhancement of the AFDRS.”

The AFDRS system cost $11.6 million, with extra funding made available to support local implementation, including a national education campaign, the spokesperson said.

The overhaul of the old fire rating system was recommended by the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements in 2020.

The old system featured six different fire rating levels and predicted fire behaviour based on two types of vegetation – forest and grass.

Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt acknowledged issues with the AFDRS on ABC Radio Perth this morning, but said it was a significant improvement on existing technology.

“It’s far more accurate, far more reliable than the system we had previously. I’m not going to say it’s 100 per cent perfect, and as I say, we’ll keep refining it.

“We do need to keep refining it. I don’t think we’re at a point where we’ve seen a massive loss of public confidence.”

The new AFDRS uses four fire rating levels — moderate, high, extreme, and catastrophic — and predicts fire behaviour by considering at least eight vegetation types, ranging from grassy woodland and pine to spinifex and button grass.

A fire behaviour index that ranges from one through to 100 is associated with the four fire ratings.

A federal government 2022 schedule estimated the eventual cost of implementing the system would be $36 million.

29 September 2023

Published by: https://www.cbc.ca

CANADA – When Claire Cameron planted black spruce trees in the 1990s, she thought she was saving the planet.

But as wildfires ravaged parts of Canada this past summer, she wonders how many of those saplings contributed to the smoke in the sky.

“I’d recently read a book by John Vaillant named Fire Weather and in it, it talks about how flammable black spruce are,” said the novellist and essayist.

“I had this moment where I could picture myself with my hand on a black spruce, flicking the roots of the sapling in and planting it, and I realized that this was more sort of like a blowtorch,” she told The Current guest host Nora Young.

Canada has lost more trees to wildfires this year than in any other year on record. More than 17 million hectares have gone up in smoke across the country this year — more than two times the previous record of 7.6 million hectares in 1989.

Nearly 6,500 wildfires have burned across Canada in 2023, from the northern tips of the territories to the heavily-forested areas of British Columbia.

“With climate change, we’re seeing so much drought and the heat, but a lot of trees …  just don’t survive,” said Meghan DeGraff, a supervisor for All Star Silviculture in Enderby, B.C.

“So you’re having to go back year after year and keep planting the same areas over and over,” the veteran tree planter said.

Ontario alone has had to deal with 725 wildfires this year. Although she can’t tie her actions directly to today’s fires, Cameron knows a few wildfires burned in places near Hearst, Ont., where she used to plant.

“I had such a close relationship with each black spruce there,” she said. “I was alone all day, so I talked to them and I thought about each one.”

“I was quite proud of that, so it was hard to think that I might have contributed to that smoke in the sky.”

Smart tree planting

As a tree planter, Cameron said she was on a contract where she exclusively planted black spruce trees.

She said she would work 11-hour shifts, six days a week, and she would plant close to 4,000 trees a day at her peak.

“Going into tree planting, I certainly thought, you know, you take one tree out, you put one tree in,” she said. “Since then, my reading and realization is that it’s so much more about a forest.”

“It’s a very complicated ecosystem and an organism almost, and not something you can just readily replace by putting one young tree in.”

John Innes, the Forest Renewal B.C. chair in forest management, lays some of the blame on timber production. He said a lot of tree planting is done with the goal of achieving a grand, fully stocked stand of trees that are useful for the forest industry.

“Unfortunately, that is absolutely what fires love,” said the University of British Columbia professor. “So the fires have been ripping through these stands and we’ve got a serious problem as a result.”

Innes said more strategic planting of mixed vegetation is needed in order to prevent serious wildfires from spreading, such as working broad-leaved trees like birch into the mix.

“Broad leaves are of very little interest to the forest industry, but they don’t burn so severely as conifers, and so they are very valuable as fuel reduction breaks in the landscape,” he said.

DeGraff, who has been planting trees for 13 years, said she’s noticed a shift in parts of B.C., away from planting a single species of trees.

“We are starting to move in a direction where we are planting more species,” she said. “Even this last season, I remember days where I was planting five, six different species in the same day or the same contract, which is fantastic.”

DeGraff said they’re also transitioning away from planting a large amount of trees in a small area. According to Innes, by making the forests less dense, it’s less likely for wildfires to spread through the crowds.

“We tend to do a lot of these sorts of things in what’s known as the wildland–urban interface, which is the area immediately around [towns],” he said. “We’re trying to protect towns. We don’t do it across the whole of the landscape because it’s very expensive.”

“But if we were to start off with the clever planting of the right species in the right place, we could actually then work with fire to make our landscapes more resilient.”

When you’re enveloped in smoke, it kind of concentrates your mind, and I think we will see some changes occurring.-John Innes, the Forest Renewal B.C. chair in forest managementnone

Cameron said she’s encouraged by what she’s hearing from DeGraff because it’s these structural changes that will make a difference.

“I think, perhaps, what we’re both getting at is removing this idea that just planting a tree is inherently good,” she said. “I think we’d both question that, it has to be done in partnership with the local community, it has to be done taking the landscape into consideration.”

That’s not to say that people should stop planting trees, though.

“I don’t think it’s something we can stop,” she said. “We can’t afford to put down tools just because we’re up against something hard.”

“We need changes on the structural level and we need to be having conversations about how to do this sustainably — and at the same time, we need to address our consumption as well.”

Innes said he wasn’t initially hopeful of these changes being made. But he believes this fire season has been a “wake up call” for politicians and forest managers.

“I think a lot of politicians and farm managers … [are] realizing that there is a serious problem,” he said. “When you’re enveloped in smoke, it kind of concentrates your mind, and I think we will see some changes occurring.”