BushfiresBy Camden

Elements of Fire The fire triangle has three elements:

Heat Oxygen Fuel

Bushfire Example For Bushfires fuel is provided by dry or dead trees and

grasses. More fuel is available in undergrowth as a result of dry weather conditions.

Oxygen is in the natural. Trees and branches lay on each other when they fall to the ground which means there is space between them and as a result, air (and therefore oxygen) is able to move into the fire.

Heat which starts bushfires comes from both natural and man-made sources. For example lightning strikes or campfires which are not properly extinguished.

Bushfire Process Step 1. Ground and plants become very dry in times of

hot weather and drought. Step 2. A spark is created [deliberately lit, glass lying

around in the foliage being heated up by the sun, spark from power tools or machinery, lightning, campfires not being extinguished properly] and starts a small fire.

Step 3. If there is wind, fire starts to move in that direction or on steep hills, then the fire moves up the side of the hill.

Step 4. If the fire is not contained quickly the fire gets out of control and becomes a threat to large areas of land and property.

Fire Danger Ratings Fire Danger Ratings are forecast by the Bureau of Meteorology due to the

wind, temperature, humidity and rainfall conditions. Also considered is the level of fuel available to burn which is determined from the previous weather conditions.

Fire Danger Ratings indicate the danger level if a fire was to occur and the level of difficulty of putting the fire out.

To minimise the potential for a fire occurring during Extreme or Catastrophic conditions a Total Fire Ban may be announced which means that people are not allowed to light fires or do a range of other activities that may cause a spark.

Fire-Fighting Tools A wide range of fire-fighting tools are used to fight bushfires. Some of these tools

include things to prevent bushfires such as fire danger ratings and total fire bans. Announcements on TV and radio during weather forecasts for bush-fire conditions and risks.

Detection and early warning methods are also used to warn of bushfires including infra-red imaging of smouldering trees, the use of fire spotting towers and lightning strike detector systems.

Once a bushfire has started, normal fire-fighting equipment such as trucks, high preasure hoses, water pumps, masks/oxygen tanks, heat resistant clothes, axes, water bombing aircraft are used to fight the fire.

Communication tools are also important to reduce the impact of bushfires, including radios, mobile phones, the internet and Twitter to provide announcements to the public.

Environmental Impacts Many species of wildlife and vegetation are affected by

bushfires. Animals may be injured or killed and vegetation destroyed. However some vegetation requires bushfires to enable seeds to be released and new growth in forests results after bushfires.

Bushfires contribute to Global Warming by releasing large quantities of CO2 [carbon dioxide] into the atmosphere.  

Social Impacts Many people are affected by

bushfires as a result of houses being built on the edge of forest areas.

Injuries to people and loss of life can result from bushfires which has a large impact on families and friends.

However some positive things come from events such as bushfires, because people donate food, clothes and toys to people who have lost their homes. Helping each other builds community spirit.

Economic Impacts Some of the economic impacts include loss of homes,

cars, etc and for farmers the loss of livestock and crops has a large cost.

Damage to power lines, water supplies, roads, schools, shops and businesses in towns by bushfire cost a lot to rebuild and some people will move away from an area which has had a bushfire.

A lot of money, work and time is needed to rebuild a town and to get a community back to the way it was before the bushfire.

Comparison with Volcanoes

Volcano Ash Cloud Acidic Water Fast Moving Unpredictable Limited to particular areas of

the world Affects low-lying areas

around the volcano Usually happen with

earthquakes Evacuation is possible if

enough warning time is given No defences against lava-flow

Bushfire Ash Cloud Fast Moving Unpredictable Can happen anywhere

particularly in Australia Can move easily and

quickly over terrain Evacuation is possible if

enough warning time is given

Damage may be reduced using fire-fighting equipment and bush-fire prevention

Bibliography http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/bushfire http://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_triangle http://www.bom.gov.au/weather-services/bushfire/index.shtml http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2009/11/the-australian-%E2%8

0%9Cblack-saturday%E2%80%9D-bushfires-of-2009/

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