Even if you live in suburbia you are not free of danger from fire, except perhaps in older, more densely built up areas.
Find Out MoreIf you live in a rural area or on the fringes of the city or a country town, you need to be pro-active ahead of each summer.
Find Out MoreWhat are we talking about here? Any land covered with forest or woodland on Crown land including national parks., state forest, nature reserves & miscellaneous reserves.
Find Out MoreFire is an inescapable and hugely important part of the Australian environment. Not just because of the damage caused by bushfires, but also because fire is a critical factor in the management of virtually all types of land in Australia, even in suburbia.
Why are we bothered about all this? Because we have had a series of disastrous bushfires in Western Australia in recent years. Look at this list, which covers the period 2003-2016.
The critical factor in bushfire management is the fuel load, the amount of leaf litter, fallen twigs and shrub growth on an area. If fuel loads are kept within certain limits a bushfire will have minimal impact and will be easily (and safely) controllable.
The problem is the greatly increasing number and severity of serious bushfires in Western Australia. For example, here is the graph showing the extent of bushfires in our Crown forested areas in the South West of the state. You see we have a problem! Clearly, the current Statewide system for keeping bushfires to a minimum is failing, and drastic measure need to be taken to retrieve the situation.
Forty years ago in April 1978, Cyclone Alby brought one of Western Australia's worst storm and bushfire crises to the South-west and Great Southern regions. Both were severely hit. Five live...
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