CRC researchers are out in the communities impacted by summer bushfires in South Australia and Western Australia conducting community-based research post-fire field studies.
Following on from similar work in New South Wales after large fires in October 2013, the researchers from Central Queensland University and the University of South Australia have been in the regions of Bangor, Eden Valley and Rockleigh in South Australia, while University of Western Australia and Latrobe University researchers have been around Parkerville, Stoneville and Mount Helena in Western Australia.
This important research, undertaken at the request of the South Australia Country Fire Service and the Western Australian Department of Fire and Emergency Services, will add to the data collected earlier this year in other areas of NSW, along with data collected from similar work following Black Saturday in 2009, the Perth Hills and Lake Clifton fires (WA, 2011) and Tasmania’s Forcett fire in 2013.
Two reports, one combined report on the October 2013 fires for the NSW Rural Fire Service and the other on the effectiveness of Community Fire Units during the Blue Mountains fires of October 2013 for Fire and Rescue NSW, have been completed and will be online soon.