Mitigation economics, fire modelling and student experiences in focus

The Winter 2016 edition of Fire Australia magazine highlights important research including reducing hazard impacts with smarter spending, better integrating wind uncertainty into fire modelling and the rewarding experience a PhD student had on a recent agency placement.

The magazine, a joint publication between the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, AFAC and the Fire Protection Association Australia, can be accessed here and offers a quarterly update on the latest news, developments, research and technical information for the industry.

The cover story of this edition, Reducing hazard impacts with smarter spending, looks at the risks and costs of natural disasters and how we can reduce them by better understanding the economics of mitigation. The article highlights CRC research which is providing evidence to support actions that will mitigate the impact of natural hazards and hopefully reduce the costs.

Fire modelling in an uncertain world gives readers an insight into Rachael Quill’s CRC PhD research which explores how uncertainties in wind behaviour can affect fire-spread and further how modelling these will help predict fire behaviour on-the-ground.

CRC PhD student Billy Haworth details his work placement experience with Tasmania Fire Service in Enriching learning experiences. Billy’s PhD is investigating the application, value and implications of emerging technologies that enable increased public creation and exchange of geographic information in the context of community bushfire preparation. During his placement Billy learned about TFS’ bushfire preparedness approach, TFS Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods.

Bushfire CRC research is also showcased in a series of case studies in Insights on bridging the ‘know-do’ gap. The first case study looks at the trial and implementation of an evidence-based procedure for rapid aircraft dispatch and its effectiveness on aerial suppression in Australia. The second focuses on the research outputs of Dr Briony Towers’ including the Li’l Larrikins – Bushfire Safety Stories for Kids. The article features insights from researchers on how to get stakeholders and prospective end users on board early.