Project update two - From hectares to tailor-made solutions

This is the second project update from the From hectares to tailor-made solutions study, with information for end-users and those interested in the latest from the project.

Big data

A crucial ingredient to the project’s success is good quality data. We have been steadily gathering this data across three major categories:

• fire
• biophysical systems
• a range of natural and human values affected by fire.

Our end-users have been incredibly supportive in providing access to a wide range of fire-related data. More than just access, we are grateful for the advice end-users are giving us to help interpret this complex and inhomogeneous data. While data acquisition continues – and inevitably some datasets will remain elusive – the project is now moving into a phase of actively working with this data to understand it and its implications for prescribed burning.

Case study simulations

As noted in the previous update, fifteen candidate bioregions have been selected as the locations for detailed landscape-scale simulation case studies, based on the project criteria of exploration of climatic, population and land use variations across southern Australia. These fire simulations will test the effect of various combinations of weather, bushfire history and prescribed burning levels over period of 20 years

The simulations are well under way, led ably by Brett Cirulis at the University of Melbourne (see below for a brief bio of Brett). The simulations are being split into stages, with the first stage largely complete: peri-urban case studies in the Adelaide Hills, Sydney Basin, East Central Victoria, Hobart and the ACT. The project team has just met with ACT stakeholders to expedite the case study simulation for this area. We are looking forward to developing the Queensland case study simulations next.

Empirical analyses

The other major plank of the project, apart from the case study simulations, is a range of empirical analyses into drivers – and impacts – of prescribed fire: ignitions, fuel, leverage, severity. Right now we are looking at a range of fire severity data (thank you, end-users!), following in the footsteps of excellent work already carried out by members of the project team and other scientists. We are also looking forward to spending some time with data on fuel and ignitions in the near future. 

About Brett

Since completing a Masters of Forest and Ecosystem Science in 2013, Brett has been working as a research assistant in the Fire Behaviour and Management group at the University of Melbourne. Prior to starting on this Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC project, the focus of Brett’s work was related to the research and development of the PHOENIX RapidFire bushfire characterisation model. In particular, the improvement of the fuel inputs through the development of a state-wide fuel classification model. Brett currently works out of the Creswick campus of the University of Melbourne, along with fellow project member Trent Penman.

Want more?

If you would like to know more about the project, or have anything to share with the team or the of the end-users, please contact Hamish at hamishc@uow.edu.au or 02 4221 5729. We would be delighted to hear from you.