CVE30001 – Urban Water Resources
2020
The Impact of Wild and Bush Fire to Climate Change and
Environment in Australia
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
100086411
100086411@students.swinburne.edu.my
Suryaswaran A/L Vijayandren
100086437
100086437@students.swiburne.edu.my
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
101222261
101222261@students.swinburne.edu.my
ABSTRACT
This research paper is based on the Australian bush fire which has had a major impact on the
Australian climate. Especially on it average rainfall pattern which is shown in figure one
below. There are several factors that cause the bush fire in Australia. Some of these main
factors are timing, seasonality, landscape position, time since last fire and logging. These are
giving several impacts to the country. The two main impacts are temperature, rainfall and
water quality. During the worst bush fire Australia rainfall has reduce up to 62% than normal
average which was recognized as a driest sprig in history so far. Moreover, these bushfires
have the ability to reduce water quality.
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
Suryaswaran Vijayandren
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
The Impact of wild and bush fire to climate change and environment in Australia
1
CVE30001 – Urban Water Resources
2020
Introduction
Australia has always had seasonal fires. Bush fires can happen at any time of the year in
Australia, but the times of peak activity of bushfires all over the country vary with the
changes in the seasonal weather patterns. Peak bushfire period for the northern part of
Australia is during the dry season, generally throughout winter and spring. Southern Australia
however has bushfire season peaks during summer and autumn. Other than traditional peaks
during bushfire seasons, local conditions can also hasten bushfire activity to dangerous levels
at any time (Bureau of Meteorology Australia 2020).
Southeast Australia – becomes vulnerable to the threat of bushfire as grass and forests dry up
during summer and autumn.
New South Wales and southern Queensland – The greatest danger occurs during spring to
mid-summer when deep low-pressure systems near Tasmania bring hot and dry winds to the
coastal districts.
Northwest Western Australia and the Northern Territory – become most susceptible to
bushfires when the grasses are dead, and the fuels have dried up in the dry and sunny winter
and spring.
Southern Western Australia – When fuels have dried up after the winter rains in spring and
summer, the greatest danger occurs. Surges of hot air produce hazardous fire weather
conditions.
Causes
There are several factors that contribute to the variations in the severity of wildfires in
Australia. A low severity fire, or ‘trickle burn’ is the type where only the ground or shrub
layer is lit. A more highly severe fire is when the fire consumes an entire canopy of very tall
trees. During the 2009 wildfires, the fire was very severe that in some places the skin of
granite boulders were peeled away and cracked (Lindenmayer, Banks, Blair & McBurney
2010).
Weather
Weather conditions impact the size, power, speed, and consistency of bushfires. The growth
of vegetation during wet weather increase the available amount of fuel for the fires to thrive
(grass, twigs, leaves, bark). When vegetation dries out during hot weather, it becomes
flammable, and a fire is likely to start. Very low relative humidity (around 20%) can cause
fuels to dry out and become more combustible. Strong winds help fan the blaze which spread
the fire quicker. These winds can carry hot embers with great distance, and the embers can
start spot fires far away from the primary fire front. Lightning is also one of the main weather
conditions that ignite bushfires in some parts. Large fires create their own thunderstorms too,
and the clouds are called pyro cumulus. Temperature inversions (a layer of warm air above
over a layer of cold air below) are most common during the night, but when the sun heats up
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
Suryaswaran Vijayandren
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
The Impact of wild and bush fire to climate change and environment in Australia
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CVE30001 – Urban Water Resources
2020
the ground more during the afternoon, the inversion weakens and the strong winds that were
in the warm air come down below and contribute to a more fierce burn. Inversions also
influence the smoke produced, as when an inversion is strong, it will trap the smoke close to
the ground, and when the inversion is weak or breaks, the smoke becomes more mixed and
disperses (Bureau of Meteorology Australia 2020).
Timing
Fires typically burn at lower intensity late at night or early in the morning compared with
fires during the afternoon or early evening due to cooler temperatures, higher humidity and
cooler wind speeds at these times of the day.
Seasonality
Summer fires may have different impacts on plants and animals than winter or spring fires.
For example, spring fires may be more likely to destroy bird-built nests, or the flowers and
seeds produced by some plant species.
Landscape position
Gullies and slopes that are facing south are wetter and more secure than ridges and west
facing northern. In these areas, fires are likely to be lower in intensity.
Time since last fire
The amount of time that has passed since the last big disturbance influences the age of a stand
of montane ash trees. A fire at an old-growth stand in a young forest may have very different
effects on a fire. For example, relatively young plants cannot be mature enough to produce
viable seeds, and thus effectively recover after a fire.
Severity of previous fires
A previous low-grade fire can create different kinds of stand conditions than a previous
highly severe fire.
Logging
Forests that have recent logging history are more susceptible to fire than unlogged areas.
Vegetation types
Some types of forests typically burn at greater intensity than others. This is linked to factors
such as the vegetation's moisture content and flammability, and also the biomass form,
amount and vertical structure available for burning.
Prescribed burning history
In some types of vegetation and in some ecosystems, past prescribed burning (fuel reduction
burning) can affect the intensity and spread of fire (Lindenmayer, Banks, Blair & McBurney
2010).
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
Suryaswaran Vijayandren
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
The Impact of wild and bush fire to climate change and environment in Australia
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CVE30001 – Urban Water Resources
2020
Impacts
Temperature and rainfall
Australian bushfire had dramatic effects
on the pattern of rainfall and
temperature. Also though the climate in
Australia has warmed just over 1 ° C
since 1910, this has led to a rise in the
frequency of extreme heat events. Yet on
that day, Australia had encountered its
worst weather at a daily average
temperature of 40.9 ° C, which was
Figure 1.Average Rainfall in Percentage
higher than the drought in 2013
(Readfearn 2019). On the other hand, Australia had faced high ratings for fire danger on the
beginning of September 2019 (Figure 1) and its rainfall during spring 2019 had decreased
below average in certain locations. Therefore as a whole Australia’s rainfall had fall 62%
below than normal average which was recognized as a driest sprig in history so far.
Water quality
Bushfires have the ability to
degrade water quality, and in
several different ways change the
dynamics of stream ecosystems.
The worst part is when it starts to
rain heavily the most crucial effects
will arise such as vegetation loss
and the loss of soil structure. Hence
Figure 2.Hydrological Cycle.
it will become erodible because it
had been effected by the fire. Due
to high heat or fire it might cause huge loss to water by damaging the ground cover and
changing hydrology. Moreover, it might change the behaviour structure of the soil. After a
bushfire, it might release nutrients, metal and other kind of toxicants that stored in soil due to
a chemical reaction. So after a heavy rainfall is might wash away those impurities to
waterways and reservoirs. Which might be harmful for human and agriculture. After the loss
of vegetation, it might increase the water temperature. Joined with expanded contaminant
stacking, expanded water temperature can trigger more prominent breakdown of natural issue
by microscopic organisms, which may exhaust oxygen levels in the water.
Prevention
The behavior of fire in a wildfire or bushfire in the wild land is influenced by certain factors
includes, the type and size of fuels present, the condition of the fuels (dry or moist), weather
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
Suryaswaran Vijayandren
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
The Impact of wild and bush fire to climate change and environment in Australia
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CVE30001 – Urban Water Resources
2020
and topography. According to Wildfire Prevention in Australia (n.d.), Australia is following
certain strategies on trying to prevent or minimize the spread of wildfire. There are four type
of strategies such as:
• Land Management
• Building Management
• Community educations
• Danger warning
Land Management
The traditional method mostly followed to control the wildfire is the fuel reduction. This
prevent the fire to spread across and this is achieved by intentionally burning off the excess
fuels which act as a catalyst to the wildfires. Another method is providing fire break, fire
break is a man-made path made by clearing the vegetation or fuels to restraint fire and to
provide path for firefighter as well. Community based approach is another method for
residents living close to the wild land area that involves each individual’s responsibilities to
remove all fire sensitive materials around their properties and provide fire breaks with the
nearby wild land.
Building Management
In Australia plenty of houses and buildings are largely affected due to the occurrence of
wildfires, from the spark and embers released. Building guidelines and requirements are set
in vulnerable areas and Government authorities have been monitoring the sites and use of
building materials such as: fire resistant material. This helps to minimize the destruction to
the houses and stop the wildfires as well.
Community education
There might be many reasons for the occurrence of wildfire but most wildfire happens due
the activities of the people. Some wildfires in Australia is caused intentionally by burning off,
that results in uncontrollable. Anyhow all it needs a small spark from machine or campfire or
cigarette butt that are not extinguish properly to set off a fire. With all this wildfire caused by
the action of people. Australia government set a community education mainly for the people
in the vulnerable area. This education is a brochure design to give better understanding of the
risks and the implements that can be done to minimize the impact.
The brochure information’s includes:
Preparation before the wildfire period
• Always make a firebreak surrounding the house
• Clear rubbish, bush and leaves which is near to the house
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
Suryaswaran Vijayandren
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
The Impact of wild and bush fire to climate change and environment in Australia
5
CVE30001 – Urban Water Resources
2020
• Have hose pipe with high pressure pump
• Always cut branches that are into the house
• Have ladder for access to the roof
During wildfire period
• Make sure to fill pools, buckets with water and to off gas and any machines.
• Wear protective cloth, which cover whole body
• Close doors, balcony and windows and close any gap within the house as possible
• Always extinguish any fire that goes into the house and if the house in on fire and not
able extinguish then, move to better place and wait for help. Follow any radio for official
news.
They provide brochure that consist of information for choosing least prone home sites
includes,
• To select flat ground than incline ground
• Choose bottom of the slant vs. top, since it is safer
• Clear grass and bush within 60 meters away from the home site
• Keep non-flammable fuels within the home site
• Establish Fire break that surround the home
Fire Danger Warning
Fire danger warning are conducted to the people through television and radio to educate
people about their responsibilities to prevent fire. These campaigns are conducted right
through the year and it gives advice regarding campfire and safety on conducting fuel burn
off in outdoor and guide people about extinguishing cigarette after use. FDRS also called fire
danger rating system used in Australia, which is basically wildfire tracking system that
forecast possibility of bushfire and is based on temperature, wind, humidity, recent rainfall
and drought in the area. This system is used to control the usage of fire by general public
during wildfire season to reduce possibility of blaze.
Conclusion
To conclude, this report has provided useful insight on the impact of wild and bushfires to
climate change and environment especially on rainfall pattern and water resources and ways
to minimize wildfires. However, bushfire is a global issue and people have more
responsibility on avoiding activities that causes outbreak and government should educate
people more on their responsibilities and the impact of bushfire.
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
Suryaswaran Vijayandren
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
The Impact of wild and bush fire to climate change and environment in Australia
6
CVE30001 – Urban Water Resources
2020
References
Bureau of Meteorology Australia 2020, Bushfire weather, Bureau of Meteorology, Australian
Government.
Bureau of Meteorology Australia 2019, Special climate statement 72, Bureau of
Meteorology, Australian Government,
<http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/current/statements/scs72.pdf>.
Department of Health Australia 2020, Effects of bushfires on water quality, viewed 14 April
2020,
<https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/emergency-health-management/bushfire-
information-and-support/bushfire-smoke-information/effects-of-bushfires-on-water-quality>.
Lindenmayer, D, Banks, S, Blair, D, & McBurney, L 2010, Forest Phoenix: How a Great
Forest Recovers after Wildfire, CSIRO Publishing, Victoria.
Readfearn, G 2019, Australia experiences hottest day on record and its worst ever spring
bushfire danger, The Guardian, viewed 13 April 2020,
<https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/dec/18/australia-experiences-hottest-day-on-
record-and-its-worst-ever-spring-bushfire-danger>.
‘Wildfire Prevention in Australia’ n.d., UNISDR, viewed 25 April 2020,
<https://www.unisdr.org/2000/campaign/PDF/Articulo_6_Australia_eng.pdf>.
Irfan, U 2020, Australia’s weird weather is getting even weirder, Vox, viewed 14 April 2020,
<https://www.vox.com/2020/1/15/21065557/australia-fires-climate-change-weather-extreme-
heat-drought-flood>.
Williams, D 2020, Australia is getting some desperately needed rain. A downpour knocked
back a third of New South Wales fires in a day, CNN, viewed 13 April 2020,
<https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/06/world/australia-rain-bushfire-trnd/index.html>.
Thaneatharran Santharasekaran
Suryaswaran Vijayandren
Zaid Ahmed Saifuden
The Impact of wild and bush fire to climate change and environment in Australia
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