BUSHFIRE RESEARCH REPORTS

The HighFire Risk Project


Project team:
Prof. Jason Sharples, University of New South Wales, Canberra;
Adj, Prof. Rick McRae, University of New South Wales, Canberra (previously with the ACT Emergency Services Agency)

BLACK SUMMER STUDIES

Black Summer: What Happened? A detailed study of aspects of what happened during the Black Summer bushfire season. Lessons for rapid adaptation: Black Summer produced many surprises. We must learn lessons quickly. A CLASSIFICATION OF VIOLENT PYRO-CONVECTION: If we are to learn the correct lessons from fires, we must use the correct names for what we are trying to learn about.

AUSTRALIAN FIRE PATTERN ANALYSES USING MODIS HOTSPOTS

Annual activity patterns: MODIS data allow inter-annual comparisons of fire activity patterns across Australia. Time series patterns: MODIS data shows patterns across the decades. Zones with similar patterns can be grouped to reveal broad trends on a continental-scale. Recent changes in fire activity across Australia: Comparing two decades of MODIS data allows detection of changes in fire patterns. A synthesis of fire regimes of SE Australia: MODIS data allows detailed descriptions of how fire occurs across a wide spread of land-uses. Beyond MODIS – VIIRS: When MODIS satellites end their missions, we need to have tackled the tricky question of compatibility with VIIRS data.

VERY USEFUL RESEARCH