New data analysis shows bushfires have increased by 40% in the past five years.
CSIRO has contributed to surprising discoveries in climate science. Pictured here is the research ship RV Investigator.
AAP Image/University of Tasmania
Bushfires are an integral part of the Australian landscape and psyche. These awesome forces are part of the cycle of renewal, but how can art help us come to terms with increasingly destructive fires?
Fighting fires in remote wilderness requires a different way of thinking.
Matthew Newton
Australia is the land of drought of flooding rains, driven by events such as El Nino. But despite this variability, some parts of Australia are clearly drying out.
116 houses were lost at Wye River in Victoria, but nobody was killed.
AAP Image/Julian Smith
El Niño dominated global climate in 2015, but in Australia the story was more complicated. 2015 was Australia’s fifth warmest year on record, and saw the return of very dry conditions to parts of Australia.
Men and women prepare and respond differently to the threat posed by bushfires.
Raoul Wegat/AAP
It is now well documented that women and men are exposed to bushfire risk in different ways and degrees due to everyday divisions of labour and gendered norms.
Measuring a risk based approach to fuel management presents many difficulties.
bertknot/flickr
Four people have died in catastrophic fires in Western Australia. Long-term data show more females and people leaving their homes late are dying in fires.
Around 20% of Australians are not insured against disasters, and even a quarter of those who do may be under-covered.
AAP Image/Jason Webster
As the fire season returns, insurance claims against disasters will only increase. But new research suggests that under-insurance is a major problem facing many Australian households.
The fire season is well underway in southern Australia.
AAP Image/Carolyn Sainty
Australians are still underprepared for bushfires. And with fire seasons getting longer thanks to climate change we need to look at why people are still dying in fires, and what you can do to get prepared.
While firefighters battled widespread fires in New South Wales in October 2013, hundreds of thousands of people turned to social media and smartphone apps for vital updates.
AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts
Terry Flew, Queensland University of Technology et Axel Bruns, Queensland University of Technology
When disaster strikes, more people than ever are turning to social media to find out if they’re in danger. But Australian emergency services need to work together more to learn what works to save lives.
Huge fires in September and October burn the most land in northern Australia.
eyeweed/flickr