Rick McRae

I trained as an ecologist at the University of Sydney. I am recently retired from a career in bushfires and emergency management spanning over three decades, based in Canberra. I worked on a wide range of natural hazard risk assessments. I specialised in fire behaviour, and served on major fires in the ACT, Tasmania, and Canada. After the 2003 Canberra fires I studied fire thunderstorms (pyroCbs) and joined an international science collaboration studying them. I have worked on predictive tools and research dissemination. I have worked on key pyroCb case studies, and work with Jason Sharples’ group in UNSW Canberra, where I am a Visiting Fellow. Key results include identifying vorticity-driven lateral spread and confirming pyro-tornadogenesis. I maintain the Australian pyroCb register.