3. Conditions required

Question 1

Vegetation type

Answer 1

Thick undergrowth or closely spaced trees allow fire to travel easily
Some trees such as eucalyptus and pine contain oil which burn easily

Question 2

Fuel characteristics

Answer 2

Fine, dry material such as long grass and thin twigs, can catch fire and burn easily

Large amounts of fuel that form a continuous cover will help fire burn longer

Question 3

Climate

Answer 3

Rainfall must be sufficient for vegetation to grow, so there’s plenty of fuel
Humidity needs to be lower than 7%, low moisture in air

Question 4

Weather conditions

Answer 4

Warm, dry weather causes water in vegetation to dry up so is more flammable

Strong winds provide more oxygen to help the fire burn and spread embers

Question 5

Fire behaviour

Answer 5

Fires can throw out debris that help the fire spread and become more intense

Wildfires travel faster uphill, fires travel in direction of ambient wind which is uphill