Bushfires Flashcards
1
Q
grass fires
A
- Mainly on grazing, farming or remote scrub country
- Destroy fences, livestock and buildings and result in loss of life
- Can travel at speeds of up to 10km/h
2
Q
forest fires
A
- Woodlands and forests, isolated mountain environments
- Often destroy homes and settlements
- Rapid heating of forest fuels can create flames which can flare up to three times the height of the forest
- Dense smoke can hide the fire front
3
Q
ground fire
A
- underground fire in which burning peat, coal or tree roots ignite
4
Q
surface fire
A
- Low-to-high-intensity fire burning the surface litter, grass and shrub layers
5
Q
crown fire
A
- Very high-intensity fire, spreading rapidly through the crown or canopy of trees, especially when fuelled by strong winds
6
Q
climate
A
Particular regions are more fire-prone due to the amount of rainfall and average temperatures
7
Q
temperature
A
Hot, dry weather will dry fuel and encourage fire to spread especially during long dry spells
8
Q
wind
A
Dry winds can feed a fire, increase its speed, dry fuel and spread and carry embers which cause spot fires
9
Q
topography
A
Fires burn faster up steep, forested slopes as flames can reach more unburnt fuel and radiant heat pre-heats higher fuel
10
Q
fuel load
A
Large amounts of dry, flammable fuel such as grasses, leaf litter and scrub increase the magnitude of the fire
11
Q
speed and slope fact
A
- For every 10 degree increase in slope, a fire will double its speed
12
Q
Black Saturday- environment facts
A
- 7 Feb 2009
- NNW winds before SW change at approx. 6pm (gusts up to 150-200km per hour) (caused an 80km front)
- 11 consecutive days of 30 plus heat
- Jan 2009, 0.6mm of rain fell
- 12-year drought
- 10% humidity
- Thick layer of leaves and twigs on the ground
13
Q
Black Saturday- after
A
- 1 million animals killed
- 1.1 million acres of land was burnt
- Produced equivalent amount of energy to 1,500 Hiroshima atomic bombs
- 50% of community left
14
Q
Black Saturday- human
A
- Destroyed 2,100 homes
- Displaced 7,562 people
- 173 killed, 414 injured
- PTSD, depression, anxiety, survivors’ guilt, substance abuse, grief
- Described as a massive hurricane of wind, fire, heat, ash
15
Q
Kinglake- location
A
- Located 56km north0east of Melbourne’s CBD in Victoria, Australia
- By car, it’s a 1 hour and 15-minute drive from Melbourne CBD
- Farmland, forest, national park and townships
