Firefighters on the left hand side observe and investigate a bushfire experiment in Ngakart, South Australia.

Bushfire field experiment in Ngarkat, South Australia

The Bushfire CRC: understanding bushfires through collaboration

The Bushfire CRC is a national research centre developed in partnership with fire and land management agencies and research institutions, including the CSIRO, to reduce bushfire risk to the community.

  • 12 February 2009 | Updated 2 January 2013

Bushfire CRC

The Bushfire CRC brings together fire and land management authorities, academics and government organisations, including CSIRO, to share knowledge and minimise bushfire risk.

Formed in 2003, the Bushfire CRC aims to improve understanding of the complex social, economic and environmental aspects of bushfires. Partnering with industry, the CRC has a strong focus on collaboration, education and knowledge transfer.

Achievements

Understanding bushfire behaviour

Bushfire experts have teamed together to provide vital information on predicting the behaviour and management of bushfires.

Understanding building infrastructure performance in bushfires

From the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires to the present, all bushfires involving significant house loss have been surveyed by CSIRO bushfire researchers.

A pandanus bush catches alight during a northern Australia experimental fire
Burning for biodiversity in the Top End

CSIRO’s Burning for Biodiversity project aims to increase the understanding of the effect of fire regimes on biodiversity and ecological function, to address the integration of Aboriginal traditional knowledge, and to increase public understanding of fire in northern landscapes.

Torching tankers – evaluating fire vehicle protection systems

CSIRO’s bushfire researchers used a bushfire simulator and field experiments to measure the effectiveness of spray protection devices fitted to fire tankers.

Research advice for cars caught in bushfires

CSIRO researchers led a groundbreaking study into the survivability of cars trapped in firestorms.


Partners in the Bushfire CRC

CSIRO's partners in the Bushfire CRC include:

  • Australian Defence Force Academy, Australian National University, Charles Darwin University, James Cook University, La Trobe University, RMIT University, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Tasmania, University of Western Australia
  • Australasian Fire Authorities Council, Fire and Emergency Service Authority of Western Australia, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board, National Rural Fire Authority, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, NSW Fire Brigades, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, South Australian Country Fire Service, South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service, Tasmania Fire Service, Victorian Country Fire Authority
  • Australian Capital Territory Department of Justice and Community Safety, Dept of Conservation and Land Management, Department of Environment and Conservation - Parks Service Division, Department for Environment & Heritage, Forestry Tasmania, State Forests of New South Wales, Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment
  • Bureau of Meteorology, Emergency Management Australia.

Read more about CSIRO's research on bushfires.