Hazard-Reduction-Burning

[An animated video. A family of three stand huddled together outside their home under a dark,
smoky sky. A bushfire burns on a hill in the distance. In the centre of the screen is a fire risk chart,
featuring three coloured segments: green, orange and red. An arrow starts in the orange section,
then moves into the red.]

SPEAKER:
How can we reduce the growing severity and increased threat of bushfires?

[A diagram appears on screen consisting of three segments – each depicting a colourful, outdoor
scene – which together form a triangle. Text at each apex: Terrain, Weather, and Fuel. The terrain and
weather segments are greyed out, highlighting the fuel segment. This scene depicts fallen sticks
scattered around the base of a tree. A house sits amongst tall grass in the background.]

SPEAKER:
Of the 3 factors that drive fire behaviour, fuel is the only one we can influence.

[As the two other segments disappear, a fire risk chart appears beside the highlighted scene. The
arrow on the chart goes from red to green as the dead wood and tall grass all disappear.]

SPEAKER:
By reducing the availability of the fuel that feeds a bushfire we can reduce its intensity, hazard, and
impact.

[Text on screen: Hazard Reduction Burning. A series of icons appear in a spinning circle around the
text. They depict: a warning sign, a red cross, a green tick, and a question mark.]

SPEAKER:
That’s where hazard reduction burning can help, but its success is influenced by many factors.

[In the bush, two firefighters light small, controlled fires amongst tall dead grass and dried sticks.]

SPEAKER:
Hazard reduction is deliberate, controlled burning, designed to reduce fuel availability.

[A map of Australia. Earth-coloured bands cover the country. Four seasonal charts are arranged over
four regions on the map. In both NSW and south Queensland, and Western Australia, summer and
spring are marked red, while autumn and winter are marked green. In south-east Australian, winter
and spring are marked green while summer and autumn are marked red. In northern Australia,
summer and autumn are marked green, while winter and spring are marked red. Green ticks appear
above all the seasons marked green.]

SPEAKER:
To avoid increasing the risk of uncontrolled fire, it can only be done under certain conditions, before
or after bushfire season depending on location and conditions.

[Four labelled tableaus appear on screen, each depicting a weather condition. A gauge at the bottom
of each section shows the prescribed range. From left to right, the depicted conditions are wind
speed, temperature, humidity, and rainfall.]

SPEAKER:
Wind speed, temperature, humidity, and rainfall need to be within certain parameters.

[A farmer stands amongst tall grass in a field. A cow grazes beside him, as bees buzz around a nearby
apiary. Thick, dark smoke drifts through the sky in the distance as more smoke eventually covers the
farm. A gauge on screen indicates diminishing air quality. The farmer frowns as the cow looks up.]

SPEAKER:
The effects of burning, such as smoke, must not affect local communities, industries, and ecosystems.

[Three firefighters stand in a V-formation in front of a fire truck, parked on a road surrounded by
bushes. A map is superimposed over the background. Hazard area indicators appear on the map.]

SPEAKER:
It needs well equipped and experienced professionals with clear local fuel reduction objectives in
mind.

[The hazard area indicators disappear as the map takes full screen. Fire risk charts appear on the map,
all indicating different levels of risk.]

SPEAKER:
Care must be taken for each local ecosystem’s tolerance for burning.

[A fire truck speeds toward a raging fire. On the map, an arrow, indicating the truck, inches toward
another marker, indicating the fire.]

SPEAKER:
Effective hazard reduction burning increases the ability of firefighters to manage bushfires when they
do happen.

[Three scenes appear on screen. In the first, a fire rapidly spreads along a hill line, viewed from a
farm. Text: slower spread. In the second, a fire rages in a heavily wooded forest area, under a dark
orange sky. Text: reduced intensity. In the third, shooting embers from a distant fire rain over trees,
grass, and a building, which all catch alight. Text: less fire spotting.]

SPEAKER:
It slows the spread of new fires, reduces their intensity and the potential for fire spotting.

[Two firefighters douse a flame in the bush. A calendar appears, with numerous dates each marked
with a tick. A clock, with a portion highlighted in blue, appears beside the calendar. A helicopter
dumps water over the fire.]

SPEAKER:
This increases the window of opportunity and range of conditions in which firefighters can reach and
safely suppress new fires before they become uncontrollable.

[Fire indicators appear on a map of Australia.]

SPEAKER:
Bushfires are a natural part of the Australian environment.

[Two people in white lab coats appear, as icons depicting data connected to various regions of the
map. Two firefighters appear on the other side of the map.]

SPEAKER:
Better understanding their complex science and impacts, and the effects of hazard reduction
burning, including its strengths and its limitations, can significantly reduce the risk of their potentially
devastating impacts.

[A family of three appears in the centre of the screen. The scene fades away. The CSIRO and AFAC
logos appear on a white background, above the text: Learn more at csiro.au.]

SPEAKER:
Learn more at csiro.au