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As the national science agency, CSIRO has been leading research to understand and predict the behaviour and spread of bushfires since the 1950s.

Our research

Frontline support

CSIRO trains and assists all state agencies in fire behaviour and prediction. Our scientists will continue to provide state fire authorities data and tools to help manage the impacts of bushfires as the risk of extreme conditions continues to grow.

Assessing the impact of bushfires

CSIRO has performed post-bushfire surveillance and research in every major fire event in Australia since the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires. It provides invaluable information on how fires start, what influences their spread, and how they can be stopped. To do this, our bushfire scientists visit non-active fire zones to survey the damage and gather data to improve our understanding and prediction of future bushfire behaviour.

Citizen science

Bringing together the collective energy and capability of Australia’s citizen science community to deliver research-ready data to support bushfire prevention, preparedness, response and recovery programs.

Indigenous knowledge

CSIRO is working with Indigenous fire managers to bring Indigenous and western knowledge needed to guide sustainable contemporary landscape burning strategies and partnerships across Australia.

Preparing for climate change and extreme events

CSIRO was the first agency internationally to link bushfire weather severity increase to climate change. As conditions become more severe, our research will be instrumental in predicting and adapting to the threats posed.

CSIROscope bushfire blog posts

Visit our CSIROscope blog for features, news and articles about the science behind our bushfire research.

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Preparing Australia for future extreme bushfire events

Delivering science and technology to reduce the impact of fire on Australia’s people, environment and economy.

Read our latest Bushfire brochure on how we are preparing Australia for future extreme bushfire events.
fire danger rating sign in a bush setting

The 2019-20 bushfires: a CSIRO explainer

The bushfires experienced in the 2019-20 season have so far burned more than 10 million hectares of land in southern Australia, greater than the combined area burned in the Black Saturday 2009 and Ash Wednesday 1983 bushfires.
CSIRO scientist wearing a branded jacket, standing in front of flames and bushland.

CSIRO Report on Climate and Disaster Resilience

CSIRO provided a report to the Prime Minister on practical options for Australian governments to support and improve Australia’s climate and disaster resilience on June 30, 2020. The report includes recommendations on building Australia's climate and disaster resilience for consideration by governments and is underpinned by a more detailed technical report.

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