Factors influencing wildfire outcomes and management actions
A wildfire is the result of a complex interaction of biological, meteorological, physical, and social factors that influence its likelihood, behaviour, duration, extent, and outcome (i.e., severity or impact). Changes in many of these factors are increasing the risk of wildfire globally (e.g., climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of weather conducive to wildfire outbreaks, changed demographics in high-risk regions are increasing the potential impacts of wildfires). Management options at junctures, such as fuel management (managing fuels prior to a wildfire occurrence), fire management (undertaking fighting of the fire once it has started), or relocating those threatened during a wildfire event (e.g., evacuation) can mitigate some of the economic, environmental, or societal impacts of wildfire but it is impossible to mitigate all risks for all fires. As a result, communities often have to learn to live with the residual risk of wildfire.
Year: 2022
From collection: Spreading Like Wildfire: The Rising Threat of Extraordinary Landscape Fires
Cartographer: Andrew Sullivan/CSIRO, 2021