Tasmania Burning: Lessons from the global bushfire crisis

More than 40 bushfires, ignited by massive dry lightning storms, burnt 200,000 hectares – or 3 per cent of the state – throughout January and February. The impact could be second only to the deadly 1967 fires that decimated Tasmania. Climate change will inevitably produce more bushfires under more extreme conditions in many countries around the globe. New approaches and mitigation measure will be needed to avert a major disaster.
Visiting Scholar Dr Crystal Kolden is Associate professor of Fire Science at the University of Idaho, a US state that experienced major wildfires in 2012 and 2017. A former wildland firefighter for the US Forest Service, she has seen the devastation fire can cause first-hand. Dr Kolden will be joined by an expert panel, facilitated by Fire centre Research Hub director Professor David Bowman.
The Fire Centre Research Hub was established by the University of Tasmania last year with the aim of connecting scientists and relevant research with government, weather and emergency services. It also aims to assist communities to prepare for fire, and to understand traditional fire management by engaging with local Indigenous communities.
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