Fire Management on State forests
Management of fire is one of the most important roles that Forests NSW undertakes. Although fire is
a natural part of many Australian forest ecosystems, the protection of human lives,
assets, and the forest itself from the damaging effects of wildfires is crucial to ensure
sustainable forest management.
Fire management involves both fire suppression - fire fighting wildfires, as well as
fire prevention through hazard reduction burning. This reduces the litter and flammable
vegetation available to fuel a fire over strategic zones.
The following points outline the Forests NSW hazard reduction burning program. More
detailed information on fire management in NSW forests is coming soon to this website.
Hazard reduction burning on State forests
- Forests NSW annual prescribed burning program aims to reduce fuels over an
average of 100,000 ha.
- Hazard Reduction burning reduces the incidence, and severity of wildfires, and increases
the ease and safety of wildfire control. This reduces the damage to both assets and the
environment, and risks to life and property of both the public and fire fighting
personnel.
- Hazard Reduction Burning, Prescribed Burning, and Fuel Reduction Burning are virtually
interchangeable terms, all relating to the controlled use of fire to reduce fuels
(flammable material) available to subsequent wildfires.
- Fire is very much a natural part of many Australian ecosystems. The Aborigines used fire
on a regular basis, and had a profound influence on vegetation. Since the exclusion of
Aboriginal burning, many areas of forest have undergone a change, particularly in the
understorey. Many areas which were once quite open and grassy, now contain thickets of
shrubs and vines.
- The damaging effects of intense wildfires over broad areas can be very severe.
- The 3 variables influencing fire behaviour are weather, topography and fuel (flammable
vegetation and leaf, bark & twig litter). Of these, the only factor able to be
modified is fuel.
- There are numerous incidences in which very severe and intense wildfires burning out of
control have entered fuel reduced zones, where they have "died down" to the
point where control was possible.
- The relatively low losses to Forests NSW compared to other tenures during the January
1994 bushfires can be attributed to an effective fuel reduction program, along with a well
equipped and trained fire fighting force. The coronial inquiry investigating the 1994
fires emphasised the importance of fuel reduction.
Planning of Hazard Reduction Burns.
- Hazard reduction burns are carried out following a rigorous process of planning. This
includes plans made by District Fire Management Committees under the Rural Fires Act 1997.
Forests NSW regions also have a Fire Management Plan in their own right. These are long
term, broad area plans for the region, which delineate priorities for fire control over
various areas.
- The plans stipulate which areas of forest should be permanently protected from fire (eg;
to protect an important fire sensitive ecosystem, or assets such as pine plantations), and
which areas are to receive hazard reduction burning. These may be strategic fuel reduced
zones aligned in the path of prevailing fire season winds, or areas adjacent to homes and
other rural assets.
- Operational plans are developed for each hazard reduction burn. These map the burn area,
identify boundaries of the burn, and outline the "who, what, where, how and
why"s of the burn. Forest types, wildlife habitat and other environmental factors are
considered as part of the plan.
- Fire behaviour is predicted through assessment of; rainfall or drought history, weather
for the day of the burn (temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction), vegetation and
fuel characteristics and topography.
Protection of urban areas adjacent to bushland
Protection of urban properties surrounded by bushland is best undertaken by an
integrated fire management approach. This means effective prevention, detection, and
suppression of wildfires. The reduction of fuels is an essential link in this chain, but
is only part of the equation. Other important features are; adequate access by fire
trails; a well equipped, experienced and trained fire fighting force; and efficient
response to fires in terms of readiness in the fire season - ie; speedy detection of fires
and deployment of resources. The above requires considerable co-operation between;
communities, local government and a variety of other government agencies, including Forests NSW.
Fire and Plant Communities
Fire regimes (that is the frequency and intensity of periodic wildfires), are one of
the most important influences on the distribution of Australian plant communities. Where
fire has been very frequent, forest types will tend to be open and grassy, and the plants
making up the forest including the understorey will tend to be more xerophytic
("drier" type plants with "leathery" leaves and adaptations to survive
fire). A less frequent (but usually more intense) fire history will tend to develop a more
dense and "shrubbier" forest with a greater proportion of mesophytic plant
elements. These are more "lush", moisture loving plants. A long term absence of
fire may mean a complete change in forest type altogether. These variations in forest
composition as a result of a range of fire regimes mean that the species mix - especially
in the understorey - varies.
Although the above general principles are true, it is important to note that prescribed
burning on State Forest only ever takes place on a very small percentage of the forest, so
that effects, are localised. It only requires a small number of strategic zones to have
fuel loads reduced to have a large impact on fire control. The mosaic of differing fire
regimes provided by prescribed burning may enhance species diversity.
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