We are proactively adapting and responding to this dynamic setting by investing in science that is targeted at increasing our capability to manage risks and deliver for Victorian communities.
Working in collaboration with Victorian, national and international research groups, we have many research projects across the biological, physical and social sciences. This research program has enabled many gains in our understanding and management of bushfire:
- Improved ability to characterize and model severe bushfire
- Improved decision making about where to invest resources and plan bushfire risk reduction activities
- Improved bushfire and planned burn mapping
- Improved understanding and ability to mitigate the impact of bushfires on communities and communicate that risk to communities
- Improved ability to manage and communicate the impact of smoke during bushfires and planned burns
- Improved understanding of the impact of planned burning on biodiversity; Improved ability to protect and promote fire sensitive species and habitats within foothills forests, and
- Improved data collection and data management in a way that better supports strategic bushfire management plan processes and guides the needs for future research.
Fire and adaptive management reports
We have been publishing a series of research reports as “Fire and adaptive management reports” or earlier “Fire research reports” since 1977. These reports are the final outputs from many of our research projects, but it’s important to know that our research has many other outputs- such as complex computer modelling capacity, or improvements in data to improve models.
For each report the title, authors, report number and publication date are listed in the tables below. They are grouped by theme as follows:
- Community- understanding, impacts and values
- Smoke modelling
- Bushfire management
- Hazard management
- Ecosystem, monitoring and resilience
- Aircraft and fire retardant
- Pine plantations – fuels and planned burning
- Integrating and evaluating science
For accessible versions of reports contact us directing your enquiry to the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Unit in the Forest, Fire and Regions Group, and quote the report(s) you require
Hard copies of reports that are still in print may be purchased from:
Information Victoria
Level 20, 80 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
1300 366 356 for the cost of a local call, anywhere in Australia
Fax: 03 9208 3316
www.bookshop.vic.gov.au
Community - understanding, impact and values
Year | Title | Authors | Report number |
---|
2010
| The impacts, losses and benefits sustained from five severe bushfires in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 2.3 MB]
|
C. Stephenson
|
88
|
2010
| A literature review on the social, economic and environmental impacts of severe bushfires [PDF File - 2.2 MB]
|
C. Stephenson
|
87
|
2010
| Guiding Principles: facilitating learning, understanding and change through relationships [PDF File - 2.1 MB]
|
C. Campbell, M. Campbell, S. Blair
|
80
|
2010
| A case study of a "Strategic Conversation" about fire in Victoria, Australia [PDF File - 809.6 KB]
|
S. Blair, C. Campbell, and M. Campbell
|
79
|
2010
| Developing a fire learning network: a case study of the first year [PDF File - 1.6 MB]
|
C. Campbell, S. Blair and A.A.G. Wilson
|
78
|
2010
| Understanding, developing and sharing knowledge about fire in Victoria, Australia [PDF File - 1.4 MB]
|
S. Blair, C. Campbell, A.A.G. Wilson and M. Campbell
|
77
|
2010
| Adaptive management of fire: the role of a learning network [PDF File - 833.9 KB]
|
C. Campbell, S. Blair and A.A.G. Wilson
|
76
|
2003
| A review of the relationship between fireline intensity and the ecological and economic effects of fire, and methods currently used to collect fire data [PDF File - 517.2 KB
|
Karen Chatto & Kevin G. Tolhurst
|
67
|
2015 | Assessing the economic value and vulnerability of nature-based tourism in the Ovens and Alpine area of NE Victoria | J. Pyke, M. Jiang, T. De Lacy, P. Whitelaw and R. Jones | 94 |
Smoke modelling
Year | Title | Authors | Report number |
---|
2003
| Modelling transport, dispersion and secondary pollutant formation of emissions from burning vegetation using air quality dispersion models [PDF File - 614.0 KB]
|
Orestis Denis Valianatos, Kevin Tolhurst, Steven Siems, Nigel Tapper
|
53
|
2019 | Smoke emission and transport modelling | Martin Cope, Sunhee Lee, Mick Meyer, Fabienne Reisen, Camilla Trindade, Andrew Sullivan, Nic Surawski et al. | 102 |
Bushfire Management
Year | Title | Authors | Report number |
---|
2014 | National Bushfire Management Policy Statement for Forests and Rangelands (PDF, 3.4 MB) | Forest Fire Management Group for the Council of Australian Governments | |
2011
| Establishing a link between the power of fire and community loss: the first step towards developing a bushfire severity scale [PDF File - 6.4 MB]
|
S. Harris, W. Anderson, M. Kilinc, and L. Fogarty
|
89
|
2004 | Analysis of wildfire threat - issues and options | AAG. Wilson | 55 |
2003
| Prediction of firefighting resources for suppression operations in Victoria's parks and forests [PDF File - 2.3 MB]
|
Gregory J. McCarthy, Kevin G. Tolhurst, Michael Wouters
|
56
|
1997
| Analysis of fire causes on or threatening public land in Victoria 1976/77 – 1995/96 [PDF File - 1.2 MB]
|
Davies, C
|
49
|
1999
| Development, behaviour, threat and meteorological aspects of a plume-driven bushfire in West-Central Victoria: Berringa Fire February 25-26, 1995 [PDF File - 3.3 MB]
|
Chatto,K.,Tolhurst, K., Leggett,A.,Treloar,A.
|
48
|
1998
| Effectiveness of firefighting first attack operations by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment from 1991/92 - 1994/95 [PDF File - 4.5 MB]
|
McCarthy,G.J. and Tolhurst, K.G.
|
45
|
1994
| Fire behaviour and fire suppression in an elevated fuel type in East Gippsland: Patrol Track wildfire, February 1991 [PDF File - 1.3 MB]
|
Buckley, A.J.
|
42
|
1993
| The effect of fuel reduction burning on the suppression of four wildfires in western Victoria [PDF File - 1.2 MB]
|
Grant, S.R., Wouters, M.A
|
41
|
1993
| A case study of wildfire management in the Byadbo and Tingaringy Wilderness Areas [PDF File - 2.0 MB]
|
Bartlett, A.G.
|
38
|
1993
| Wildfire behaviour in heath and other elevated fuels: a case study of the 1991 Heywood fire [PDF File - 1.1 MB]
|
Wouters, M.A.
|
36
|
1990
| Fire behaviour and fuel reduction burning — Bemm River wildfire, October 1988 [PDF File - 5.1 MB]
|
Buckley, A.J.
|
28
|
1987
| Heathcote fire: Bendigo Fire No. 38 — 1986–87 [PDF File - 628.4 KB]
|
Billing, P.R
|
27
|
1985
| The Avoca fire, 14 January 1985 [PDF File - 353.5 KB]
|
Billing, P.R
|
23
|
1984
| Forest fire statistics 1974–75 to 1983–84 [PDF File - 1.2 MB]
|
Rees, B.
|
22
|
1983
| Otways Fire No 22 — 1982/83: Aspects of fire behaviour [PDF File - 531.3 KB]
|
Billing, P. R
|
21
|
1983
| Otways Fire No 22 — 1982/83: A case study of plantation protection [PDF File - 1.8 MB]
|
Billing, P.R
|
20
|
1983
| The Bright plantation fire: November, 1982 [PDF File - 909.5 KB]
|
Watson, N., Morgan, G., Rolland, D
|
19
|
1982
| A summary of forest fire statistics, 1972–73 to 1980–81 [PDF File - 1.2 MB]
|
Rawson, R., Rees, B.
|
12
|
1982
| A fire tornado in the Sunset Country January 1981 [PDF File - 269.2 KB]
|
Billing, P., Rawson, R
|
11
|
1980
| Some aspects of the behaviour of the Caroline Fire of February 1979 [PDF File - 831.6 KB]
|
Billing, P.R.
|
7
|
Hazard Management
Year | Title | Authors | Report number |
---|
2016
| Reducing the effect of planned burns on hollow-bearing trees [PDF File - 2.4 MB]
|
Bluff, L
|
95
|
2010
| Overall Fuel Hazard Assessment Guide - 4th edition [PDF File - 3.3 MB]
|
Hines, F. Tolhurst, K., Wilson, A.G. McCarthy, G.J,
|
82
|
2003
| Effects of repeated low-intensity fire on tree growth and bark in a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 514.6 KB]
|
Karen Chatto, Tina Bell and John Kellas
|
56
|
2003
| Determination of sustainable fire regimes in the Victorian Alps using plant vital attributes [PDF File - 1.6 MB]
|
Gregory J. McCarthy, Kevin G. Tolhurst, Karen Chatto
|
54
|
2001
| Effectiveness of Broadscale Fuel Reduction Burning in Assisting with Wildfire Control in Parks and Forests in Victoria [PDF File - 244.3 KB]
|
McCarthy, G.J. and Tolhurst, K.G.
|
51
|
1998
| Overall Fuel Hazard Guide (Note - superseded by Research Report 82) [PDF File - 2.8 MB]
|
McCarthy,G.J, Chatto, K., and Tolhurst, K.
|
47
|
1997
| The development and testing of the Wiltronics T-H Fine Fuel Moisture meter [PDF File - 1.8 MB]
|
Chatto, K. and Tolhurst, K.
|
46
|
2004
| Surface fine fuel hazard rating – forest fuels in East Gippsland [PDF File - 861.7 KB]
|
Gregory J. McCarthy
|
44
|
1996
| Fuel hazard levels in relation to site characteristics and fire history: Chiltern Regional Park case study [PDF File - 1.6 MB]
|
Chatto,K
|
43
|
1993
| Fuel reducing regrowth forests with a wiregrass fuel type: fire behaviour guide and prescriptions [PDF File - 2.1 MB]
|
Buckley, A.J.
|
40
|
1993
| The accumulation and structural development of the wiregrass (Tetrarrhena juncea) fuel type in East Gippsland [PDF File - 1.2 MB] |
Fogarty, L.G.
|
37
|
1993
| Elevated fuel guide (Note - superseded by Research Report 82) [PDF File - 558.1 KB]
|
Wilson, A.A.G.
|
35
|
1992
| Fuel reducing a stand of eucalypt regrowth in East Gippsland - a case study [PDF File - 1.4 MB]
|
Buckley, A.J.
|
33
|
1992
| Eucalypt bark hazard guide (Note - superseded by Research Report 82) [PDF File - 493.0 KB]
|
Wilson, A.A.G.
|
32
|
1992
| Assessing fire hazard on public land in Victoria: fire management needs, and practical research objectives [PDF File - 1.2 MB]
|
Wilson, A.A.G.
|
31
|
1991
| Fire hazard and prescribed burning of thinning slash in eucalypt regrowth forest [PDF File - 1.6 MB]
|
Buckley, A.J., Corkish, N.
|
29
|
1985
| Effectiveness of fuel reduction burning -10 case studies [PDF File - 12.5 MB]
|
Rawson, R., Billing, P., Rees, B.
|
25
|
1981
| The Effectiveness of Fuel-Reduction Burning : 5 Case Studies [PDF File - 1.9 MB]
|
Billing, P.
|
10
|
1981
| Hazard reduction burning in the Big Desert [PDF File - 298.4 KB]
|
Billing, P.R.
|
9
|
1981
| Changes in understorey vegetation in Sherbrooke Forest following burning or slashing [PDF File - 1.0 MB]
|
Rawson, R., Rees, B.
|
8
|
Ecosystem, monitoring and resilience
Year | Title | Author | Report number |
---|
2016 | Integrated Forest Ecosystem Research (IFER): Program outcomes 2010-16 (PDF, 3.2 MB) | State of Victoria DELWP | 100 |
2016
| Foothills Fire and Biota, Fire and Adaptive Management Report [PDF File - 6.7 MB]
| Leonard, S., Bruce, M., Christie, F., Di Stefano, J., Haslem, A., Holland, G., Kelly, L., Loyn, R., MacHunter, J., Rumpff, L.,Stamation, K., Bennett |
96
|
2014
| Verification of Time-Since-Fire in Gippsland from Charring Retained on Stringybark Trees [PDF File - 1.5 MB]
|
Bluff, L
|
92
|
2012
| Relationships between disturbance regimes and biodiversity: background, issues and approaches for monitoring [PDF File - 1.1 MB]
|
J. Di Stefano and A. York
|
91
|
2012
| Review of resilience concepts and their measurement for fire management |
M. McCarthy
| 90 |
2010
| Growth stages and tolerable fire intervals for Victoria's native vegetation data sets [PDF File - 6.6 MB]
|
D. Cheal
|
84
|
2008
| Flora monitoring protocols for planned burning: a user's guide [PDF File - 2.7 MB]
|
J. Cawson and A. Muir
|
74
|
2008
| Flora monitoring protocols for planned burning: a rationale report [PDF File - 1.1 MB]
|
J. Cawson and A. Muir
|
75
|
2008
| Underpinnings of fire management for biodiversity conservation in reserves [PDF File - 3.5 MB]
|
A.M Gill
|
73
|
2003
| Effects of repeated low-intensity fire on reptile populations of a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 1.0 MB]
|
Marc Irvin, Martin Westbrooke and Mathew Gibson
|
65
|
2003
| Effects of repeated low-intensity fire on insectivorous bat populations of a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 990.2 KB]
|
Marc Irvin, Patrick Prevett and Martin Westbrooke
|
64
|
2003
| Effects of repeated low-intensity fire on terrestrial mammal populations of a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 737.4 KB]
|
Marc Irvin, Martin Westbrooke & Mathew Gibson
|
63
|
2003
| Effects of repeated low-intensity fire on bird abundance in a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 1.4 MB]
|
Richard H. Loyn, Ross B. Cunningham and Christine Donnelly
|
62
|
2003
| Effects of repeated low-intensity fire on the invertebrates of a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 389.3 KB]
|
Nick Collett and Fred Neumann
|
61
|
2003
| Effects of repeated low-intensity fire on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the soils of a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia [PDF File - 1.1 MB]
|
Peter Hopmans
|
60
|
2003
| Ecological effects of repeated low-intensity fire in a mixed eucalypt foothill forest in south-eastern Australia - Summary report (1984–1999) [PDF File - 1.4 MB]
|
Department of Sustainability and Environment
|
57
|
1992
| Monitoring vegetation for fire effects [PDF File - 1.3 MB]
|
Wouters, M.A.
|
34
|
1987
| Monitoring the ecological effects of fire [PDF File - 902.4 KB]
|
Ed. by Hamilton, F.
|
30
|
2019 | Framework for using and updating ecological models to inform bushfire management planning | L. Rumpff, N. Amos and J. MacHunter | 104 |
Aircraft and fire retardant
Year | Title | Authors | Report number |
---|
2010
| Fire Boss amphibious single engine air tanker: Final Report. November 2008 [PDF File - 1.3 MB] |
H. Biggs
|
81
|
2004
| Operational performance of the S-64F Aircrane Helitanker - 1997–98 fire season [PDF File - 1.4 MB] |
H. Biggs
|
72
|
2004
| An evaluation of the performance of the Simplex 304 helicopter belly-tank [PDF File - 1.5 MB] |
H. Biggs
|
71
|
2003
| Effects of fire retardant on soils of heathland in Victoria [PDF File - 383.8 KB] |
P. Hopmans and R. Bickford
|
70
|
2003
| Effects of fire retardant on heathland invertebrate communities in Victoria [PDF File - 1.8 MB] |
Collett, N and Schoenborn, C.
|
69
|
2003
| Effects of fire retardant on vegetation in eastern Australian heathlands: a preliminary investigation [PDF File - 3.0 MB] |
Bell, T.L.
|
68
|
2003
| Effectiveness of aircraft operations by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Country Fire Authority 1997–1998 [PDF File - 643.8 KB] |
Gregory J. McCarthy
|
52
|
2003
| Effects of fire retardant on soils of heathland in Victoria [PDF File - 383.8 KB] |
P. Hopmans and R. Bickford
|
70
|
2000
| Assessment of the Effectiveness and Environmental Risk of the Use of Retardants to Assist in Wildfire Control in Victoria [PDF File - 432.7 KB] |
CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products
|
50
|
1986
| Operational aspects of the Infra-Red Line Scanner [PDF File - 800.6 KB] |
Billing, P.R
|
26
|
1983
| Retardant distributions from six agricultural aircraft [PDF File - 1.0 MB] |
Rees, B.
|
18
|
1982
| Project MAFFS/HERCULES: the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System in Victoria [PDF File - 812.3 KB] |
Rawson, R., Rees, B., Stuckey, E., Turner, D., Wood, C., Woodman,M
|
15
|
1977
| A study of the distribution of aerially applied fire retardant in softwood plantations [PDF File - 1.0 MB] |
Rawson, R.
|
1
|
2000
| Assessment of the Effectiveness and Environmental Risk of the Use of Retardants to Assist in Wildfire Control in Victoria [PDF File - 432.7 KB] |
CSIRO Forestry and Forest Products
|
50
|
1986
| Operational aspects of the Infra-Red Line Scanner [PDF File - 800.6 KB] |
Billing, P.R
|
26
|
1983
| Retardant distributions from six agricultural aircraft [PDF File - 1.0 MB] |
Rees, B.
|
18
|
Pine plantations - fuels and planned burning
Year | Title | Authors | Report Number |
---|
1985 | Fuel management in Radiata Pine following heavy first thinning [PDF File - 379.7 KB] | Norman, P. | 24 |
1982 | Fuel properties before and after second thinning in Radiata Pine [PDF File - 761.2 KB] | Woodman, M. | 17 |
1982 | Using fire to reduce aerial fuels in first thinned Radiata Pine [PDF File - 323.1 KB] | Billing, P.R., Bywater, J.V. | 16 |
1982 | Fuel reduction burning in Radiata Pine plantations [PDF File - 1.8 MB] | Woodman, M., Rawson, R. | 14 |
1982 | Fuel moisture changes under Radiata Pine [PDF File - 819.6 KB] | Woodman, M. | 13 |
1980 | A low intensity prescribed burning operation in a thinned Radiata Pine plantation [PDF File - 703.2 KB] | Billing, P.R. | 6 |
1979 | Some effects of low intensity burning on Radiata Pine [PDF File - 1.2 MB] | Billing, P.R. | 5 |
1979 | Using fire to reduce fuel accumulations after first thinning in Radiata Pine plantations [PDF File - 450.7 KB] | Billing, P.R. | 4 |
1978 | Fuel properties before and after thinning in young Radiata Pine plantations [PDF File - 1.0 MB] | Williams, D.F. | 3 |
1978 | Low intensity prescribed burning in three Pinus radiata stand types [PDF File - 914.2 KB] | Thomson, D | 2 |
1982 | Fuel properties before and after second thinning in Radiata Pine [PDF File - 761.2 KB] | Woodman, M. | 17 |
1982 | Using fire to reduce aerial fuels in first thinned Radiata Pine [PDF File - 323.1 KB] | Billing, P.R., Bywater, J.V. | 16 |
1982 | Fuel reduction burning in Radiata Pine plantations [PDF File - 1.8 MB] | Woodman, M., Rawson, R. | 14 |
1982 | Fuel moisture changes under Radiata Pine [PDF File - 819.6 KB] | Woodman, M. | 13 |
1980 | A low intensity prescribed burning operation in a thinned Radiata Pine plantation [PDF File - 703.2 KB] | Billing, P.R. | 6 |
1978 | Low intensity prescribed burning in three Pinus radiata stand types [PDF File - 914.2 KB] | Thomson, D | 2 |
Integrating and evaluating science