Ben Davies

Spontaneous Wildfires are incredibly dangerous to us and the environment. Australia’s had it the worst, considering the multiple and damaging bushfires we’ve had in recent years; the damages caused by bushfires are enormous. In addition to human activity (accidentally or on purpose), bushfires are caused  by natural phenomena like lightning as well as influenced by the weather and fuel availability.

Bushfires and wildfires are tragic events with disastrous effects that are brought on by the intricate interaction of environmental factors and human behavior. Weather patterns, fuel availability, wind patterns, topography, and lightning are a few examples of environmental factors that contribute to fire ignition and rapid spread. Understanding these possible causes is necessary for efficiently reducing and managing the wide-ranging effects of bushfires and wildfires.

Australia has always had terrible occurrences of wildfires. The recent 2019 to 2020 bushfires tore through New South Wales and Queensland scorching around 42 million acres of land. They killed 33 people and killed approximately 3 billion animals, including 143 million mammals, 246 million reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs. Another example of terrible times for wildfires was in the summer of 1974 to 1975 where it had been recorded as the worst bushfires to date, with a rough total of 15% of Australia’s land mass suffering from the immense fires with 117 million hectares burnt as well as major damages to the agricultural industry. Unfortunately 6 people died, as well as 57,000 farm animals in the process. 

Given this information, it is evident that there needs to be something to prevent or reduce the damage of the inferno. Of these methods, the best would be volunteering. Volunteers play an important role in helping after wildfires, floods, storms and other emergencies. It is essential that all volunteers assist as part of an accredited organization and receive appropriate training before assisting in an emergency situation. Long-term help includes supporting affected communities with resources for rebuilding, mental health support, and environmental restoration efforts. Collaboration between government agencies, and the community is fundamental to ameliorate the annihilating effect of bushfires and help in the communities’ recuperation. 

Australia has always had bushfires and because of climate change, it’s likely to persist  or even worsen in the future. It's important that the Federal government, State governments and Local governments get involved with the community and individuals to prevent bushfires and to provide relief to those affected by fires.