http://www.metromagazine.com.au

https://theeducationshop.com.au

© ATOM 2018 ISBN: 978-1-76061-237-5

A STUDY GUIDE BYDAVE CREWE & JOSELYN JURASZEK

SYNOPSIS

* EPISODE 1: VALLEY OF FIRE

Western Australia. A land forged by one of the most danger-ous killers on Earth – bushfire. Here, men and women of the Parks and Wildlife Service fight a never-ending war against this scorching enemy. They deploy the largest squadron of fire-spotting aircraft in the world, armoured bulldozers and trucks, aerial bombers. And they fight on foot. The battle is relentless. Their adversary: a remorseless, unpredictable and indiscriminate killer. This is Bushfire Wars.

In the hills behind Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, easterly winds are screaming in from the hot de-sert and temperatures are soaring. An arsonist has struck, deliberately lighting two fires in the bush. The flames have turned into an inferno and the fire is out of control. It is threatening Mundaring Weir, a water treatment plant, the nearby settlement of Pickering Brook, and even the Parks and Wildlife Service Mundaring District Headquarters.

The fastest response to a bushfire is from the air. Nick Long from Dunn Aviation pilots one of eight fixed-wing wa-ter bombers, part of the aerial fleet that works in conjunc-tion with the ground crews. The bombers operate a system called RAID – rapid aggressive initial deployment. Nick Long races to the giant fire and begins battling the fero-cious blaze from the air.

The aerial bombardment keeps going and crews have dealt with the first bushfire. But the second, much larger fire needs massive resources, calling in Parks and Wildlife Service crews from two depots; local volunteer brigades;

and to supplement their own machinery, heavy dozers from contractors Nash Brothers.

The Parks and Wildlife Service mainly uses heavy machin-ery for fighting large bushfires to create earth breaks on the flanks of a fire. In a move reminiscent of a military campaign, they plan to join the flanks together in a pincer movement to cut off the headfire from available forest fuels.

Fire Officer Jordan Cantelo leads a team of nine trucks and two bulldozers on the northern flank of the fire and we join bushfire fighter Shane Popperwell in the truck behind the dozers as they battle to control the blazing monster. Adam Edwards follows behind dealing with dangerous hop-overs as the fire jumps containment lines. Air assets keep on the offensive. Helicopter tankers and Skycranes attack the flames and fixed-wing bombers assault the blaze from the air. The combination of ground and air assault is making headway.

But things suddenly change. The wind picks up. Nick Long is continually bombing from the air and in support of the ground crews, who are having a difficult time holding the fire behind the track they are cutting. The wind pushes the fire towards the firebreak track and embers start to jump the line and ignite on the other side. These are called hop-overs and they’re serious. If one gets away, they’ll have a whole new fire front on their hands.

Can the forces win the battle against the blazing enemy before it’s too late?

CONTENT HYPERLINKS

4 CURRICULUM LINKS

9 INTRODUCTION

10 UNDERSTANDING BUSHFIRES

19 BUSHFIRES IN AUSTRALIA

32 FIGHTING FIRE

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* EPISODE 2: VALLEY OF FIRE

The most dangerous bushfire of the season continues to rage out of control. The West Australian Parks and Wildlife Service throws everything at it to cut if off but the flames are threatening to escape and go out of control. Shane Popperwell leads the charge on the northern flank, but he’s held up at every turn. Adam Edwards fights to stop the fire crossing the containment lines. On the southern flank, fixed-wing bomber pilot Nick Long has one of the longest shifts of his career as he provides crucial air support.

The bushfire is heading west at Sawyers Valley, about 40 kilometres north-east of Perth. It’s threatening the water treatment plant Mundaring Weir, the nearby settlement of Pickering Brook, and even the Parks and Wildlife Service Mundaring District Headquarters. It’s fuelled by hot winds whipped up by a massive weather system from a cyclone on the north-west coast.

The ground forces are using bulldozers in a pincer move-ment, cutting firebreaks around the north and south flanks of the fire to head it off. But bushfire doesn’t just roll over and do as it’s told. It’s almost as if the bushfire is making a break for it. Unpredictable winds fan the flames and they jump containment lines.

Up front, Shane and the dozers have their own hop-over. The dozers stop cutting the containment lines and deal with the hop-overs. This is the last thing the dozers need to be doing. In the support column, Adam Edwards is stopped in his tracks as he fights a hop-over, and on the southern flank two other crews are ambushed by raging

fire as it jumps the breaks.

In the air, bomber pilot Nick Long deals with his own prob-lems. The fire almost creates its own weather system and the air is extremely turbulent as he wrestles with the con-trols of his bomber. Only his experience helps him prevail as he drops load after load on the raging fire. But the aerial support has to be withdrawn from the fight as they cannot operate at night. The ground troops are on their own.

As if on cue, the fire behaviour picks up. Steep gullies funnel the winds and the bushfire climbs the trees. Embers can be carried 10 kilometres or more on the wind, start-ing more fires. They need to get on top of this. The giant dozers barrel down the flaming trees, fighting against the advance of the fire.

Just as they are getting on top of things, one of the metal monster bulldozers is damaged in battle. They are down to one machine. Shane negotiates the ‘rough as guts’ track providing protection for the one remaining dozer as they battle through the night.

Dawn breaks and finally the troops emerge from the forest and join the containment lines. They have won the battle, but not the war. Damage has been done, but no lives and properties are lost. It’ll take months to repair the damage inflicted by the fire but the men and women of the Parks and Wildlife Service get to work. There’ll be no rest as they prepare for the next attack by the enemy.

Source: Bushfire Wars press kit

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RELEVANT CONTENT DESCRIPTORS FOR HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCE

Year 3

Knowledge and Understanding

• Geography: The representation of Australia as states and territories and as Countries/Places of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples; and major places in Australia, both natural and human (ACHASSK066)

Inquiry and Skills

• Questioning: Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues (ACHASSI052)

• Researching:- Locate and collect information and data from different

sources, including observations (ACHASSI053)- Record, sort and represent data and the location of

places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions (ACHASSI054)

• Analysing: Interpret data and information displayed in dif-ferent formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns (ACHASSI057)

• Evaluating and Reflecting: Draw simple conclusions based on analysis of information and data (ACHASSI058)

• Communicating: Present ideas, findings and conclu-sions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI061)

Year 4

Knowledge and Understanding

• History: The diversity of Australia’s first peoples and the long and continuous connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples to Country/Place (land, sea, water-ways and skies) (ACHASSK083)

• Geography: The importance of environments, including natural vegetation, to animals and people (ACHASSK088)

Inquiry and Skills

• Questioning: Pose questions to investigate people, events, places and issues (ACHASSI073)

• Researching:- Locate and collect information and data from different

sources, including observations (ACHASSI074)- Record, sort and represent data and the location of

places and their characteristics in different formats, including simple graphs, tables and maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions (ACHASSI075)

• Analysing: Interpret data and information displayed in dif-ferent formats, to identify and describe distributions and simple patterns (ACHASSI078)

• Evaluating and Reflecting: Draw simple conclusions based on analysis of information and data (ACHASSI079)

• Communicating: Present ideas, findings and conclu-sions in texts and modes that incorporate digital and non-digital representations and discipline-specific terms (ACHASSI082)

CURRICULUM LINKS

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Year 5

Knowledge and Understanding

• Geography:- The influence of people, including Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander Peoples, on the environmental charac-teristics of Australian places (ACHASSK112)

- The environmental and human influences on the loca-tion and characteristics of a place and the manage-ment of spaces within them (ACHASSK113)

- The impact of bushfires or floods on environments and communities, and how people can respond (ACHASSK114)

Inquiry and Skills

• Questioning: Develop appropriate questions to guide an inquiry about people, events, developments, places, sys-tems and challenges (ACHASSI094)

• Researching:- Locate and collect relevant information and data from

primary sources and secondary sources (ACHASSI095)- Organise and represent data in a range of formats

including tables, graphs and large- and small-scale maps, using discipline-appropriate conventions (ACHASSI096)

• Analysing: Interpret data and information displayed in a range of formats to identify, describe and compare dis-tributions, patterns and trends, and to infer relationships (ACHASSI100)

• Evaluating and Reflecting: Work in groups to generate responses to issues and challenges (ACHASSI102)

• Communicating: Present ideas, findings, viewpoints and conclusions in a range of texts and modes that incorpo-rate source materials, digital and non-digital represen-tations and discipline-specific terms and conventions (ACHASSI105)

RELEVANT CONTENT DESCRIPTORS FOR GEOGRAPHY

Geographical Inquiry and Skills

• Collecting, recording, evaluating and representing: Represent spatial distribution of different types of geo-graphical phenomena by constructing appropriate maps at different scales that conform to cartographic conventions, using spatial technologies as appropriate (ACHGS050)

• Interpreting, analysing and concluding: Interpret geo-graphical data and other information using qualitative and quantitative methods, and digital and spatial technologies as appropriate, to identify and propose explanations for spatial distributions, patterns and trends, and infer rela-tionships (ACHGS051)

• Communicating: Present findings, arguments and ideas in a range of communication forms selected to suit a particu-lar audience and purpose; using geographical terminology and digital technologies as appropriate (ACHGS053)

Year 8

Geographical Knowledge and Understanding

• Unit 1: ‘Landforms and Landscapes’- Ways of protecting significant landscapes (ACHGK052)

• investigating the negative and positive impacts of bush-fires on Australian landscapes and ways of responding to the risk and events of bushfires

• identifying the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge to the use and management of land-forms and landscapes- Causes, impacts and responses to a geomorphological

hazard (ACHGK053)• researching how the application of principles of prevention,

mitigation and preparedness minimises the harmful effects of geomorphological hazards or bushfires

Geographical Inquiry and Skills

• Collecting, recording, evaluating and representing: Represent spatial distribution of different types of geo-graphical phenomena by constructing appropriate maps at different scales that conform to cartographic conventions, using spatial technologies as appropriate (ACHGS058)

• Interpreting, analysing and concluding: Interpret geo-graphical data and other information using qualitative and quantitative methods, and digital and spatial technologies as appropriate, to identify and propose explanations for spatial distributions, patterns and trends, and infer rela-tionships (ACHGS059)

• Communicating: Present findings, arguments and ideas in a range of communication forms selected to suit a particu-lar audience and purpose; using geographical terminology and digital technologies as appropriate (ACHGS061)

Year 10

Geographical Knowledge and Understanding

• Unit 1: ‘Environment Change and Management’- Human-induced environmental changes that challenge

sustainability (ACHGK070)- The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’

approaches to custodial responsibility and environ-mental management in different regions of Australia (ACHGK072)

- The application of systems thinking to understanding the causes and likely consequences of the environ-mental change being investigated (ACHGK073)

- The application of geographical concepts and methods to the management of the environmental change being investigated (ACHGK074)

Geographical Inquiry and Skills

• Collecting, recording, evaluating and representing: Evaluate sources for their reliability, bias and usefulness and select, collect, record and organise relevant geograph-ical data and information, using ethical protocols, from a range of appropriate primary and secondary sources

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(ACHGS073)• Interpreting, analysing and concluding: Apply geographical

concepts to synthesise information from various sources and draw conclusions based on the analysis of data and information, taking into account alternative points of view (ACHGS077)

• Communicating: Present findings, arguments and expla-nations in a range of appropriate communication forms, selected for their effectiveness and to suit audience and purpose; using relevant geographical terminology, and digital technologies as appropriate (ACHGS079)

• Reflecting and responding: Reflect on and evaluate find-ings of an inquiry to propose individual and collective action in response to a contemporary geographical chal-lenge, taking account of environmental, economic, political and social considerations; and explain the predicted out-comes and consequences of their proposal (ACHGS080)

RELEVANT CONTENT DESCRIPTORS FOR SCIENCE

Year 3

Science Understanding

• Physical sciences: Heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one object to another (ACSSU049)

Science Inquiry Skills

• Questioning and predicting: With guidance, identify ques-tions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scien-tifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge (ACSIS053)

• Processing and analysing data and information: Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends (ACSIS057)

• Communicating: Represent and communicate observa-tions, ideas and findings using formal and informal repre-sentations (ACSIS060)

Year 4

Science Understanding

• Biological sciences: Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive (ACSSU073)

• Earth and Space sciences: Earth’s surface changes over time as a result of natural processes and human activity (ACSSU075)

Science as a Human Endeavour

• Nature and development of science: Science involves mak-ing predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE050)

• Use and influence of science: Science knowledge helps people to understand the effect of their actions (ACSHE062)

Science Inquiry Skills

• Questioning and predicting: With guidance, identify ques-tions in familiar contexts that can be investigated scien-tifically and make predictions based on prior knowledge (ACSIS064)

• Processing and analysing data and information: Use a range of methods including tables and simple column graphs to represent data and to identify patterns and trends (ACSIS068)

• Communicating: Represent and communicate observa-tions, ideas and findings using formal and informal repre-sentations (ACSIS071)

Year 5

Science Understanding

• Biological sciences: Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environ-ment (ACSSU043)

• Chemical sciences: Solids, liquids and gases have differ-ent observable properties and behave in different ways (ACSSU077)

Science as a Human Endeavour

• Nature and development of science: Science involves mak-ing predictions and describing patterns and relationships (ACSHE061)

• Use and influence of science: Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE083)

Science Inquiry Skills

• Questioning and predicting: With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investiga-tions (ACSIS231)

• Processing and analysing data and information: Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as ap-propriate (ACSIS090)

• Communicating: Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS093)

Year 6

Science Understanding

• Biological sciences: The growth and survival of living things are affected by physical conditions of their environment (ACSSU094)

• Earth Sciences: Sudden geological changes and extreme weather events can affect Earth’s surface (ACSSU096)

Science as a Human Endeavour

• Nature and development of science: Science involves testing predictions by gathering data and using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and

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reflects historical and cultural contributions (ACSHE098)• Use and influence of science: Scientific knowledge is used

to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE100)

Science Inquiry Skills

• Questioning and predicting: With guidance, pose clarifying questions and make predictions about scientific investiga-tions (ACSIS232)

• Processing and analysing data and information: Construct and use a range of representations, including tables and graphs, to represent and describe observations, patterns or relationships in data using digital technologies as ap-propriate (ACSIS0107)

• Communicating: Communicate ideas, explanations and processes using scientific representations in a variety of ways, including multi-modal texts (ACSIS110)

Year 8

Science Understanding

• Physical sciences: Energy appears in different forms, including movement (kinetic energy), heat and potential energy, and energy transformations and transfers cause change within systems (ACSSU155)

• Chemical sciences: Chemical change involves substances reacting to form new substances (ACSSU225)

Science as a Human Endeavour

• Use and influence of science: Solutions to contemporary issues that are found using science and technology, may impact on other areas of society and may involve ethical considerations (ACSHE135)

Science Inquiry Skills

• Questioning and predicting: Identify questions and prob-lems that can be investigated scientifically and make predictions based on scientific knowledge (ACSIS139)

• Processing and analysing data and information: Summarise data, from students’ own investigations and secondary sources, and use scientific understanding to identify relationships and draw conclusions based on evi-dence (ACSIS145)

• Communicating: Communicate ideas, findings and evidence based solutions to problems using scientific language, and representations, using digital technologies as appropriate (ACSIS148)

Year 9

Science Understanding

• Biological sciences: Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems (ACSSU176)

Science as a Human Endeavour

• Nature and development of science: Scientific understand-ing, including models and theories, is contestable and is refined over time through a process of review by the scientific community (ACSHE157)

• Use and influence of science: People use scientific knowl-edge to evaluate whether they accept claims, explanations or predictions, and advances in science can affect peo-ple’s lives, including generating new career opportunities (ACSHE160)

Science Inquiry Skills

• Questioning and predicting: Formulate questions or hy-potheses that can be investigated scientifically (ACSIS164)

• Processing and analysing data and information: Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with evidence (ACSIS170)

• Communicating: Communicate scientific ideas and infor-mation for a particular purpose, including constructing evidence-based arguments and using appropriate scientif-ic language, conventions and representations (ACSIS174)

Year 11 and 12

Geography

Unit 1 Natural and Ecological Hazards

Using Bushfire as the hazard

• the nature and causes of the selected hazard and how the activities of people can intensify its impacts (ACHGE022)

• the magnitude, frequency, duration, temporal spacing and effects of the hazard (ACHGE023)

• the diffusion and resulting spatial distribution of the haz-ard, and how an understanding of biophysical and human processes can be used to explain its spread (ACHGE024)

• the physical and human factors that explain why some places are more vulnerable than others (ACHGE025)

• the environmental, economic and social impacts of the hazard in a developed country such as Australia compared with at least one developing country or region (ACHGE026)

• the sustainable risk management policies, procedures and practices designed to reduce the impacts of the hazard through preparedness, mitigation, prevention and adapta-tion. (ACHGE027)

Geographical Enquiry Skills

• analyses geographical information and data from a range of primary and secondary sources and a variety of per-spectives to draw reasoned conclusions and make gener-alisations (ACHGE006)

• identifies and analyses trends and patterns, infers relation-ships, and makes predictions and inferences (ACHGE007)

• communicates geographical information, ideas, issues and arguments using appropriate written and/or oral, carto-graphic and graphic forms (ACHGE008)

• uses geographical language in appropriate contexts to

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demonstrate geographical knowledge and understanding (ACHGE009)

Unit 3 Land cover transformations

• Indigenous peoples’ land management practices and their impact on land cover over time including those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. (ACHGE070)

• The impacts of land cover change on local and regional environments. (ACHGE072)

• Human-generated land cover change and its consequenc-es including: the competitive advantages of indigenous and introduced species; the balance within each of these groups; and the effects such changes might have on land cover changes and biodiversity. (ACHGE073)

Geographical Enquiry Skills

• analyses geographical information and data from a range of primary and secondary sources and a variety of per-spectives to draw reasoned conclusions and make gener-alisations (ACHGE093)

• identifies and analyses trends and patterns, infers relation-ships, and makes predictions and inferences (ACHGE094)

• communicates geographical information, ideas, issues and arguments using appropriate written and/or oral, carto-graphic and graphic forms (ACHGE095)

• uses geographical language in appropriate contexts to demonstrate geographical knowledge and understanding (ACHGE096)

Biology

Unit 1: Biodiversity and the interconnectedness of life Content Descriptions

• Indigenous knowledge of environmental change and interactions between abiotic and biotic elements of eco-systems in local contexts has developed over thousands of years and provides valuable data for understanding ecosystem dynamics (ACSBL009).

• Human activities (for example, over-exploitation, habitat destruction, monocultures, pollution) can reduce biodiver-sity and can impact on the magnitude, duration and speed of ecosystem change (ACSBL028)

Earth and Environmental Science

Unit 4: The changing Earth - the cause and impact of Earth hazards

• Earth hazards result from the interactions of Earth systems and can threaten life, health, property, or the environment; their occurrence may not be prevented but their effect can be mitigated (ACSES098)

• Human activities, including land clearing, can contribute to the frequency, magnitude and intensity of some natural hazards (for example, drought, flood, bushfire, landslides) at local and regional scales(ACSES102)

• The impact of natural hazards on organisms, includ-ing humans, and ecosystems depends on the location,

magnitude and intensity of the hazard, and the configura-tion of Earth materials influencing the hazard (for example, biomass, substrate) (ACSES103)

Science Enquiry Skills

• Identify, research and construct questions for investiga-tion; propose hypotheses; and predict possible outcomes (ACSBL001)

• Design investigations, including the procedure/s to be followed, the materials required, and the type and amount of primary and/or secondary data to be collected; conduct risk assessments; and consider research ethics, including animal ethics (ACSBL002)

• Conduct investigations, including using ecosystem survey-ing techniques, safely, competently and methodically for the collection of valid and reliable data (ACSBL003)

• Represent data in meaningful and useful ways; organise and analyse data to identify trends, patterns and relation-ships; qualitatively describe sources of measurement error, and uncertainty and limitations in data; and select, syn-thesise and use evidence to make and justify conclusions (ACSBL004)

• Interpret a range of scientific and media texts, and evalu-ate processes, claims and conclusions by considering the quality of available evidence; and use reasoning to con-struct scientific arguments(ACSBL005)

• Select, construct and use appropriate representations, including classification keys, food webs and biomass pyra-mids, to communicate conceptual understanding, solve problems and make predictions(ACSBL006)

• Communicate to specific audiences and for specific pur-poses using appropriate language, nomenclature, genres and modes, including scientific reports (ACSBL007)

Science as a Human Endeavour

• Scientific knowledge can be used to develop and evaluate projected economic, social and environmental impacts and to design action for sustainability (ACSBL014)

General Capabilities

Literacy, numeracy and critical and creative thinking

Cross Curriculum Priorities

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures and Sustainability

Teacher Notes: The activities that follow are intended for Science/Geography classrooms from Years 3 to 12 . These activities are organised into three sections: ‘Understanding Bushfires’, ‘Bushfires in Australia’ and ‘Fighting Fire’. While the activities can be adapted liberally, the ‘Understanding Bushfires’ activities are primarily intended as a precursor to watching Bushfire Wars, while the ‘Bushfires in Australia’ and ‘Fighting Fire’ sections are better suited to using after watching the program. Adapt the activities at your discretion to suit your students’ age and/or ability.

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Before beginning these activities, complete the ‘Know’ and ‘Want to Know’ columns of the K-W-L table below. While completing your bushfires unit, or after its completion, fill out the ‘Learned’ column with the knowledge and skills you have gained over the unit.

KNOW WANT TO KNOW LEARNED

What do you already know about bushfires? What do you want to learn about with respect to bushfires?

What have you learned about bushfires in this unit?

INTRODUCTION

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UNDERSTANDING BUSHFIRESThe firefighters featured in Bushfire Wars risk their lives to protect natural and man-made environments from the destructive force of ‘one of the most dangerous killers on Earth … bushfire’. In order to understand the firefighting techniques seen in Bushfire Wars – and the associated dangers – we first need to understand fire itself: how it forms, how it spreads, the different types of bushfires and the different dangers associated with a bushfire.

L-R: Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Fire_triangle; Image source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_triangle

The fire triangle has been expanded to include chain reactions.

* WHAT IS FIRE?

Fire is a high temperature chemical reaction, known as combustion, which releases energy as heat and light.

* THE FIRE TRIANGLE

The ‘fire triangle’ is a simple model representing the three required elements for fire to form:

• oxygen (or an oxidising agent)• fuel (a combustible source for the fire)• heat (reaching the required ignition temperature)

By using the fire triangle below (see image left) or drawing one yourself, label some examples of fuel and heat found in Australian bushfires.

Fire tetrahedron

The fire tetrahedron is a slightly more complex model that describes the components needed to ignite AND sustain a fire. Once a fire has started, the resulting chain reaction sustains the fire and allows it to continue until at least one of the elements of the fire is removed. (see image right)

Useful links:• https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au• https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/get-involved/

nearer-to-nature/schools• https://dfes.wa.gov.au/• https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/schooleducation/• https://www.redcross.org.au/prepare• http://www.bom.gov.au/weather-services/bushfire/

about-bushfire-weather.shtml• https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/

Extreme-Events/Bushfire/Bushfire-research• https://www.afac.com.au• http://www.bnhcrc.com.au/• https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare/building-

in-a-bush-fire-area/planning-for-bush-fire-protection/bush-fire-prone-land/check-bfpl

• https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/• https://www.qfes.qld.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx• https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/• https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/home• https://www2.delwp.vic.gov.au/• https://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/home.jsp• https://www.fire.tas.gov.au/• https://www.pfes.nt.gov.au/Fire-and-Rescue.aspx• https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/

resources/747-what-is-fire/• https://www.science.org.au/curious/bushfires/• https://www.gtav.asn.au/resources/bushfires-a-geog-

raphy-resource-for-australian-students/bushfires-a-geography-resource-for-australian-students/

• https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/fire/fire-facts/

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Activity: Testing the Triangle

(Adapted from <https://www.bushfireeducation.vic.edu.au/secondary/learning-about-bushfires/secondary-learning-about-bushfire.html> – ‘The Fire Triangle’)

Before beginning this activity, complete a ‘think, pair, share’ exercise on the following questions, where each student considers the question individually, discusses their thoughts with a partner or in a small group, then shares their conclusions with the class at the teacher’s behest.

• How much heat is required to start a fire? Does this vary under different circumstances?

• What might affect the supply of oxygen to a fire?• What would occur if you attempted to light a fire with a

damp fuel source?

After completing this discussion, break into small groups to complete the following investigations with your teacher’s supervision. Remember to be careful, taking all neces-sary precautions, when working with fire in the class-room. It is recommended you use clear benches for these

experiments and fume cupboards when necessary, with access to a container of water and damp towel in case of emergency.

Before conducting each of the following experiments, make brief notes predicting the outcome of the experi-ment. After completing each trial, make notes on your observations and, where possible, how these observations can be explained in relation to the fire triangle model.

INVESTIGATION 1: OXYGEN

MATERIALS: matches, a candle, two glass jars of differ-ent sizes

INSTRUCTIONS: Light the candle. Then, observe what occurs when the candle is covered with a small glass jar and then a larger glass jar. You may wish to use a timer to quantitatively record the difference in your observations for each jar. Extension: Place the candle in a tray of water before covering it with the glass jar. What do you notice about how the water acts in this trial? How can you explain this phenomenon?

Teacher Notes:

A candle can be used to demonstrate the fire triangle

1. A match is used as the source of heat to light the candle wick. Once the wick is alight the flame has enough heat to maintain itself

2. The source of fuel in a candle is the wax vapour evaporating from the wick

3. The surrounding air supplies the oxy-gen the fire needs in order to sustain the chemical reaction.

4. Some students can find the fire

triangle model confusing. In the case of a candle which is a small, cooler flame, a rush of air (from blowing on it) suddenly reduces the heat and the flame goes out. The same principle works in reverse. Blowing on a burn-ing log supplies more oxygen so that the flames become larger.

When the extension activity is done correctly, students should observe that the consumption of the oxygen in the jar decreases the air pressure and causes the water level to rise. This observation can be directly linked to the Bushfire Wars program; specifically, the fixed

wing bomber..

Nick Long explains in the first episode that, after dumping water:

there’s a flap that opens up at the top of the hopper because if you have a tank that’s holding 3000 litres and that now removes itself, it’s gotta replace it with air. Otherwise the tank will implode.

Students may wish to explore the rela-tionship between the phenomenon ob-served in the classroom and the design of these fixed wing bombers.

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INVESTIGATION 2: FUEL

MATERIALS: heat-proof mat, matches, dry eucalyptus leaves (or equivalent)

INSTRUCTIONS: In a fume cupboard (or as directed by your teacher), light the dry leaves on the heat-proof mat. Gradually – and carefully – add extra leaves and take note of your observations.

EXTENSION: Compare the burning times of crushed leaves with whole leaves.

INVESTIGATION 3: HEAT

MATERIALS: a heat-proof mat, matches, dry eucalyptus leaves and green eucalyptus leaves (or equivalent), a tripod stand, Bunsen burner, sheet of metal

INSTRUCTIONS: Set up the Bunsen burner on the heat-proof mat, under a tripod stand with a sheet of metal on top. Attempt to light the dry and green eucalyptus leaves in turn. Take specific notes on any differences between these two fuel sources, and the proximity of the Bunsen burner’s flame to the fuel.

Teacher Notes: This third investigation is a good introduction to the concept of ignition temperature: the heat a fuel source needs to reach to ignite. You may wish to have a class discussion – or individual inquiry investigations – where students explore why the dry and green leaves’ ignition temperatures might differ and extend these findings to other fuel sources’ ignition temperatures.

EXTINGUISHING FIRE

A fire will burn as long as there is oxygen, fuel and heat avail-able. Removal of any one of these elements will extinguish the fire. Interrupting the chemical chain reaction of the fire will also extinguish the fire.

• Starving the fire: remove the fuel – ie unburnt material• Smother the fire: prevent oxygen from combining with the fuel.• Cooling the fire: reduce the temperature of the burning material to

below the ignition point.• Interrupting the chemical chain reaction: some fire extinguishers

(eg. dry chemical powder extinguisher)

Source: http://www.mfs.sa.gov.au/site/community_safety/home_fire_and_life_safety_information_sheets_domestic/extinguishing_a_fire.jsp

In the table on the right give some examples of each method of fire fighting.

Cutting the oxygen supply

Reducing the temperature

Removing the fuel

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* FIRE AND HEAT TRANSFER

The heat from a fire can be transferred in three different ways. (see image above)

* WHAT IS BUSHFIRE?

Bushfire is a fire that burns in grass, bush or woodland that is burning out of control.

* CATEGORISING BUSHFIRES

Bushfires can be broadly categorised into three types – ground fires, surface fires and crown fires – though a combination of two or three can be found in any single bushfire event.

Activity: Categorising Bushfires

On the diagram below draw where you would find a ground, surface and crown fire. Make some notes on the

defining features of each.

In Bushfire Wars, while forming the best strategy to fight the fire, Nick Long describes its position by noting that it’s ‘spotting up to six, seven hundred metres in front of the head.’ Long is referring to the ‘headfire’, the fastest-mov-ing section of the fire’s perimeter.

Activity: Parts of a bushfire

Research the parts of a bushfire listed below, label the dia-gram (see image above, right) and answer the questions:

• Head fire / fire front:• Right Flank• Left Flank• Fingers

• Tail /Heel/Rear/Back:• Point of origin• Spot fires• Wind Direction

Using the scale, work out the distance from

1. the origin to the head of the fire2. the western to the eastern flank at its widest point3. the fire front

Image source https://www.green-mechanic.com/2017/01/conduction-convection--radiation.html

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* BUSHFIRE BEHAVIOUR

Different weather conditions have different associated risk levels – based on humidity, temperature and wind speed, among other factors – as suggested in Bushfire Wars, which observes that ‘Western Australia is one of the hottest and driest places on earth … [and] a global bushfire hotspot with up to 12000 fires per year.’

Source: https://www.csiro.au/en/Research/Environment/Extreme-Events/Bushfire/Bushfire-research

Activity: Size and Intensity of Bushfires

PART 1

Complete the mind map making notes and using diagrams where appropriate. For each topic make sure you think about how it impacts

• flame height• rate of spread (how quickly fire moves through the fuel)

• spotting behaviour• overall fire intensity

Start your research with these useful websites

http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/bushfirehttps://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/management/fire/

fire-and-the-environment/48-fire-behaviourhttps://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/

parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/fire/fire-factshttps://blog.csiro.au/bushfire-basics/

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PART 2

The Bureau of Meteorology has developed a fire seasons map for Australia based on different weather patterns. Use the map on this page to find out when the fire season is where you live and describe the weather conditions you would experience at this time. Why is the risk of a bushfire greatest at this time? Compare how your fire season is different or similar, to other parts of Australia.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY: How do fires create their own weather? Watch the videos and draw a diagram showing an example of how a bushfire can create a thunderstorm.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-28/bushfire-storms-can-spark-fire-tornadoes-dry-lightning-and-more/10561832

https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/management/fire/prescribed-burning/249-prescribed-burn-ing-videosSelect video number 15 Fire Whirl – Watheroo, Western Australia

Source: http://www.bom.gov.au/weather-services/bushfire/about-bushfire-weather.shtml

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* FIRE DANGER RATING

In Australia there is a system of assessing the “fire danger” called Fire Danger Ratings. The fire danger rating tells you how dangerous a fire would be if one started. The higher the rating the more dangerous the conditions. They are forecast each day in the fire season.

The Bureau of Meteorology issues fire weather warnings each day to alert the public when conditions are likely to be dangerous. Fire agencies in each state then determine the Fire Danger Rating for each location.

There are six categories in the Fire Danger Rating, ranging from Low-Moderate to Catastrophic. (see image below left)

Activity: Fire Danger Rating

Draw your own Fire Danger Rating diagram and label the different categories. For each category make notes on

a. the conditions and what this meansb. what you should do

Go to Bureau of Meteorology website (listed below) and find out what the current Fire Danger Rating is where you live. (see image below right)

http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/forecasts/fire-danger-ratings.shtml

EXTENSION: Create a fire danger rating chart for your school that will display the daily fire rating for your local area. Update the fire rating each morning. In the fire season you could create a roster for students to update the chart and re-port the daily Fire Danger Rating to the school, what this means for the day and what we need to do.

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* WHEN A FIRE STARTS TO BURN

The Australian outback is full of oxygen and fuel – dry leaves and trees and everything in between. But the critical question is: where does the heat come from? Even the hot-test day of Australian summer doesn’t produce tempera-tures that could cause trees to spontaneously ignite.

Activity 1: Firestarter

Brainstorm what causes bushfires to start? Once you are

happy with your brainstorm group your ideas into natural causes and human causes. Discuss your ideas with your class.

Bushfire Wars states that ‘About 40% of bushfires in Western Australia are started deliberately.’

Find out some statistics on the causes of bushfires in your area. What is the most common cause of bushfire? How could you use this information to develop a community education program to reduce the occurrence of bushfires?

Teacher notes: Bushfires can originate from both human activity and natural causes with lightning the predominant natural source, accounting for about half of all ignitions in Australia. Fires of human origin currently account for the remainder and are classified as accidental, suspicious or deliberate. (Source http://www.ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/bushfire)

* RADIANT HEAT

In the first episode of Bushfire Wars, the narrator explains the dangers of radiant heat. Being burnt in a fire isn’t the only risk when ‘the air temperature on the fire edge is nudging 60 degrees Celsius.’

‘The side of the truck is getting pretty hot, so you put your hands along the side and you can get burns just from the truck.’ – Mark Claxton, Bushfire Wars

The narrator clarifies this:

Bushfire intensity is measured in kilowatts per metre. Some bushfires can generate 50,000 kilowatts per metre. That’s like standing in front of 50,000 one-bar electric heaters every metre. Radiant heat has killed people 400 metres

away from the actual fire.

Answer the following questions, either individually or as part of a group discussion:

• What does the unit ‘kilowatts per metre’ measure?• Bushfire Wars uses one-bar electric heaters as a point

of comparison to the heat of the bushfire. Research and then suggest another everyday analogy to under-stand the meaning of kilowatts per metre in the context of a bushfire’s radiant heat.

• Explain how a house could catch on fire even though the flames of a bushfire haven’t reached the house

• Discuss this statement “moving away from a fire is the best way to protect yourself from radiant heat”

• What other risks does radiant heat pose for firefighters?

Teacher notes: To answer the last question on radiant heat, ask students to think about how they feel on a really hot day and what their bodies do to stop from overheating? Discuss how we sweat to maintain our body temperature and when we sweat a lot, we need to replace the fluids we lose by drinking lots of water. If we don’t, we risk getting dehydrated. Ask the group to discuss what firefighters need to do to reduce the risk of getting dehydrated?

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Activity: Personal Protective Equipment

Firefighters wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) which offers some protection against radiant heat, flying ash and embers, minor burns, scrapes and abrasions, and smoke.

The diagram below shows the protective equipment the Parks and Wildlife Service staff are wearing in Bushfire

Wars. In the space provided write down what you think each piece of equipment is made from and how it protects a person from injury when fighting a fire.

EXTENSION: Design and carry out an experiment to test how flammable different types of materials are. Discuss which of these materials would be best to protect against radiant heat?

Source: https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/management/fire/bushfires/47-equipment-used-for-bushfire-suppression

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE

CLOTHING

BOOTS

HELMET

GOGGLES

GLOVES

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* BUSHFIRE HISTORY

Bushfire Wars focuses on bushfires in Western Australia. But Australia’s history is defined by frequent, and frequent-ly devastating, bushfires. While Victoria has played host to the nation’s deadliest bushfires – Black Saturday (February 2009) with 173 fatalities, Ash Wednesday (February 1983) with 75 deaths and Black Friday (January 1939) with 71 – all corners of Australia have their own history with fires big and small.

Useful links:• https://www.australiangeographic.com.

au/topics/science-environment/2011/11/the-worst-bushfires-in-australias-history/

• https://www.ffm.vic.gov.au/history-and-incidents/past-bushfires/

• https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/collections/australian-disasters/

• http://education.abc.net.au/home#!/topic/494522/bushfires/

• https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/ecological-impact-fire/

Activity: Exploring Past Bushfires

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience hosts a ‘Disaster Map’ on their website at the URL <https://knowl-edge.aidr.org.au/disasters/>. This is an invaluable research resource for Geography teachers and students alike, in-cluding facts and figures about a range of disasters: earth-quakes, storms and tsunamis. And, of course, bushfires.

On the Disaster Map, toggle off all disaster categories except Fire – Bushfire. This should ensure that the map of Australia now only highlights major historical bushfire. (You may also wish to adjust the date range per your teacher’s instructions.)

Choose three bushfire sites and record relevant informa-tion in the table below (where applicable) from the ‘Quick Statistics’ on the Disaster Map. You may wish to focus on bushfires from your local area.

After completing this table, choose one of these three bushfires and write a research report summarising the con-ditions that led to the bushfire, its effects and any findings or recommendations that resulted from the bushfire.

Your report should draw on the information provided in the Disaster Map – selecting ‘View Event’ will provide more de-tailed information on each fire – and additional resources, including news reports from the time of the bushfire where possible.

Teacher Notes: You may wish to assign specific bushfires to your students or allow them to select them consultatively to ensure that there will be sufficient information to allow for a report of the appropriate complexity. Provide clear expectations around the structure and length of the report suitable to the students’ year level, ability, and the time allowed to complete the task.

EXTENSION: Produce your own map presenting Australia’s most impactful bushfires throughout history. Check with your teacher as to the conventions and com-plexity you should use producing this map.

REGION DATE FATALITIES INJURED HOMES DESTROYED TOTAL COST

BUSHFIRES IN AUSTRALIA

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* FIRE’S ROLE IN THE AUSTRALIAN ECOSYSTEM

Fire has influenced the Australian landscape for millions of years long before the first people populated the land. Fossil and charcoal records indicate that fire has been present for at least 30 million years in the Australian land-scape and first thought in response to a drying climate. However, scientists have evidence to suggest that fire was here long before the climate changed. The fire adaptations that eucalypt and banksia species display date back to over 60 million years ago.

Source: https://biology.anu.edu.au/fire-adaptive-traits-eucalpyts

https://news.curtin.edu.au/media-releases/groundbreaking-discovery-in-plant-adaptations-to-fire/

Activity: How has the habitat changed with fire?

Look at the pictures above (pre and post fire in the same habitat).

What kind of changes do you think that there might be to the environment post fire? Think about light availabil-ity, changes in nutrient levels, changes in competition, changes in micro-climate, hydrological changes, space, resources and predation pressure.

What different strategies do you think plants and animals might have to survive fire? Remember unlike animals, plants can’t move away from the fire?

Pre-fire habitat in jarrah forest Post fire habitat in jarrah forest

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* HOW DO PLANTS RESPOND TO FIRE?

Despite how it may look in the photo and how different conditions are post fire, it’s not all doom and gloom for plants. Many are stimulated to reproduce following a fire and some seeds only germinate in post fire conditions. Plant responses to fire can include:

• Increased productivity• Increased flowering• Fire stimulated seed release and dispersal• Improved seedling germination

Activity: Grass tree adaptations to fire

In Bushfire Wars you see footage of grasstrees on fire and the narrator comments that grass trees are a massive source of heat and that they are stimulated to grow by fire. Discuss and brainstorm ideas on how the grass trees might survive a fire? In this activity we will look at a case study for how plants have features (adaptations) that help them to survive fire.

Case Study: Xanthorrhoea preissi, Balga

Life span: up to 200 years old. Growth: 2 – 4cm per year. Flowering: It can take up to 20 years for a balga to produce its first flower.

Source: https://florabase.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/1256

Grass trees don’t shed their old dead leaves. The base of the leaves is packed tightly around their stem, and held to-gether by a strong water proof resin. As the old leaves ac-cumulate, they form a thick bushy “skirt” around the trunk. This skirt is a great habitat for native animals and is also highly flammable. This guarantees ignition during even the mildest of fires. The Bushfire Wars narrator comments that ‘grasstrees are a massive source of heat’ and in fact the heat of the skirt burning can get up to 1020°C. Burning at this temperature is short lived and the skirt only burns for 1 – 2.5 minutes. The tightly packed leaves shield the stem from the heat and allow the grass tree to survive. The fire burns the outside dead leaves, but the centre of the stem survives. The trees can recover quickly after a fire thanks to a reserve of starch stored in the stem. Fire promotes leaf

production and most of the living foliage that is burnt in a fire is replaced in ten months.

Flowering is not dependent on fire, but it stimulates the process. The ability of grass trees to re-sprout after fire and quickly produce flowers makes them a vital lifeline for fauna living in recently-burnt landscapes.

Research has shown that balga can be used to reconstruct fire history. Under the charcoal on the stem of balga the old leaf remnants lie in repetitive colour rings. Light and dark brown rings represent annual growth, there are also black rings which are the result of fire events. The position of the black rings indicate the amount of time past since recent fire.

Source: Korczynskyj and Lamont (2005) Grasstree (Xanthhorrhoea preissii) recovery after fire in two seasons and habitats.Australian Jounral of Botany 53 pg 509-515)

Landscope Special fire edition (2009) Believing the Balga by David Ward and Rick Sneeuwjagt

https://theconversation.com/grass-trees-arent-a-grass-and-theyre-not-trees-100531

Xanthorrhoea preissi

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Before fire

During Fire

Post Fire

Fire history

Look at the three photos showing the impacts of a fire on balga (Xanthorrhoea preissii) and answer the following questions

1. What do you notice about the dis-tribution of leaves on the balga in the before fire photo? On one of the balga label: the living leaves, the dead leaves (skirt) and the stem.

2. What parts of the balga are on fire in the during photo? Explain why this part of the tree is the first to burn and how it helps to protect the rest of the tree from damage by the fire.

3. What changes can you observe to the grass tree before and after fire (com-pare the before and post fire photos). On the post fire photo label the living leaves, stem and flower. What is the advantage of the balga flowering after fire?

4. What might the length and size of the “skirt” tell you about time since last fire?

5. Why can we use the balga tree to learn about the fire history of the area?

6. Looking at the stem of the balga in the fire history photo what does it tell us about the fire frequency each of the trees has been exposed to? What impacts might this have on the plants?

EXTENSION: Find out if you have grass trees in your local area? What special features (adaptations) do they have that help them to survive a fire.

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Activity: Investigating the Effects of Fire on Flora

Source: Eco Education – ‘Fire – A force for life’

INVESTIGATION: SEED BURNING AND GERMINATION EXPERIMENT

MATERIALS:• Acacia seeds (approximately 20)• boiling water• a cup• soil (from the local area) OR potting mix from your local

supermarket (check that no fertiliser is present)• absorbent paper and pots or margarine containers with

holes in the base for drainage.

PROCEDURE:1: Divide the seeds into two piles – one pile will be ‘burnt’

(treated by heat) and the other pile ‘unburnt’ (not treated by heat).Place the first pile of seeds in a cup and pour boiling

water over them – this simulates a fire. (Most seeds in the bush are either on or just underneath the surface of the ground. As fire passes over the area, the seeds are intensely heated). Leave them for five minutes. Take them out and dry them thoroughly on absorbent paper.Place the second pile of seeds in a cup and pour cold water over them. Leave them for five minutes. Take them out and dry them thoroughly on absorbent paper.

2: Place the soil or potting mix into the containers. Label half the containers BURNT and the other half NOT BURNT.

3: Plant the ‘burnt’ seeds 0.5 centimetres deep in the pots/containers labelled BURNT.

Plant the ‘unburnt’ seeds 0.5 centimetres deep in the containers labelled NOT BURNT.

4: Water each of the containers, with the same amount of water per container, and place them at a spot where there is sunlight. The seeds must be watered daily (including weekends/holidays).

5: Observe the germination and growth in the containers over the next few weeks.

Number of seeds planted

Number of seeds germinating after

one week

Number of seeds germinating after

two weeks

Number of seeds germinating after three

weeks (or longer)

Burnt seeds

Unburnt seeds

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CONCLUSION:• Describe what happened after two to three weeks.• What have you found out from the experiment?

Teacher Notes: If you have time to do a reflection on this experi-ment, it’s worth noting that smoke is often an influence on the germination of burnt seeds in the wild; this is a limitation of the experiment that could warrant further discussion and reflection about the reliability of your conclusions. Here are some useful links to find out more about the active ingre-dient in smoke that helps seeds germinate http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/07/09/1147171.htm http://anpsa.org.au/articles/smoke-germination.html https://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/smoke-your-own/9440844

EXTENSION: Eucalypts have a remarkable ability to quickly re-sprout following damage from events such as fire. This feature has helped them to survive and domi-nate the Australian landscape. Using this statement as a

stimulus for discussion, prepare a presentation that shows how eucalypts are adapted to survive fire.

Useful resourceshttp://www.forest-education.com/wp-content/up-

loads/2017/07/eucalypt_adaptations.pdfhttps://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/cd-keys/euclid3/euclidsam-

ple/html/learn.htmhttps://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/

story-our-eucalypts

Teacher Notes: Not all plants tolerate fire and those that are most vulnerable are usually those that can only regenerate from seed. These plants are often killed by fire but regenerate from seed stored on the plant or in the soil. If fires occur too frequently these species may not reach maturity to produce seed. Alternatively, if fires are too infrequent the species may grow old and die. Discuss with your students how the frequency and intensity of fire can impact on a plants ability to recover.

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* HOW DO ANIMALS RESPOND TO FIRE?

In Bushfire Wars you see footage of kangaroos trying to escape a fire. Some animals like the kangaroo flee from fire, others burrow into the ground, some seek shelter in and under logs, gullies and near creeks.

The Impacts of bushfire on animals can be direct, during the fire or indirect through changes in habitat structure and ecosystem function. Brainstorm what you think the direct and indirect effects of bushfire might be on animals. You might like to base your ideas on a particular animal such as the kangaroo.

Activity: Investigating the Effects of Fire on Fauna

Source: Eco Education – ‘Fire – A force for life’

The effect of fire on animals will depend on a number of factors:

• Where the animal lives- Ground dwelling animals may be affected by all

types of fire while tree dwellers’ habitat may be un-scathed, apart from by the most intense of wildfires.

- Animals which hide in burrows and may survive a

fire versus those that seek shelter in hollow logs which may or may not be consumed depending on the intensity of the fire.

• What it eats- Animals that have a varied diet and can switch

to other foods when one becomes scarce versus those that are specialist feeders.

- Predators’ (carnivores’) diets become more visible after fire versus herbivores where the diet may be burnt.

• The size and age of the animal and how fast it can move- Kangaroos are large animals and fast movers and

can often escape a fire.- Honey possums are tiny and cannot escape an

intense fire.• The intensity and extent of the fire

- Hot summer fires are likely to do more damage than cooler autumn or spring fires.

- Fires which cover large areas are more damaging than smaller fires as animals can often escape from the latter. Also, it will take animals a longer time to recolonise large areas that have been burnt out. With fires of low intensity there is usually incomplete burn-ing of vegetation leaving patches where animals can take refuge while the vegetation recovers.

When studying the effects of fire on native fauna, it is important to remember that while some individual animals may die, it does not mean the loss of a species or of its population in that area.

Using the table overleaf, choose five animals that live in your local area and investigate their habitat and food

requirements, their body size and how fast they can move and the impact a fire might have on them. If you can choose a bird, mammal, reptile, invertebrate and amphibian.

• Discuss the fire intensity can impact on an individual animal as well as the entire population.

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Animal Where is it found What does it eat Survival strategies

Impact of fire

Brushtail possum

In trees, in hollows in trees

Leaves, fruits, blossums

Some may survive by moving ahead of the fire. Others may hide in tree

tops in hollows.

Hollows may get burnt in sever fire. New hollows

can also be created.

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WHEN YOU CAN’T OUT RUN THE FIRE

1. Bury your head

Some species of frogs can happily cope with the heat of bushfires by retreating to the safety of wetlands or the moist underground. In one study on ‘Acid Frogs’ (Figure on left) scientists found that air temperatures increased to as high as 57.6°C during a fire but below ground tempera-tures remained at a reasonable 17.5°C.

How would fire intensity, soil moisture and weather condi-tions, impact the soil temperature during and after a fire?

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/science/arti-cles/2013/11/04/3882133.htm

2. Go to sleep

Short beaked echidnas survive fire by hiding underground and going into an inactive state known as torpor, which many animals use to help them conserve energy. Torpor is a state of hibernation where animals can survive without food. When in torpor, echidnas reduce their metabolic rate and lower their body temperature. Studies have shown that during a fire the echidnas body temperature can drop by 20°C and they can stay in this state of torpor for up to 30 days post fire. This also helps them to cope with the increased temperatures fire creates especially if the area continues to smoulder after the fire. Torpor allows the echidnas to save energy while they wait for their insect food to return.

Source: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160513-when-confronted-with-a-raging-wildfire-echidnas-go-to-sleep

This little frog thrives in acid environments and can be quite resilient to bushfires (Source: Katrina Lowe)

Animals like the red-bellied frog retreat underground to avoid desiccation (Photo © Parks and Wildlife

A young short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) (Credit: Fritz Geiser)

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MAKING THE MOST OF THE FIRE

1. Fire foraging raptors

Black kites (Milvus migrans), whistling kites (Haliastur sphenurus) and brown falcons (Falco berigora) can be seen congregating near the edges of bushfires. Here they can take advantage of small lizards, mammals, birds and insects that are fleeing from the fire.

Source: https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/australian-raptors-start-fires-to-flush-out-prey

2. Where there’s smoke, there’s flies

There are some insects that are irresistibly attracted to the smoke from a bushfire and they even aggregate in swarms. Smoke flies are one such example. These flies are more frequently found on freshly burned areas and are absent from or rarely found in unburned habitats. The flies lay their eggs in the ash covered soil or burned wood and it is as-sumed that the larvae of the flies feed on fire adapted fungi that develop fruit bodies immediately after fire.

Source: https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/images/docu-ments/about/science/pubs/infosheets/sdis015.pdf

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* PROS AND CONS

If you have completed the previous activities on how plants and animals respond to fire these will assist you in com-pleting the table below, but they are not prerequisites. In small groups or in a class discussion, try to fill out the table below with as many positive and negative impacts of bushfire upon the Australian ecosystem you can identify:

Positive Effects of Fire Negative Effects of Fire

Heats the soil, cracking seed coats and triggering germination

Burn and damage vegetation communities, such as rainforest that take hundreds of years to recover

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* FIRE STICKS: CULTURAL BURNING

Aboriginal people have used fire to preserve and manage the landscape for thousands of years. Cultural burning can include

• Burning for the health of particular plants, animals and country

• Patch burning to create different fire intervals• Used specifically for fuel and hazard reduction

purposes

• Better access to country to clean up important pathways

• Control invasive weeds• Maintain cultural responsibilities

Cultural burning is done in a controlled and methodological way where fire acts like water trickling through the land-scape in a slow and ‘cool’ way.

Read the extracts on the following page from Nyoongars Knew Best: A bushfire Essay from South West Australia. David Ward (2016)

Extracts from Nyoongars Knew Best: A Bushfire Essay from South West Australia. David Ward (2016)

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Watch the five-minute video ‘Fighting carbon with fire, Arnhem Land, Australia’, from UN University (<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfjw5Vts8hQ/>) then read this Creative Spirits page on fire management: <https://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/land/aboriginal-fire-management/>.

Teacher Notes: The Creative Spirits website includes a link to further primary and secondary activities on Aboriginal Fire Management (<http://www.coolaustralia.org/unit/cool-burning-primary/ and http://www.coolaustralia.org/unit/cool-burning-secondary/>) if you wish to expand this topic into an extended unit of work centring on indigenous fire management.

Answer the following questions individually, sharing your responses with your class afterwards.

• In the UN University video, Aboriginal fire ecologist, Dean Yibarbuk argues that ‘We haven’t been here man-aging fire, so destructive fires have come. ’ In his essay David Ward talks about Nyoongar people undertaking frequent burning in the jarrah forest.How does the practice of Aboriginal fire management reduce the risk and frequency of the kinds of destruc-tive bushfires seen in Bushfire Wars?

• Yibarbuk explains that ‘hot fires’ have killed trees in

the region. This is in comparison to the cool fires set in traditional fire management. David notes in his essay that the most Nyoongar burning was in summer.Explain the difference between a ‘hot fire’ and a ‘cool fire’ and the necessary conditions for a cool fire.

• ‘Working with scientists,’ says Yibarbuk, ‘we can bring what they know, together with the knowledge of our older people who remember how it was before.’ Research two other examples where modern science has been enriched by the traditional knowledge of Australian Aboriginal culture.

• The video concludes with an intertitle explaining that Aboriginal fire management can reduce carbon emis-sions by hundreds of thousands of tonnes. How can this kind of fire management reduce greenhouse gas emissions?

Additional links:https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/collections/centre-of-excel-

lence-for-prescribed-burning/ https://www.klc.org.au/indigenous-fire-management/

https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/management/fire/fire-and-the-environment/41-traditional-aboriginal-burning

https://www.firesticks.org.au/http://www.kooricountryfiresticks.com.au/home.html

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FIGHTING FIRE

* FIREFIGHTERS

Today the effects of fire extend well beyond environmental impacts and has social and economic implications. Raging bushfires can have catastrophic impacts on lives and infrastructure. Managing bushfire is a shared responsibil-ity between government agencies, local government and volunteer fire brigades. Together they fight fires to protect lives, property and community values.

In Bushfire Wars the narrator talks about a “military style campaign where first they develop a strategy and brief the troops”. Discuss why this is an important step before

taking on a fire?

The firefighting techniques on display in Bushfire Wars involve three types of vehicles: the helicopters that douse the flames from above, the bulldozers – or ‘machines’ – that clear a path in the bush, and the fire trucks that run support for the ‘dozers.

For each of these three vehicles, briefly identify the feature of the vehicle, why they are effective against bushfires (with specific reference to the fire triangle) and the limita-tions and challenges associated with each in the table be-low. You may wish to use direct quotes from the program.

VEHICLE FEATURES REASON FOR EFFECTIVENESS ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES

Helicopters Air Tractor AT-802Length: 11.3 m

Wing span: 18.2 mWater tank: 3150 L

Drop speed: 109 knotsCruise speed: 160 knots

Accessibility – water can be safely dropped on fire from above and deny the

fire a fuel source

Air traffic control guidelines mean that the helicopter can’t fly at night: ‘Under the regulations, yeah, we can’t fly at

night or fight fires at night.’

Bulldozers

Fire Trucks

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Why is communication between air and ground crews vital when fighting a fire?

How would people living in the area know that a bushfire is nearby?

Find out what agency does the alerts and bushfire emer-gency warnings in your area. There are three levels of bushfire warnings; advice, watch and act and emergency

warning. Explain what is meant by each of these and what action you need to take.

Teacher Notes: If you’re intending to use the Features column above, best to pause the screen during the program when this in-formation is displayed. You could omit otherwise. The helicopter row is provided as example, but students should be asked to identify this information themselves.

* FIRE INTENSITY AND PLANNED RESPONSE

Source: Fighting fire with fire 2016 Department of Parks and Wildlife brochure

Teacher Notes: There are 17 short videos in the series and you may wish to pause and discuss ideas with the class between each video.

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Above: Northern jarrah forest prescribed burn. Photo © Parks and Wildlife

* PREVENTION AND PREPARATION

While bushfires are, to an extent, unavoidable, their pre-vention and mitigation can be achieved through careful pre-planning and land management.

The severity of a bushfire depends on a range of things including weather conditions, the topography of the area and the type and condition of fuel. There is little that peo-ple can do about the first two factors, but land managers can reduce fuel loads. And that’s where prescribed burning comes in. Prescribed, controlled and planned burns are the same thing.

Prescribed burning is the process of planning and applying fire to a predetermined area, under specific environmental conditions, to achieve a desired outcome. It is done to:

• mitigate the severity of bushfires and to help protect lives and property by reducing the build-up of flamma-ble fuel loads,

• maintain biodiversity,• rehabilitate vegetation after disturbance, such as tim-

ber harvesting and mining,• undertake research on fire and its interaction with our

environment.

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Watch the series of videos on prescribed burning https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/management/fire/prescribed-burning/249-prescribed-burning-videos and answer the following questions

1. Compare and contrast prescribe burns with bushfire in terms of fire intensity, the impacts on plants and animals, patchiness, and protection of people and infrastructure.

2. Create a flow chart showing the steps involved in plan-ning and carrying out a prescribed burn include; what time of year the burning is done and who is involved.

3. Explain how prescribed burning can help reduce the impact that bushfire has on the environment and the community.

4. Have a class debate around the statement “Prescribed burning is safe, effective and benefits the environ-ment”. Take on the roles of a Parks and Wildlife scientist, house owner in a bushland area, asthmatic, professional fire fighter, volunteer fire fighter, local gov-ernment, emergency services worker, and park ranger.

While the challenges of bushfires are primarily managed at a government level by organisations like the West Australian Parks and Wildlife Service featured in Bushfire Wars, there’s an opportunity for everyone to play their part in reducing the risk of devastating bushfires, whether by protecting their property or by advocating for change.

Source: https://www.pws.dbca.wa.gov.au/management/fire/prescribed-burning Fighting fire with fire 2016 Department of Parks and Wildlife brochure

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Activity: You Can Prevent Bushfires

Do you live in a bushfire prone area? Even if you don’t your house can still be impacted by a bushfire. In Bushfire Wars the narrator comments “embers can be carried up to 10km

or more away from the fire”. Long range spotting can hap-pen up to 30km away depending on weather conditions and fire intensity.

Source https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/how-fire-behaves

The NSW Rural Fire Service includes a list of maintenance tips for preparing residential properties, particularly in rural areas, for the threat of incoming bushfires. These tips – available at <https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare/prepare-your-property/> – include:

• Clean your gutters of leaves and twigs.• Fit seals around doors and windows to eliminate gaps.• Keep lawns short and gardens well maintained.• Cut back trees and shrubs overhanging buildings.

Using online presentation software Canva and the info-graphics templates available at <https://www.canva.com/learn/20-great-infographics-and-how-to-get-the-look/>, produce an infographic for Australian homeowners pre-senting key recommendations from the NSW Rural Fire Service page in an engaging and accessible way.

With your parents’ permission, take photos of your home and backyard identifying areas that would present a

danger with an oncoming bushfire. Create a slide show with annotated images from these photos in PowerPoint – you might even volunteer to help your parents fixing any of these issues!

Find out who you would contact in your local area about creating your own bushfire ready plan. Discuss with your family what you would do if a bushfire happened in your area. Draw up a plan for your family to follow.

EXTENSION: While studying a climate change unit in Science or Geography, explore bushfire’s relationship with climate change – both the increased risks associated with increasing temperatures, and bushfire’s contribution to carbon emissions.

Collect data on the frequency and intensity of bushfires over the last decade along with changing temperatures to try and identify if there is evidence to suggest that a correlation ex-ists between the threat of bushfires and climate change.

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Activity: Plan of Attack

SETTING THE SCENE

It’s a hot and windy summers day in February with tem-peratures predicted to reach 45°C. Strong south easterly winds are blowing, and emergency services have given a total fire ban with an extreme fire rating.

A farmer reports a fire at 9am on his property and alerts emergency services that it’s rapidly burning towards a pine plantation. Pine plantation surrounds the farmers property and a townsite is located 4 km away.

USE THE MAP OVERLEAF TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. How might the weather conditions impact on the size and intensity if a bushfire results from the reported fire?

2. A strong south easterly wind is causing the fire to travel at 1.5km / hour. How long will it take to burn through the pine plantation into the forest on the other side?

3. What will happen to the fire in terms of flame height and intensity as the fire burns through the dense forest with 6-year-old fuel?

The fire continues to burn out of control in a south easterly direction and hits the hill with tall eucalypt forest and 20-year-old fuel.

4. At what time will the fire reach the hill?5. What will happen to the fire in terms of flame height

and intensity as the fire burns through the dense forest with 20-year-old fuel?

6. If for every 10° of slope the fire doubles its speed,

using the cross section of the hill below what is the top speed the fire will reach?

The eucalypt trees on top of the hill have crown fires. The firefighters battle to get the bushfire under control and they are worried that burning debris from the crown fires and the strong winds will create spot fires. It is too dangerous for them to access the top of the hill.

7. At this point in time does the fire pose a threat to the townsite?

8. What vehicle type needs to be called in to help get the fire under control? Explain your choice.

At 2pm the wind unexpectedly changes direction to a north westerly and ambers are seen in the air up to 5km away.

9. Does the fire now pose a risk to the townsite?10. The fire is now burning in dense forest with 1 – 3-year-

old fuel. Describe what happens to the fire in terms of flame height and intensity. What does this mean for the firefighters and their ability to get the fire under control?

At 2.30pm another fire is reported in forest near the townsite.

11. Which fire poses the greatest risk to the townsite and why?

Overnight rain fell and helped the firefighters get both bushfires contained and under control.

12. If the winds had been coming from a westerly direction when the initial fire started, would the fire have posed a threat to the townsite? Would it have burned through dense forest?

13. What land management tools were used to help reduce the impact that a bushfire might have had on the townsite?

14. How could you measure the impacts this bushfire had on the plants and animals living in the area?

15. What problem does one road in and out of the townsite pose in a bushfire emergency? Should everyone in the town have a bushfire plan and prepare their homes and businesses before bushfire season? Explain your answer.

Based on your answers to these questions, suggest a plan of attack to effectively fight this bushfire.

a. What limitations and risks are associated with your plan?

b. What more information would you need to refine your plan?

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N

0 KM0.5 1.0Forest 1-3yr old fuel

Moist forest

Forest with 20yr old fuel

Dense forest 10-20yr old fuel

Pine plantation

Igition point

Spotfire

Townsite

Hill

Farm land - grass paddocks with some bare soil, sheep

Dense forest with 6yr old fuel

Fire break

Wetland

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This study guide was developed by ATOM and based on original sourced material provided by Western Australia’s Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions and the documentary series ‘Bushfire Wars’, produced by Sea Dog TV International.

(© 2018) ISBN: 978-1-76061-237-5

editor@atom.org.au

To download other study guides, plus thousands of articles on Film as Text,

Screen Literacy, Multiliteracy and Media Studies,

visit <https://theeducationshop.com.au>.

Join ATOM’s email broadcast list for invitations to free screenings, conferences, seminars, etc.

Sign up now at <http://www.metromagazine.com.au/email_list/>.

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