The Science Behind the Australian Bushfire Catastrophe

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you are no doubt keenly aware of Australia’s shocking bushfire emergency.  But scientists are conflicted about the underlying cause.  Some insist that warming temperatures are the reason, but others aren’t so sure.  So, the burning question (pun intended) is, why?

Drivers of the Bushfire Emergency

One thing that cannot be debated is that the bushfire emergency has been exasperated by the extreme heat and dryness Australia experienced during the summer of 2019.  Simply put, it has been unprecedented. 

2019 was the hottest year the country has ever experienced, and rainfall was 40% lower than historical averages.  There was also a shift in wind patterns which “caused westerly winds to track further north, blowing hot air across the continent into fire-prone areas, further fanning flames.” This triple whammy has clearly had a negative impact.

In a nutshell, despite some contradictory opinions, it seems clear that climate change is probably the best explanation for the disaster.  Unfortunately, according to scientists, the probability of this type of bushfire event is likely to increase in the future. 

And this expectation is not new, as it has been predicted for the past few years.  I feel like the growing propensity for bushfires in Australia and elsewhere does not portend well for the future here in the U.S.  I mean, is it reasonable to assume that something like this is limited to other countries?  I think not. The California forest fires are a prime example.

In terms of utility emergency preparedness, there is not much that can be done to address this risk.  It seems like the world is increasingly burning, as evidenced not only by the Australian bushfire emergency, but also by the aforementioned California wildfire problem, the recent wildfires plaguing the African Amazon, and similar events. 

I guess the main thing that we as emergency preparedness professionals can do is to increase the emphasis on this type of event in emergency plans, and perhaps recommend undergrounding, expanded vegetation management, and other hardening techniques.  Beyond these things, all we can do is prepare for the worst.