Bushfires

 

Bushfires can occur over many different parts of our continent, at various times of the year. However because of population distribution, it is south-eastern Australia that has experienced most of our highly destructive fires. Periodic droughts can rapidly dry out the large areas of highly flammable eucalypt forests that predominate across the area, producing heavy covers of tinder-dry vegetation.

 

 

Local weather patterns have a significant effect on bushfires in particular during summer months when passing cold fronts are often preceded by hot and dry northerly winds that scour the area, producing high temperatures, low humidity and strong wind gusts, which combined, produce the perfect recipe for bushfires. These fronts often generate sudden wind changes as they pass which can cause hot northerlies to suddenly change to strong west to southwest winds, resulting in unpredictable changes in fire behavior.

 

 

There are several ways of producing ignition. Thunderstorms associated with the passing cold fronts can generate lightning strikes that set fire to the vegetation. Due to the concentrations of people in the some regions, human induced fires are sometimes lit by machinery, clashing power lines and even arson.