@article {bnh-6850, title = {Adaptive prescribed burning in Australia for the early 21st Century {\textendash} context, status, challenges}, journal = {International Journal of Wildland Fire}, volume = {29}, year = {2020}, month = {04/2020}, pages = {305-313}, abstract = {

Despite evident advances in knowledge and understanding concerning the application of prescribed burning for delivering benefits in wildfire control and a variety of sociocultural, economic and environmental outcomes, the practical application of prescribed burning in Australia is increasingly administratively and logistically complex, often controversial and climatically challenging. This series of papers does not address the merits or otherwise of prescribed burning {\textendash} we accept the lessons from antiquity and recent history that the use of prescribed fire in contemporary Australia is essential for reducing, although not always being able to deliver on, wildfire risks and meeting a variety of societal and environmental needs. This special issue focuses on several fundamental adaptive management and monitoring questions: are we setting appropriate management targets? Can these targets and associated indicators be readily measured? Can we realistically deliver on those targets? And if so, what are the costs and/or trade-offs involved? The 10 solicited papers included here provide a sample illustration of the diversity of approaches currently being undertaken in different Australian regions to address complex adaptive management and monitoring challenges.

}, keywords = {adaptive management, adaptive monitoring, fire management, fire regimes}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1071/WF20027}, url = {https://www.publish.csiro.au/WF/WF20027}, author = {Jeremy Russell-Smith and Lachlan W. McCaw and Adam J. Leavesley} } @conference {bnh-3904, title = {Lessons learned from a multidisciplinary investigation into the Waroona fire}, booktitle = {AFAC17}, year = {2017}, month = {09/2017}, publisher = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, organization = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Sydney}, abstract = {

The Waroona fire burnt over 68,000 ha and destroyed more than 160 homes in southwest Western Australia in January 2016.\ \  This conference paper is an abbreviated and less technical version of a longer case study that has been submitted to the Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science (Peace et al., 2017). More detail and supporting analysis is contained in the JSHESS version and interested readers are directed there.

Our investigation revealed processes that contributed to four episodes of extreme fire behaviour and the findings are highly relevant to other fires where extreme fire behaviour may develop. This study draws on two reports that highlight the difference between observed FDI{\textquoteright}s and fire activity at Waroona (Bureau of Meteorology, 2016 and McCaw et al., 2016).

There were two pyroCb events; both were associated with anomalously fast fire spread in the prevailing winds; one ignited new fires downwind and the other was against normal diurnal timing. Two evening ember storms occurred; the first impacted the town of Waroona and on the second evening, there were two fatalities when the fire made an unexpected run and produced a destructive ember storm over the town of Yarloop.

}, author = {Mika Peace and Jeffrey Kepert and Lachlan W. McCaw and Burrows, N.D. and Bradley Santos and Robert Fawcett} } @article {bnh-5070, title = {Meteorological drivers of extreme fire behaviour during the Waroona bushfire, Western Australia, January 2016}, journal = {Journal of Southern Hemisphere Earth Systems Science}, volume = {67}, year = {2017}, month = {11/2017}, pages = {79-106}, chapter = {79}, abstract = {

The Waroona bushfire burnt 69,000 ha south of Perth in January 2016. During the first two days of the fire, there were two pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) events and two destructive evening fire runs. Over 160 homes were destroyed and there were two fatalities. This case study examines in detail the links between the meteorological observations and the fire behaviour reconstruction.

The first pyroCb developed on Wednesday 6 January 2016, when the fire made an unexpectedly fast run in light prevailing winds. The pyroCb produced lightning strikes that ignited a new fire downwind of the main head fire. A second pyroCb developed on Thursday morning, against normal diurnal thunderstorm trends. Similar to the previous evening, the fire spread faster than expected, given the near-surface meteorological conditions.

On both evenings there were destructive ember storms over the towns of Waroona (Wednesday) and Yarloop (Thursday). Examination of the meteorological observations has linked these ember showers to the onset of downslope winds, locally known as {\textquoteright}scarp winds{\textquoteright}. As downslope winds are associated with strong localised turbulence, they provide a mechanism for transport of large numbers of firebrands.

The periods of extreme fire behaviour at Waroona were against normal diurnal expectations and did not coincide with the highest observed Fire Danger Index (FDI) values, which occurred at around 1600 LT. This study links both pyroCb events to accelerated fire spread, which presents a hazard to firefighters that is not accounted for in traditional, surface based methods of fire prediction. Downslope winds similar to those that impacted the Waroona fire occur at many locations. They provide a highly localised mechanism for destructive evening ember showers.

This investigation into the Waroona fire describes the potential impacts of fireatmosphere feedback processes. Consequently, it highlights the need for predictive methods and tools that anticipate fire behaviour which is not steady-state. Planned simulations using a coupled fire-atmosphere model will allow further insights into features of this case study.

}, doi = {10.22499/3.6702.002}, url = {http://www.bom.gov.au/jshess/docs/2017/Peace.pdf}, author = {Mika Peace and Lachlan W. McCaw and Bradley Santos and Jeffrey Kepert and Burrows, N.D. and Robert Fawcett} } @article {bnh-2675, title = {Coupled fire-atmosphere simulations of the Rocky River fire using WRF-SFIRE}, journal = {Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology}, volume = {55}, year = {2016}, month = {04/2016}, abstract = {

The coupled atmosphere-fire behaviour model WRF-SFIRE has been used to simulate a fire where extreme fire behaviour was observed. Tall flames and a dense convective smoke column were features of the fire as it burnt rapidly up the Rocky River gully on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. WRF-SFIRE simulations of the event show a number of interesting dynamical processes resulting from fire-atmosphere feedback including that: fire spread was sensitive to small changes in mean wind direction; fire perimeter was affected by wind convergence resulting from interactions between the fire, atmosphere and local topography; and the fire plume mixed high momentum air from above a strong subsidence inversion. At one-minute intervals, output from the simulations showed fire spread exhibiting fast and slow pulses. These pulses occurred coincident with the passage of mesoscale convective (Rayleigh-B{\`e}nard) cells in the planetary boundary layer. Simulations show that feedback between the fire and atmosphere may have contributed to the observed extreme fire behaviour. The findings raise questions as to the appropriate information to include in meteorological forecasts for fires as well as future use of coupled and uncoupled fire simulation models in both operational and research settings.

}, url = {http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/10.1175/JAMC-D-15-0157.1}, author = {Mika Peace and Trent Mattner and Graham A. Mills and Jeffrey Kepert and Lachlan W. McCaw} } @article {BF-3146, title = {Changes in behaviour of fire in dry eucalypt forest as fuel increases with age}, journal = {Forest Ecology and Management}, volume = {271}, year = {2012}, month = {5/2012}, pages = {170 - 181}, abstract = {This paper describes the conduct and results of a series of high-intensity experimental fires in dry eucalypt forest under summer conditions of high fire danger. Simultaneous experimental fires were conducted at two locations with contrasting understorey and fuel structures that had developed over periods of 2{\textendash}22 years after prescribed burning. Fuel characteristics (load, height, and visual scores that gave a numerical rating of structure) and wind speed were correlated with fire spread, flame height, firebrand density and spotting distance, all of which increased with time since the last fire. The near-surface layer was the dominant stratum affecting headfire rate of spread during these experiments and provided a common descriptor for fuel types that were visually very different because of the characteristics of the understorey shrubs. Visual hazard scores that reflected the quantity and arrangement of surface and near-surface fuel were more strongly correlated with most fire behaviour variables than were the corresponding fuel load variables. Visual ratings of fuel structure should be suitable to include in algorithms to predict fire behaviour and fire threat.}, issn = {03781127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2012.02.003}, author = {Lachlan W. McCaw and J.S. Gould and Phillip Cheney, N. and Ellis, Peter and Wendy R. Anderson} } @article {BF-3467, title = {Fire behaviour modelling in semi-arid mallee-heath shrublands of southern Australia}, journal = {Environmental Modelling \& Software}, year = {2012}, month = {8/2012}, abstract = {Knowledge of fire behaviour potential is necessary for proactive management of fire prone shrublands. Data from two experimental burning programs in mallee-heath shrublands in semi-arid southern Australia were used to develop models for the sustainability of fire spread, fire type, i.e., surface or crown fire, forward spread rate and flame height. The dataset comprised 61 fires burned under a wide range of weather conditions. Rates of fire spread and fireline intensity varied between 4 and 55 m min-1 and 735 and 17,200 kW m-1 respectively. Likelihood of sustained fire spread and active crown fire propagation were modelled using logistic regression analysis. Fire spread sustainability was primarily a function of litter fuel moisture content with wind speed having a secondary but still significant effect. The continuity of fine fuels close to ground level was also significant. Onset of active crowning was mostly determined by wind speed. Rate of fire spread was modelled separately for surface and crown fires through nonlinear regression analysis with wind speed, litter fuel moisture content and overstorey canopy cover as significant variables. Flame height was modelled as a function of fireline intensity. A model system to predict the full range of fire behaviour in mallee-heath shrubland is proposed relying on a combined method that links the surface and crown fire rate of spread models. This model system was evaluated against independent data from large scale prescribed burns and wildfires with encouraging results. The best models for fire-spread sustainability and active crown fire propagation predicted correctly 75\% and 79\% respectively of the fires in the evaluation dataset. Rate of spread models produced mean absolute percent errors between 53\% and 58\% with only small bias. The models have applicability in planning and conducting prescribed fire operations but can also be extended to produce first order predictions of wildfire behaviour.}, issn = {13648152}, doi = {10.1016/j.envsoft.2012.07.003}, author = {Cruz, Miguel G. and Lachlan W. McCaw and Wendy R. Anderson and J.S. Gould} } @article {BF-4283, title = {Meteorological dynamics in a fire environment; a case study of the Layman prescribed burn in Western Australia}, journal = {Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Journal}, volume = {62}, year = {2012}, month = {09/2012}, pages = {127-142}, chapter = {127}, abstract = {From time to time, bushfires exhibit fire behaviour that was never anticipated in the prevailing environmental conditions. The Layman fuel-reduction burn, in scenic southwest Western Australia, was one such fire. The burn was ignited in mid-October 2010 in benign weather conditions. Late morning on the day following ignition, fire activity escalated rapidly; a convection column developed with a deep vertical circulation that extended from the surface to a height of 4 km. The ensuing intense fire with tall flames caused extensive crown scorch and defoliation, and resulted in concerns about the safety of rural communities adjoining the planned burn. The observations and meteorological model data indicate that the intense fire activity was driven by a combination of meteorological processes not routinely assessed in fire environments. Low-level sea breeze convergence in the wind field, combined with potential instability in the presence of FireCAPE, entrainment of dry air from aloft desiccating already climatologically dry fuels and vertical circulation on a frontal change were all present. The dramatic development of the Layman burn shows how meteorological processes not currently embedded in fire science may produce an environment conducive to intense fire activity. The ways in which fire managers might incorporate innovative meteorological products identified in this paper in order to mitigate against such events in the future are discussed.}, url = {http://www.bom.gov.au/amoj/docs/2012/peace.pdf}, author = {Mika Peace and Lachlan W. McCaw and Graham A. Mills} } @article {BF-3262, title = {Predicting fire behaviour in dry eucalypt forest in southern Australia}, journal = {Forest Ecology and Management}, volume = {280}, year = {2012}, month = {9/2012}, pages = {120 - 131}, abstract = {This paper describes the development of two empirical models to predict the potential spread of an established line of fire in dry eucalypt forest with a shrubby understorey. These models use inputs of fine fuel moisture, wind speed, near-surface fuel height, and either a numerical fuel hazard score or a descriptive fuel rating for the surface and near-surface fuel. A model to predict flame height from rate of spread and elevated fuel height is also presented as a guide to suppression difficulty. Models were developed using data from a series of simultaneous experimental fires in fuels of different fuel ages ranging from 2 to 22 years since last fire. They were tested against data from independent experimental fires and well documented wildfires that were assigned reliability ratings for fuel, weather and spread rate. Models performed reliably when the reliability of wildfire data ratings for fuel and weather were also high. Models predict the potential rate of spread and are likely to over-predict the spread of fires starting from a point ignition during the early stages of development when the headfire is less than 120 m wide. Existing guides should be used for prescribed burning operations based on point ignition, and the models described here can be used to predict rate of spread from line ignition. Predictions from the new models will be more reliable when rate of spread is averaged over an interval of 30 min or longer. The reliability will be low when compared to observations made over short time intervals, at specific points in the topography, or when very large fires interact to produce wind speeds that are very different to the ambient wind in the open.}, issn = {03781127}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2012.06.012}, author = {Cheney, NP and J.S. Gould and Lachlan W. McCaw and Wendy R. Anderson} } @article {BF-3087, title = {The Effect of Fireline Intensity on Woody Fuel Consumption in Southern Australian Eucalypt Forest Fires}, journal = {Australian Forestry}, volume = {74}, year = {2011}, pages = {81-96}, abstract = {The relationship between woody fuel consumption and fireline intensity was assessed using data collected at controlled fires and wildfires in south-western Western Australia, central Victoria and south-eastern New South Wales. The combined dataset consisted of fires in a range of dry eucalypt forests. Fire behaviour varied from slow, self-extinguishing prescribed burns to intense, fast-moving fires burning under conditions of extreme fire danger. Fireline intensity ranged from 50 kW m-1 to > 31 000 kW m-1. Woody fuel consumption ranged from 31\% to 100\%, and generally increased with fire intensity. Percentage consumption was highest for small woody fuels where the diameter was between 0.6 cm and 2.5 cm. Fireline intensity had a statistically significant, positive relationship with the proportion of woody fuel consumed by both controlled fires and wildfires. Two generalised linear models (GLM) describing woody fuel consumption as a function of fireline intensity were developed, one applicable to the prescribed fire environment (with fireline intensities typically < 750 kW m-1) and the other to the full range of fireline intensities. The prescribed burning model produced the best fit and lowest error statistics. The findings of this research have important practical implications for the management of fire to reduce fuel loads, maintain habitat and manage carbon stocks in fire-prone eucalypt forests. The woody fuel consumption models presented may assist the assessment of potential climate change impacts on coarse woody debris in Australian southern eucalypt forests. The results of this research suggest that predicted changes to fire regimes and fire intensity associated with climate change in southern Australia could result in greater woody fuel consumption and carbon release during bushfires and a reduction in woody fuel loads in dry eucalypt forests. Use of low-intensity prescribed fires may provide a practical way of managing woody fuel stocks to achieve particular land management objectives.}, url = {http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=365294696940897;res=IELHSS}, author = {Jennifer J Hollis and Wendy R. Anderson and Lachlan W. McCaw and Cruz, Miguel G. and Burrows, N.D. and Ward, B. and Tolhurst, K.G. and J.S. Gould} } @article {BF-2495, title = {Variation in fire interval sequences has minimal effects on species richness and composition in fire-prone landscapes of south-west Western Australia}, journal = {Forest Ecology and Management}, volume = {261}, year = {2011}, month = {01/2011}, pages = {965-978}, abstract = {Prescribed burning is used in many fire-prone ecosystems for wildfire mitigation and conservation of biodiversity. However, there is limited information about how biota responds to long-term fire management, especially at a whole-of-community level. We studied community responses to different fire interval sequences resulting from planned and unplanned fires in Mediterranean-climate ecosystems in the Warren bioregion of south-west Western Australia (SWA) to determine the resilience of the biota to contrasting fire regimes. Fire history data were used to identify contrasting fire interval sequences in forest and shrubland communities for the period 1972{\textendash}2004. We surveyed vascular plants, ants, beetles, vertebrates and macrofungi at 30 sites to investigate community-level responses to consecutive short (SS: <=5 years), consecutive long (LL: >=10 years), one very long (VL: 30 years), or mixed/moderate (M: 6{\textendash}9 years) fire interval(s). All sites had a common time-since-fire of not, vert, similar4 years at the commencement of sampling which was conducted over two years. Species richness and composition differed between forest and shrubland communities, but the influence of fire interval sequences on taxonomic groups was minimal and difficult to detect. There was weak evidence of compositional differences between SS and LL/VL regimes for plants, ants, beetles and macrofungi but no difference between these regimes and the intermediate disturbance M-regime. These results demonstrate the resilience of the biota in open forests and shrublands of SWA to contrasting fire interval sequences over the past 30 years. We conclude that occasional short (3{\textendash}5 years) intervals between fires are unlikely to have a persistent effect on community composition, though maintaining a regime of short or long intervals may alter species composition and/or abundance. We suggest that variability in fire intervals is important for long-term conservation of the biota. For the Warren Region, prescribed burning at an intermediate level of disturbance and incorporating variability in interval length is recommended to achieve the dual objectives of wildfire mitigation and biodiversity conservation.}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2010.10.037}, author = {Wittkuhn, Roy and Lachlan W. McCaw and Wills, Allan J. and Robinson, Richard and Andersen, A. N. and Van Heurck, Paul and Farr, Janet and Liddelow, Graeme and Cranfield, Ray} } @article {BF-2411, title = {Dendroecological potential of Callitris preissii for dating historical fires in semi-arid shrublands of southern Western Australia}, journal = {Dendrochronologia}, volume = {28}, year = {2010}, month = {2010}, pages = {37 - 48}, abstract = {Historical fire regimes in the semi-arid shrublands of southern Western Australia are poorly understood, largely owing to a lack of quantitative historical data. We sought to determine the dendroecological potential of fire-sensitive Callitris preissii Miq. trees to date historical fires and extend the length of fire-history data available from remotely sensed imagery. We sampled C. preissii trees from known fire areas in the Lake Johnston region in southern Western Australia. Our objective was to assess the capacity to date historical fires using stand establishment date as a proxy measure of time since fire. We measured stem basal diameter and height and collected stem sections of C. preissii trees and saplings from five areas that were burnt on known dates between 1974 and 2001. We also sampled older trees (>35 years), which were used to create a master chronology to assist with dating of seedlings and saplings. Tree age could not be reliably estimated from stem basal diameter and tree height, with 95\% prediction intervals of more than 17 years. However, we were able to successfully determine tree age and develop a ring-width chronology using standard dendrochronological techniques. The cross-dated chronology showed a relatively high inter-series correlation in ring width (r=0.63) indicating consistency in growth rate among samples and sites, while mean sensitivity (0.39) signified high inter-annual variability in ring width. The age structure of C. preissii stands revealed consistent recruitment within 1 year of fire occurrence and maximum intra-stand variation in tree age of 4 years. Our results confirm that C. preissii has significant dendroecological potential to accurately date past fire events and that this approach will assist in extending fire-history records beyond recent decades for much of southern semi-arid Australia.}, doi = {10.1016/j.dendro.2009.01.002}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Donnell, Alison J. and Cullen, Louise E. and Lachlan W. McCaw and Matthias M. Boer and Grierson, Pauline} } @article {BF-2467, title = {Vegetation and landscape connectivity control wildfire intervals in unmanaged semi-arid shrublands and woodlands in Australia}, journal = {Journal of Biogeography}, volume = {38}, year = {2010}, month = {01/2011}, pages = {112 - 124}, abstract = {Aim The aim of this study was to determine how spatial variation in vegetation type and landscape connectivity influence fire intervals in a semi-arid landscape with low relief and complex mosaics of woodland and shrubland vegetation. Location Our study focused on a 15,500-km2 area of relatively undisturbed and unmanaged land in south-western Australia, referred to as the Lake Johnston region. Methods We modelled fire-interval data from a 67-year (1940{\textendash}2006) digital fire history database using a two-parameter Weibull function, and tested for the effects of vegetation type and landscape connectivity on estimates of the length of fire intervals (Weibull parameter b) and the dependence of fire intervals on fuel age (Weibull parameter c). Results Vegetation type and landscape connectivity significantly influenced fire interval probability distributions. Fire intervals in shrublands (dense low shrub assemblage) were typically shorter (b = 46 years) and more dependent on fuel age (c = 2.33) than most other vegetation types, while fire intervals in open eucalypt woodlands were much longer (b = 405 years) and were less dependent on fuel age (c = 1.36) than in shrub-dominated vegetation types. Areas adjacent to or surrounded by salt lakes burnt less frequently (b = 319 years) and fire intervals were less dependent on fuel age (c = 1.48) compared with more exposed areas (e.g. b < 101 years, c > 1.68). Fire intervals in thickets (dense tall shrub assemblage) were longer (b = 101 years) than would be expected from fuel loads, most likely because they were protected from fire by surrounding fuel-limited woodlands. Main conclusions Fire intervals in south-western Australia are strongly influenced by spatial variation in vegetation (fuel structure) and landscape connectivity. The importance of fuel structure as a control of fire intervals in south-western Australia contrasts with other landscapes, where topographical gradients or climatic influences may override the effects of underlying vegetation. We found that, regardless of low relief, topographical features such as large salt lake systems limited the connectivity and spread of fire among landscape units in an analogous manner to lakes or mountainous features elsewhere.}, issn = {03050270}, doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02381.x}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Donnell, Alison J. and Matthias M. Boer and Lachlan W. McCaw and Grierson, Pauline} } @article {BF-2396, title = {Long-term impacts of prescribed burning on regional extent and incidence of wildfires{\textemdash}Evidence from 50 years of active fire management in SW Australian forests}, journal = {Forest Ecology and Management}, volume = {259}, year = {2009}, month = {12/2009}, pages = {132 - 142}, abstract = {Prescribed burning is advocated for the sustainable management of fire-prone ecosystems for its capacity to reduce fuel loads and mitigate large high-intensity wildfires. However, there is a lack of comprehensive field evidence on which to base predictions of the benefits of prescribed burning for meeting either wildfire hazard reduction or conservation goals. Australian eucalypt forests are among the very few forest types in the world where prescribed burning has been practised long enough and at a large enough spatial scale to quantify its effect on the incidence and extent of unplanned fires. Nevertheless even for Australian forests evidence of the effectiveness of prescribed burning remains fragmented and largely unpublished in the scientific literature. We analysed a 52-year fire history from a eucalypt forest region in south-western Australia to quantify the impact of prescribed burning on the incidence, extent and size distribution of wildfires. Quantile regression identified the longevity of the influence of prescribed fire treatments on wildfire incidence and extent. Anomalies in the frequency-size distribution of unplanned fires were identified through a relative risk mapping using kernel density estimates. Changes in the spatial distribution of fuel age were quantified using patch metrics, while generalized additive models were applied to estimate effects of fuel age patterns on the incidence and extent of unplanned fire. Prescribed burning has pronouncedly changed the spatial distribution of fuel age in the study area and has significantly reduced the incidence and extent of unplanned fires. This effect on both the incidence and extent of unplanned fires was minimal for time lags greater than 6 years between fuel treatment and response. When averaged over 6-year periods, the annual extent of prescribed burning explained 24\% and 71\% of the variation in the mean annual number and extent of unplanned fires, respectively. The incidence of large unplanned fires was significantly less than the long-term average for the region when the annual extent of prescribed fire was at a maximum and significantly more when the annual extent of prescribed fire was at a minimum. Since the 1960s, the length of time sites remain unburned by wildfire has approximately doubled to not, vert, similar9 years. We found that each unit area reduction in unplanned fire required about four units of prescription fire. These findings concur with the observations of experienced field practitioners who identify the 6-year mark as effective at reducing wildfire hazard. Our findings provide strong empirical evidence of the effectiveness of prescribed burning for mitigating wildfire hazard in SW Australian forests. Ongoing research and development is needed to implement managed fire regimes that integrate wildfire mitigation with conservation of biodiversity and other environmental values.}, doi = {10.1016/j.foreco.2009.10.005}, author = {Matthias M. Boer and Sadler, Rohan J. and Wittkuhn, Roy and Lachlan W. McCaw and Grierson, Pauline} } @book {BF-2393, title = {Developments in Environmental SciencesWildland Fires and Air PollutionChapter 23 Managing Smoke from Wildfires and Prescribed Burning in Southern Australia}, volume = {8}, year = {2008}, pages = {535 - 550}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, abstract = {In Australia the responsibility for management of forests and other public lands rests largely with state governments, and multiple government agencies may be involved in fire management. Whether resulting from wildfire, fuel reduction, or silvicultural operations, biomass burning often stimulates community concerns about hazards from fine particulates and chemical compounds contained in smoke. Management practices and community perceptions of smoke from biomass burning differ from region to region according to social and environmental factors. Recognition of the need for a response to concerns has led to the development of a smoke management research program within the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre, in conjunction with fire and land management agencies and the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (the Bureau). This program aims to assist land management planning by predicting where smoke from scheduled burns would be transported, thus providing the opportunity to avoid burning in situations where there is potential for adverse community impact. The primary tool provided is a dispersion model forecast using input from the Bureau{\textquoteright}s operational mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Decision tools are applied in a similar manner for prescribed burning and wildfires and have been used by agencies to provide community advice and to avoid smoke hazards during aircraft operations. We investigated strategies used by land management agencies to minimize community impact of smoke from prescribed burns, and studied the way in which the dispersion model forecasts are integrated into their decision support systems. Included are details of HYbrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory{\textquoteright}s (HYSPLIT) configuration, several examples of its use in prescribed and wildfire events, and the research direction being pursued to improve both the quality of the dispersion forecasts and to enhance the use of these forecasts in agency planning.}, doi = {10.1016/S1474-8177\%2808\%2900023-5}, author = {Alan Wain and Graham A. Mills and Lachlan W. McCaw and Brown, T} } @article {BF-1002, title = {Existing fire behaviour models under-predict the rate of spread of summer fires in open jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest.}, journal = {Australian Forestry }, volume = {71}, number = {1}, year = {2008}, month = {3/22/2008}, pages = {16-26}, url = {http://www.forestry.org.au/pdf/pdf-members/afj/AFJ\%202008\%20v71/1/04McCaw.pdf}, author = {Lachlan W. McCaw and J.S. Gould and Cheney, NP} } @article {BF-1060, title = {Bushfire weather climatology of the Haines Index in south-western Australia}, journal = {Australian Meteorological Magazine }, volume = {56}, number = {2}, year = {2007}, month = {6/30/2007}, pages = {75-80}, author = {Lachlan W. McCaw and Marchetti, P and Elliott, Glenn and Reader, G} } @article {BF-1009, title = {Field Guide- Fuel assessment and fire behaviour prediction in dry euclaypt forest}, volume = {82}, year = {2007}, month = {11/01/2007}, institution = {Ensis- CSIRO \& Department of Enivironment and Conservation, WA}, author = {J.S. Gould and Lachlan W. McCaw and Cheney, NP and Ellis, Peter and Stuart Matthews} } @book {BF-1001, title = {Fire Behaviour in Dry Eucalypt Forest Fuels}, year = {2007}, month = {11/01/2007}, publisher = {Ensis- CSIRO \& Department of Enivironment and Conservation, WA}, organization = {Ensis- CSIRO \& Department of Enivironment and Conservation, WA}, author = {Lachlan W. McCaw and Cheney, NP and J.S. Gould} } @article {BF-1010, title = {Project Vesta- Fire in dry eucalypt Forest: Fuel structure, fuel dynamics and fire behaviour}, volume = {218}, year = {2007}, month = {11/01/2007}, institution = {Ensis- CSIRO \& Department of Enivironment and Conservation, WA}, url = {http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/22/pid/5993.htm}, author = {J.S. Gould and Lachlan W. McCaw and Cheney, NP and Ellis, Peter and Knight, IK and Sullivan, Andrew} } @proceedings {BF-2506, title = {Application of fire history records to contemporary management issues in south-west Australian forests}, year = {2005}, pages = {555-564}, publisher = {Millpress, Rotterdam}, address = {Augusta, Western Australia}, issn = {9789059660267 }, author = {Lachlan W. McCaw and Hamilton, T and rumley, C} } @article {BF-1062, title = {Fire behaviour in 6 year old Eucalyptus Globulus plantation during conditions of extreme fire danger - a case study from south - western Australia.}, year = {2005}, month = {2005}, url = {http://www.bushfirecrc.com/sites/default/files/managed/resource/bluegum-plantation-fire-23-march-2005.pdf}, author = {Lachlan W. McCaw and Bradley P Smith} }