Complex topography can have significant effects on the development of bushfires. Many of these effects are associated with steep slopes that occur near ridgelines. Ridgelines are also of ecological importance and are connected to Indigenous cultural Songlines. The 2020 Bushfire Inquiry recommended investigation of the potential for strategic targeting of landscapes in the vicinity of ridgelines for hazard reduction burning and other bushfire risk management opportunities (e.g., escalation/ignition management zones).
This project will address these recommendations by evaluating the effectiveness of prescribed burning around ridgelines prone to dry lightning and dynamic fire behaviours, exploring cultural land management and connection with Songlines associated with ridgelines, and investigating potential ecological effects and implications of fire-environment interactions

(Image: Unsplash/Matt Palmer)