Tuesday, 8 May 2007

MEDIA RELEASE

Bureau to examine Top End fire risk

Northern Australian fire managers will have a more accurate assessment of the fire risks for the coming season after a meeting with climatologists and meteorologists in Darwin today (Tuesday 8 May). At the meeting, the fire weather specialists will assess the likelihood of fires across the region so that fire agency staff can allocate resources in line with the likely risks.

After the meeting, the participants expect to produce a map highlighting the region’s fire potential based on factors such as fuel conditions and likely weather, as well as the capacity to respond to fires.

This is the second such annual planning meeting, and follows the success of last year’s fire outlook, which Bureau of Meteorology fire weather researcher Graham Mills says accurately predicted those parts of Australia with an above-normal fire potential.

Dr Mills noted that the past Wet season’s cyclone season resulted in significantly above-normal rainfall and consequently significantly greater grass growth over the Kimberley, Top End, Gulf of Carpentaria and Cape York Peninsula regions in the north, as well as across the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions of Western Australia. “In particular, we’re seeing grass and vegetation growth in regions where vegetation is normally quite sparse, creating an above-average fire potential for these regions,” said Dr Mills.

The meeting is being held in conjunction with the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre's as part of its Fire and Weather and Fire Danger project.

Further information:
Graham Mills, Research Scientist, Bureau of Meteorology
mob: 0429 820 216

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