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Characteristics & Features of a Bushfire
A bushfire is a wildfire that burns out of control dispersing across vegetated regions of bushland. Most bushfires happen in times when temperatures are high. In addition, conditions must be dry. Bushfires are raging fires which occur in bush areas. Areas with a lot of bushes are the most open to a bushfire. Bushfires often begin when dry winds blow inland from central Australia. While the winds bring dry weather, they also give ventilation for the fire. Eucalyptus are a main cause to a fire because their leaves contain highly-flammable oil. Dry leaves and bark are also flammable. Major Occurrences
The major occurrences which decide whether a bushfire will happen include:
Timeline of Amount of Bushfires that have occurred in AustraliaGeneral Impacts of a Bushfire Fires terrorize the Australian bushland and may even move slowly into urban areas, damaging the environment, stunting the economy and creating social suffering. The effect on an environment depends on the strength of the bushfire. Severe bushfires may destroy all the vegetation in a certain area, while more average fires will cause less damage to the natural atmosphere, but the most noticeable results of bushfires are the loss of animals and plants and homing to many people nearby the Bushfires. Monitoring and Measuring the Severity of Bushfires
The Bureau of Meteorology issues Fire Weather Warnings when the Fire Danger Index (FDI) is expected to reach or exceed a value of 50 (38 in Tasmania) either today or the next day. Warnings are broadcast on radio and television. In most States and Territories, fire authorities declare a Total Fire Ban based on a range of criteria including the Forecast Fire Danger Index from the Bureau. The main measure of a bushfire is its rate of spread, that is, the speed with which the fire moves through an area. Another measure of a bushfire is its intensity which is an estimate of the amount of energy given from the fuel by the fire as it burns. |