The differences between Hazard and Disaster
Natural hazards differ largely from natural disasters, and the differences are extremely outlined - these differences are listed below.
- A natural disaster is the impact or a specific event where a natural hazard has sprung up. In this case, bushfires, examples may include the Black Saturday bushfires or any bushfire which has actually occurred.
- Natural hazards are a potential geographical occurrence of a natural disaster, which hasn't occurred yet - when it does, it becomes a disaster. Examples of natural hazards are bushfires, floods or tornadoes.
Where and when?
Bush fires are especially common in Australia, where the dry weather and intense heat during summers provide an environment capable of spurting bushfires in most places. However, some areas are especially prone to huge bushfires - they are rife in south eastern Australia, most of Victoria, the ACT, and huge chunks of NSW, where all of the most recent bushfires have occurred.
However, they are not the only places to be at risk of bushfires. While these places already listed are at a large risk of bushfires occurring, a swathe of land following the coastline of Queensland, and down to NSW and finally continuing inland are at a moderate risk of bushfires.
Another area at a large risk of bushfires is the south western region of Australia, including Perth. However, no major bushfires have occurred in these areas, suggesting either a good action plan against bushfires, continuing back burning of vegetation or controlling any bushfires that have occurred. Strangely, the areas in the Outback of Australia - which are extremely hot and dry - are not susceptible to bushfires, perhaps due to the lack of vegetation in desert regions.
While bushfires are extremely common in Australia, especially compared to other regions of the world, they are not prevalent throughout the entirety of Australia, and are only found in large numbers around the south eastern coast and central-south regions of Australia.
How do they occur?
Bush fires require several things to be present for a large bushfire. These factors are listed below:
1. Fuel must be present. This is commonly found due to eucalyptus trees and other trees shedding their bark, rotting vegetation and shed leaves provide very good fuel for a fire. Eucalyptus leaves are especially prone to fire due to an extremely flammable oil which is found in their leaves, increasing the heat of the fire.
AND...
2. Ignition must occur. Leaves and bark must be present, but it does nothing without a starting spark. Usually, natural ignition is caused by lightning strikes which can start up a blaze - and these account for around 26% of bushfires. However, man made fires are almost as common at 25% for starting bushfires, and these may include unextinguished cigarette butts thrown into the bush, campfires which are still smouldering and also arsonists (people who light fires for fun).
Back burning, and other general information
Bush fires as a natural hazard is extremely common and prevalent throughout Australia - Over a decade of research, every year, Australia is struck by 50 000 bush fires every single year, and a lot of them turn out to be dangerous and out of control, while a couple are deliberately lit as away of controlling vegetation - this is known as back burning.
Back burning reduces the amount of vegetation and dry matter which can easily be set alight in a safe and controlled manner, reducing the risks of bush fires later in the future. However, even with all the precautions which Australia puts in place to stop bush fires, they still occur very commonly - obscure areas of bush, random lightning strikes and arsons all contribute to this.
In Conclusion...
Bush fires are a very large and real threat in Australia, able to spring up anywhere and spread very quickly across Australia. As a natural hazard, they dominate our thinking, where we live, what we do, our responses to it - and as a disaster, bush fires completely decimate through our lives, destroying houses and shelter, and providing a grim future for people affected by it. Black Saturday, Ash Wednesday - they all find a place in the history of Australia, and serve as a reminder to the next generation of the dangers of bush fires.
Natural hazards differ largely from natural disasters, and the differences are extremely outlined - these differences are listed below.
- A natural disaster is the impact or a specific event where a natural hazard has sprung up. In this case, bushfires, examples may include the Black Saturday bushfires or any bushfire which has actually occurred.
- Natural hazards are a potential geographical occurrence of a natural disaster, which hasn't occurred yet - when it does, it becomes a disaster. Examples of natural hazards are bushfires, floods or tornadoes.
Where and when?
Bush fires are especially common in Australia, where the dry weather and intense heat during summers provide an environment capable of spurting bushfires in most places. However, some areas are especially prone to huge bushfires - they are rife in south eastern Australia, most of Victoria, the ACT, and huge chunks of NSW, where all of the most recent bushfires have occurred.
However, they are not the only places to be at risk of bushfires. While these places already listed are at a large risk of bushfires occurring, a swathe of land following the coastline of Queensland, and down to NSW and finally continuing inland are at a moderate risk of bushfires.
Another area at a large risk of bushfires is the south western region of Australia, including Perth. However, no major bushfires have occurred in these areas, suggesting either a good action plan against bushfires, continuing back burning of vegetation or controlling any bushfires that have occurred. Strangely, the areas in the Outback of Australia - which are extremely hot and dry - are not susceptible to bushfires, perhaps due to the lack of vegetation in desert regions.
While bushfires are extremely common in Australia, especially compared to other regions of the world, they are not prevalent throughout the entirety of Australia, and are only found in large numbers around the south eastern coast and central-south regions of Australia.
How do they occur?
Bush fires require several things to be present for a large bushfire. These factors are listed below:
1. Fuel must be present. This is commonly found due to eucalyptus trees and other trees shedding their bark, rotting vegetation and shed leaves provide very good fuel for a fire. Eucalyptus leaves are especially prone to fire due to an extremely flammable oil which is found in their leaves, increasing the heat of the fire.
AND...
2. Ignition must occur. Leaves and bark must be present, but it does nothing without a starting spark. Usually, natural ignition is caused by lightning strikes which can start up a blaze - and these account for around 26% of bushfires. However, man made fires are almost as common at 25% for starting bushfires, and these may include unextinguished cigarette butts thrown into the bush, campfires which are still smouldering and also arsonists (people who light fires for fun).
Back burning, and other general information
Bush fires as a natural hazard is extremely common and prevalent throughout Australia - Over a decade of research, every year, Australia is struck by 50 000 bush fires every single year, and a lot of them turn out to be dangerous and out of control, while a couple are deliberately lit as away of controlling vegetation - this is known as back burning.
Back burning reduces the amount of vegetation and dry matter which can easily be set alight in a safe and controlled manner, reducing the risks of bush fires later in the future. However, even with all the precautions which Australia puts in place to stop bush fires, they still occur very commonly - obscure areas of bush, random lightning strikes and arsons all contribute to this.
In Conclusion...
Bush fires are a very large and real threat in Australia, able to spring up anywhere and spread very quickly across Australia. As a natural hazard, they dominate our thinking, where we live, what we do, our responses to it - and as a disaster, bush fires completely decimate through our lives, destroying houses and shelter, and providing a grim future for people affected by it. Black Saturday, Ash Wednesday - they all find a place in the history of Australia, and serve as a reminder to the next generation of the dangers of bush fires.