Publication Date November 19, 2015 | Sydney Morning Herald

Australia's bush fire preparedness under threat as climate change kicks in

Australia
NSW Rural Fire Service crews struggle to contain an out of control bushfire around the Wentworth Falls escarpment in August. Photo: Wolter Peeters
NSW Rural Fire Service crews struggle to contain an out of control bushfire around the Wentworth Falls escarpment in August. Photo: Wolter Peeters

Australia risks being under-prepared for longer, drier and more severe bushfire seasons, a report from the Climate Council says. The national report found that record-breaking temperatures and hot winds will place unprecedented strain on firefighting resources, estimating that the number of professional firefighters across Australia will need to double by 2030. Australia's bushfire season got off to an early start, when more than 200 fires burned across Victoria in the first week of October, and this week, blazes sparked by lightning and burning have destroyed at least 300,000 hectares in the North Cascade, Western Australia, killing four people so far.