This project is part of the Black Summer research program funded by the Commonwealth Government through the 10-year extension of funding into natural hazard research in Australia.
This research project investigated how future research into aerial firefighting could be conducted. The immediate need is to evaluate the data available and determine if it can be reliably supplemented with intelligence from fire management personnel. This project is a starting point for the response to the NSW Bushfire Inquiry - Recommendation 3 including “evaluation of the cost and effectiveness of risk mitigation efforts, including hazard reduction, and fire suppression activities so we have a better understanding of what works” and the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements - Recommendation 8.2 Research and evaluation into aerial firefighting - Australian, state and territory governments should support ongoing research and evaluation into aerial firefighting.
By reviewing aerial asset data supplemented with interview information from incident management team members, this project developed a methodology for validating aerial tracking data, identified the confidence of improved aerial tracking data, and presents preliminary findings for the effectiveness of a suppression tactic for a case study fire.
