❓ A Western Australian parliamentary question on notice regarding wildfires, their causes (prescribed burns, lightning, arson, accidents), and the use of backburns. The answer provides data on the number of fires, area burnt, and associated costs.
AnsweredQoN 720Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(b) Wildfires resulting from escapes from CALM prescribed burns; (c) Wildfire caused by lightning, arson or accidents; (d) ‘Backburns’ conducted by CALM to control wildfires arising from (a) and (c) above?
(c) Wildfire caused by lightning, arson or accidents; (d) ‘Backburns’ conducted by CALM to control wildfires arising from (a) and (c) above?
(d) ‘Backburns’ conducted by CALM to control wildfires arising from (a) and (c) above?
(c) Wildfire caused by lightning, arson or accidents; (d) ‘Backburns’ conducted by CALM to control wildfires arising from (a) and (c) above?
(d) ‘Backburns’ conducted by CALM to control wildfires arising from (a) and (c) above?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
7 May 2003
Responded by
Minister for Housing and Works representing the Minister for the Environment and Heritage
Response time
1 days
(b) There were a total of six wildfires that resulted from an escape from a Departmental prescribed burn. This represents one percent of total wildfires (598) attended by Departmental fire crews. The area of wildfires from these escapes totalled 18,505 hectares. Two of these occurred in the Frankland District on 15 November 2002 when extremely hot, dry and windy conditions caused re-ignitions from unburnt pockets inside two prescribed burns that had been burnt out several days earlier. (c) Lands managed Other lands Total by the Department (hectares) (hectares) (hectares) Lightning (195 fires) 56,783 7,532 64,315 Arson (146 fires) 7,390 3,517 10,907 Accidents (56 fires) 181 721 902 (d) It is not possible to accurately separate the area burnt by “backburning” operations and the main wildfire. Backburning is normally undertaken when it is not appropriate to mount a direct attack on the main fire front. The factors that are taken into consideration include safety to firefighters, likelihood of success, environmental impacts of the suppression operation, nature of the terrain and soil types (eg. swamps, sand-dunes, etc), values at risk, and cost of operation. (2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
The area of wildfires from these escapes totalled 18,505 hectares. Two of these occurred in the Frankland District on 15 November 2002 when extremely hot, dry and windy conditions caused re-ignitions from unburnt pockets inside two prescribed burns that had been burnt out several days earlier. (c) Lands managed Other lands Total by the Department (hectares) (hectares) (hectares) Lightning (195 fires) 56,783 7,532 64,315 Arson (146 fires) 7,390 3,517 10,907 Accidents (56 fires) 181 721 902 (d) It is not possible to accurately separate the area burnt by “backburning” operations and the main wildfire. Backburning is normally undertaken when it is not appropriate to mount a direct attack on the main fire front. The factors that are taken into consideration include safety to firefighters, likelihood of success, environmental impacts of the suppression operation, nature of the terrain and soil types (eg. swamps, sand-dunes, etc), values at risk, and cost of operation. (2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(c) Lands managed Other lands Total by the Department (hectares) (hectares) (hectares) Lightning (195 fires) 56,783 7,532 64,315 Arson (146 fires) 7,390 3,517 10,907 Accidents (56 fires) 181 721 902 (d) It is not possible to accurately separate the area burnt by “backburning” operations and the main wildfire. Backburning is normally undertaken when it is not appropriate to mount a direct attack on the main fire front. The factors that are taken into consideration include safety to firefighters, likelihood of success, environmental impacts of the suppression operation, nature of the terrain and soil types (eg. swamps, sand-dunes, etc), values at risk, and cost of operation. (2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(d) It is not possible to accurately separate the area burnt by “backburning” operations and the main wildfire. Backburning is normally undertaken when it is not appropriate to mount a direct attack on the main fire front. The factors that are taken into consideration include safety to firefighters, likelihood of success, environmental impacts of the suppression operation, nature of the terrain and soil types (eg. swamps, sand-dunes, etc), values at risk, and cost of operation. (2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
The area of wildfires from these escapes totalled 18,505 hectares. Two of these occurred in the Frankland District on 15 November 2002 when extremely hot, dry and windy conditions caused re-ignitions from unburnt pockets inside two prescribed burns that had been burnt out several days earlier. (c) Lands managed Other lands Total by the Department (hectares) (hectares) (hectares) Lightning (195 fires) 56,783 7,532 64,315 Arson (146 fires) 7,390 3,517 10,907 Accidents (56 fires) 181 721 902 (d) It is not possible to accurately separate the area burnt by “backburning” operations and the main wildfire. Backburning is normally undertaken when it is not appropriate to mount a direct attack on the main fire front. The factors that are taken into consideration include safety to firefighters, likelihood of success, environmental impacts of the suppression operation, nature of the terrain and soil types (eg. swamps, sand-dunes, etc), values at risk, and cost of operation. (2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(c) Lands managed Other lands Total by the Department (hectares) (hectares) (hectares) Lightning (195 fires) 56,783 7,532 64,315 Arson (146 fires) 7,390 3,517 10,907 Accidents (56 fires) 181 721 902 (d) It is not possible to accurately separate the area burnt by “backburning” operations and the main wildfire. Backburning is normally undertaken when it is not appropriate to mount a direct attack on the main fire front. The factors that are taken into consideration include safety to firefighters, likelihood of success, environmental impacts of the suppression operation, nature of the terrain and soil types (eg. swamps, sand-dunes, etc), values at risk, and cost of operation. (2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(d) It is not possible to accurately separate the area burnt by “backburning” operations and the main wildfire. Backburning is normally undertaken when it is not appropriate to mount a direct attack on the main fire front. The factors that are taken into consideration include safety to firefighters, likelihood of success, environmental impacts of the suppression operation, nature of the terrain and soil types (eg. swamps, sand-dunes, etc), values at risk, and cost of operation. (2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(2) The costs to the Department for prescribed burning, suppression and rehabilitation operations for each of the fire causes listed above are shown below. These figures are not final as not all accounts have been presented or processed. Costs incurred by other agencies are not included but they are likely to be small in comparison with Departmental costs. (a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(a) Prescribed burning (excluding silviculture burns) $2,295,405 Silviculture burning $922,258 (b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(b) Wildfires resulting from escapes $648,094 (c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(c) Wildfires from lightning $2,857,750 Wildfires from arson $964,911 Wildfires from accidents $446,977 (d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
(d) “Backburning” is included in (b) and (c) above.
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