Bushfires-+Causes-+Impact

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 * || ==Cause of: Bushfires==

Most are **started by the actions of people, including:** · Cigarettes and matches being carelessly discarded · Electricity cables, sparks from machinery And tools, and burning off. · Arson has been the cause of some of the worst bushfires. · Bushfires **Natural causes:** · lightning strikes And spontaneous combustion

**Environmental/Impacts**
· Areas covered in Sclerophyll vegetation as Eucalypts the dominant trees in these areas are highly flammable. · Many species of Eucalypt need the heat of bushfires to release their seeds. · The South-East of Australia is also prone to long periods of below average rainfall and droughts. · Many of the most severe bushfires have occurred during **droughts** and **El Nino events** South-East of Australia is also subject to: · **Heatwaves and strong northerly winds** during the summer months that after 2 or 3 days can lead to bushfires like those seen in **Victoria on Black Saturday**.
 * Bushfires usually occur in the less arid areas of Australia. South Eastern Australia is particularly prone to bushfires**.


 * In Victoria :** February 2099

Human loss of over 2000 homes

**Responses:**
· **The immediate response** was from the Country Fire Authority (CFA) who coordinated the efforts of volunteers who fight the fires. · Many locals and volunteers from around Australia and NZ helped fight the fire.

The SES State Emergency Services
 * ===Today, fire fighters use back-burning techniques to clear undergrowth in fire-prone areas.===


 * Government**

· The Australian Government provided many services in the aftermath of the fires. Including food, accommodation, counselling, and emergency cash assistance.

Charity Organisations[[image:http://c1.wikicdn.com/i/c.gif width="22" height="22" caption="Unordered List"]]
· Charity organisations, including the **Red Cross, raised over 245 million dollars** to assist survivors. St Vincent De Paul and many other community groups as well as church groups

Government
· A **Royal Commission was held by the Victorian Government to look at planning and other regulations to help prevent so many lives being lost (173 people were killed in the fires).** = ·Economic/ Social =

Homes lost: 2029

· Deaths: 173

· Hectares burned: 450 000

· Total Cost at time $1.5 billion

Beneficial uses of fire
The effects of bushfires are not all detrimental to the environment, as fire generates regrowth and new life. In some eucalypt species, for example, fire is an essential part of the life cycle. For these plants, fire splits open seed pods, allowing them to germinate. Without fire, these species are unable to reproduce. Fire also encourages the growth of new grassland plants. =Indigenous use of Fire is used to regulate the environment in some cases.=
 * Indigenous people have used fire to manage bushland. Fire was used to clear undergrowth and regenerate growth on plants Aboriginal people used for food. The fires used by Aboriginal people for this purpose were **low intensity,** which means they did not burn as quickly or as hot as an out-of-control bushfire. Since these fires burned back undergrowth, it is possible that they prevented other, more catastrophic fires. ||