Hobart’s 1967 fires: Lessons from the past to understand current and future fire risk

In 1967 extensive bushfires severely impacted Hobart's natural environment, people's livelihoods, properties and local economy. Understanding this national tragedy is crucial, especially in times of a global climate and housing crisis. However, we still do not fully understand the conditions that shaped this immense fire event. Having access to geospatial data from before and after a fire provides the unique opportunity to examine both the timing and location of the fire and a great chance to study fires that occur at the rural-urban interface (RUI).

This research is analysing the 1967 Hobart, Tasmania to better understand current and future fire risk using a combination of field, lab and GIS-based work to establish a quantitative approach by:

1. identifying major plausible mechanisms in 1967 that caused variation in fire severity and house loss
2. assessing current fire risk since 1967 for both rural and urban environment, including plant flammability measurements
3. assessing future fire risk by modelling scenarios that vary in urban development, including garden designs, fire weather, fuel load and fire management/suppression.