LESSONS FROM BLACK SUMMER: HOW PEOPLE EXPERIENCED THE 2019/20 FIRE SEASON BY DR JOSH WHITTAKER, DR KATHARINE HAYNES, CARRIE WILKINSON, STEPHANIE SAMSON (UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG); DR MATALENA TOFA, TASMIN DILWORTH, JESSICA COLLINS, LILLIAN TAIT (MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY).
Research after the worst fire season in NSW history shows there are challenges around community expectations of bush fire warnings, with many people expecting to receive highly detailed and localised information in near real-time. In NSW between August 2019 and February 2020, tens of thousands of people were displaced, including residents, tourists and visitors over the Christmas and New Year period. Tragically, 25 people lost their lives as a result of the fires, while many more people were affected by smoke in both metropolitan and regional areas. By season’s end, bush fires had burned a record 5.5 million hectares of NSW and destroyed 2,476 homes. The fires adversely affected many industries, including agriculture, forestry and tourism. New research has investigated exactly how people across NSW were affected by the 2019/20 bush fires and what actions they took. It was commissioned by the NSW RFS and undertaken by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, the University of Wollongong and Macquarie University. The research will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of community warnings and engagement approaches. Researchers conducted 202 in-depth interviews with people affected by the fires across NSW, to identify key themes and experiences, while a further 1,004 respondents completed an online survey. Importantly, both the interviews and survey included ACT residents 40 BUSH FIRE bulletin || FEATURES
who were in NSW at the time of the fires, to understand their experiences as visitors. Both the interviews and surveys explored risk communication, preparedness (and how this changed due to the length of the fire season) and the experiences of tourists and visitors, especially during the Christmas and New Year period.
WHAT DID THE RESEARCH FIND? The extent of the 2019/20 fires, and the sheer number of people affected, presents opportunities to reach new audiences with bush fire safety information and promote planning and preparation. The research found that previous experience of bush fire motivated many people to plan and prepare. However, the results also reveal certain challenges around community expectations of warnings, with many people expecting to receive highly detailed and localised information in near real-time.
