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Post-Fire
Rehabilitation

Fire-Ed Up Scenario 7:

Welcome to the Post-Fire Rehabilitation supplementary page for the stage 5 iSTEM, Fire-Ed Up Unit of Work. This is a resource site setup to support teachers to implement the Fire-Ed Up Program.

Fire-Ed Up is funded by the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer, developed from Central Coast Council’s Award Winning program and produced by the Hunter Innovation and Science Hub.

Unit Background –
Australian Fire Danger Rating System

In 2022 Australia introduced a new fire danger rating system providing clearer and more accurate information to communities at risk of bush fire. The Australian Fire Danger Rating System brings together the latest science and knowledge of fire behaviour, is supported by extensive community research, and is the most significant change to the fire danger rating system in more than 50 years.

The previous fire danger rating system was found to be approximately 40% accurate whilst the new reporting system is now more than 60%, but there is room for improvement.

Scenario 7

Post-Fire Rehabilitation: Design solutions for rehabilitating lands after a fire, including strategies to prevent erosion, promote new growth, or restore wildlife habitats.

Use STEM to rehabilitate bushfire-affected areas

The prevention of erosion, promoting new growth, and restoring wildlife habitats are critical following a fire. This requires a multifaceted approach, encompassing a range of strategies that can be tailored to the specific needs of the affected area.

There are different rehabilitation strategies for different ecosystems and continuously developing and testing new methods, materials, and technologies can improve the effectiveness of rehabilitation efforts.

Your Mission

Propose a STEM-based design solution to rehabilitate bushfire-affected areas.

Consider:

Erosion
What can be done to reduce soil erosion following the burning of groundcovers?
Bushland regeneration
How can natural regeneration be balanced with revegetation to restore bushland areas?
Habitat restoration
How can the habitat be restored for indigenous fauna?
Habitat monitoring
What technology can be deployed to monitor habitat recovery?

What can you do in your class to find better solutions?

Downloadable Resources

Technology Mandatory – Student Resource Folio

Download the Fire-Ed Up Technology Mandatory student resource folio.

Download Brief Document >>>

NSW RFS Firefighters Pocket Book

The NSW Rural Fire Service Firefighters Pocket Book Dec 2010 edition.

Download PDF >>>

Australian Fire Danger Rating System

Australian fire danger rating system – Fire Behaviour Index Technical Guide V2.1 Oct 2023.

Download PDF >>>

NSW Bushfire Technology – NSW Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer

This is a summary of the current state and identified challenges in bushfire technology used by NSW Government agencies as well as common challenges faced by fire-response agencies

Download PDF >>>

Video Based Resources

The following are a mixture of Fire-ED Up original video resources and others that you might find useful.

Small-scale erosion controls

Murray Local Land Services discusses different techniques for reducing soil erosion (3:09 minutes).

Post bushfire pasture recovery: Fire intensity

Cool or hot burns impact pastures differently – Clare Edwards (Central Tablelands Local Land Services Officer – Pastures) explains the dynamics involved and what burnt intensity means for pasture recovery (2:20 minutes)

Bush regeneration after fires

Following the bushland regeneration in Victoria’s Brisbane Ranges National Park after a bushfire (6:01 minutes)

Ways to use smoke for better plant growth

Many Australian plants have adapted to germinate – and grow – better after being exposed to fire (4:04 minutes)

Fire management in Kosciuszko National Park: Protecting unique alpine ecosystems

The NPWS Southern Ranges Branch has taken a collaborative approach and combined the expertise of fire management, aviation, and flora and fauna specialists to develop a comprehensive approach to protecting this precious national park (6:20 Minutes)

After a bushfire: How the environment recovers

Park rangers from Grampians National Park, Kinglake National Park and The Pines Flora and Fauna Reserve explain the impacts on bushfire on the environment. (3:48 Minutes)