Wildfires: Australia needs national monitoring agency

Wildfires: Australia needs national monitoring agency

Australia needs a national fire agency

Australia is “navigating uncharted territory without a compass” when it comes to wildfires, argue pyrogeographer David Bowman and seven colleagues. Their analysis of 19 years of satellite data reveals that the engulfed area last season was much smaller than estimates compiled from government fire records. Yet the fires still eclipsed the worst-case scenarios designed to prepare agencies and communities. A national bush-fire agency would improve on the current patchwork of local monitoring and provide data to help the nation overcome politicized debate and build a resilient future.

Nature | 8 min read