Fire or life threatening emergencies: 000
Emergency Information: 13 3337
SES Emergency Assistance: 132 500
More than 2,500 community members gathered at the Kalamunda Community Centre on October 6, 2024, for the fourth annual DFES Bushfire Community Day, a collaborative event with the Bushfire Centre of Excellence and the City of Kalamunda, to gear up for the southern bushfire season!
The Firewise Gardening in Western Australia guide, launched in June 2024, has become a key resource for bushfire preparedness. The Rural Fire Division has actively promoted the guide at community events, educating the public on firewise gardening and bushfire safety.
In September, the BCoE Cultural Fire Program hosted a Gathering that united Nyungar Elders, Traditional Knowledge Holders, Traditional Custodians, and First Nation Australians. They focused on fire management, shared insights on Cultural burning, and discussed its significance to First Nation communities.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) is urging the community to safely undertake planned burns now, while conditions are mild, ahead of a potentially challenging southern bushfire season.
The Bushfire Centre of Excellence is an educational hub where bushfire management personnel can come together for training and learning.
Our dedicated team also examines bushfire knowledge research across the globe, from traditional fire practices of Aboriginal Australians to contemporary bushfire management practiced internationally.
The Centre is the first of its kind in Australia and is located in the Shire of Murray’s Peel Business Park, about an hour south of Perth.
The Bushfire Centre of Excellence was purpose-built in 2020 and features training and meeting rooms, outdoor training and meeting spaces. Aboriginal themes have been carefully considered in the building’s design, artwork and interpretive information. The landscaping incorporates Indigenous and local heritage, local vegetation and bushfire design principles. Read More
Take a virtual tour of the centre to find out more.
At the Bushfire Centre of Excellence, we welcome all people interested in upskilling in bushfire management to utilise the facility for their event, training or meeting. Request to book a room at the Centre.
The Bushfire Centre of Excellence training team develops and delivers year-round bushfire training for a wide audience across the state. We promote localised training delivery through the hub and spoke service delivery model, and support a network of trainers across the state, delivering training from Esperance all the way up to Kununurra.
The Cultural Fire Program at the Bushfire Centre of Excellence aims to enhance understanding, knowledge and application of cultural fire practices in WA.
The Cultural Fire Program emphasises:
The Bushfire Centre of Excellence has collated a comprehensive library of resources with tailored content to support bushfire management practitioners.
The bushfire research portfolio at the Bushfire Centre of Excellence works alongside our partners to influence, consolidate and translate quality assured bushfire research into practical knowledge. The Bushfire Centre of Excellence is a member of the Interagency Bushfire Operations Committee Research Subcommittee (RSC), which seeks to improve bushfire management across the State and also determines Western Australia’s Bushfire Research Priorities.
Our dedicated research team has compiled a registry of up-to-date bushfire research and resources from our Partners and other bushfire management experts to support bushfire management practice. This information is derived from government and academic sites, reputable organisations and academic journals. View the Selected Research Papers of Interest for 2023, with further papers available via the links on the “Academic resources” tab.
Academic resources are an important source of bushfire management knowledge.
All sources listed meet Bushfire Centre of Excellence quality assurance and governance standards.
A more comprehensive database is available here:
Some of the most relevant journal and publication websites are:
Journals
Books
Have we missed something? Email us at BCoEResearch@dfes.wa.gov.au.
A list of bushfire data and tools designed to predict, identify, and monitor bushfires has been compiled, providing publicly available information crucial for enhancing predictive capabilities and monitoring efforts related to bushfires.
UNDRR – United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
Australia
United States
Europe
Have we missed something? Email us at BCoEResearch@dfes.wa.gov.au.
Across Australia, bushfire research practitioners collaborate, contribute and engage in research activities to better the bushfire management sector in Australia.
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) - National Council for Fire and Emergency Services
Australian Disaster Resilience Knowledge Hub
Dept of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions - Parks and Wildlife Service
CSIRO bushfire research
Natural Hazards Research Australia
Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC
Have we missed something? Email us at BCoEResearch@dfes.wa.gov.au.
Bushfire Research Centres are dedicated to the study, analysis and understanding of bushfires, with various institutions around the world.
Key bushfire research centres in Australia as well as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are listed below.
Australia
Northern Territory
South Australia
Tasmania
Australian Capital Territory
Victoria
New South Wales
Queensland
Other University bushfire research capability
Overseas University Research
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Have we missed something? Email us at BCoEResearch@dfes.wa.gov.au.
The Bushfire Research Subcommittee support the reduction of bushfire risk in WA by identifying and advising on WA’s bushfire research priorities, with a specific focus on bushfire mitigation and response. It supports projects that address WA’s bushfire research priorities, and subsequently improves accessibility, uptake and visibility of research and associated findings.
The inter-agency subcommittee is established by and operates under the governance of the Interagency Bushfire Operations Committee.
The Bushfire Research Subcommittee has coordinated the development of Western Australia’s Bushfire Research Priorities for 2024.
Have we missed something? Email us at BCoEResearch@dfes.wa.gov.au.
We welcome all feedback on how the Bushfire Centre of Excellence can better support you. How can we help you today?
Stay up to date on the latest Bushfire Centre of Excellence news, events and updates.
