Fireline intensity potential layers
Fireline intensity (FLI) relates to the rate of energy released from an advancing fire front, indicating the severity of a bushfire’s behaviour. Fire behaviour is influenced by terrain or slope, vegetation and weather.
The National Bushfire Intelligence Capability refines and combines these data layers to predict reasonable worst-case fireline intensity at any given location across Australia which can underpin a range of different products useful to a broad range of decision makers.
Products include:
- working in collaboration with each state or territory to produce data that supports identification of bushfire prone areas
- climate adjusted fireline intensity potential maps as the basis for supplying states and territories with up-to-date bushfire planning hazard classification data to support their decision making
- information input into the prioritisation of seasonal risk mitigation efforts
- estimation of asset loss potential.
As a use case in applying fireline intensity data layers, the National Bushfire Intelligence Capability produced a national map of residential Building Loss Potential across Australia, to help inform funding decisions for the National Emergency Management Agency – Preparing Australia Program.
1) Fire behaviour is influenced by terrain or slope, weather and vegetation.
2) Data layers can be generated for each of these factors – terrain or slope; weather (fire weather); fuel type; and vegetation type.
3) Using data layers, models and analyses multiple outputs are produced – hazard level for houses (Building Loss Potential (BLP) if a house existed at any given location); and bushfire intensity (reasonable worst case fireline intensity.
Data layer inputs used for a national map of bushfire intensity
Fireline intensity or hazard mapping is also useful for the community, as it provides individuals with the knowledge to understand the hazard posed by bushfires at their specific location.
Empowering the community with both knowledge and confidence to recognise the level of bushfire hazard and respond to it. Accurate prediction of bushfire severity allows residents, fire practitioners and firefighters to effectively plan for reasonable worst-case bushfire scenarios.