National bushfire extents
National data about where, when and how frequently a fire has occurred across Australia.
An aerial view of burnt vegetation and houses from the 2018 Tathra bushfire
An aerial view of burnt vegetation and structures from the 2018 Tathra bushfire
For over a century, state and territory bushfire management agencies have collected data describing the occurrence and extent of fires. Black Summer taught us that a national picture was needed.
A national picture helps us understand current bushfire impact, identifying regions that require assistance with recovery, and detecting changes in fuel hazard levels.
The National Bushfire Extent data service is shared freely with all sectors of the government and community and this is where the impact of this work is really being demonstrated.
This national data effort commenced through the Bushfire Data Challenges Program for the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS)-funded Australian Research Data Commons and the work has continued through the National Bushfire Intelligence Capability, funded by the Australian Climate Service, with key contributors being Geoscience Australia, EMSINA and CSIRO.
An animation showing 3 hourly updates for a bushfire impacting Mariginiup, Western Australia in November 2023.
An animation showing 3 hourly updates for a bushfire impacting Mariginiup, Western Australia in November 2023.
Existing products
Planned products
Updates to near real-time, 3-hourly accumulation and historical data.
Use cases
Examples of how the national burnt area data has been applied.
