Community bushfire safety: a review of post-Black Saturday research

Authors

Joshua Whittaker, Royal Melbourne Institute of TechnologyFollow
John Handmer, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

RIS ID

116534

Publication Details

Whittaker, J. & Handmer, J. (2010). Community bushfire safety: a review of post-Black Saturday research. The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 25 (4), 7-13.

Abstract

Following the 'Black Saturday' bushfires of 7 February 2009, a number of research reports on community bushfire safety were presented to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. These include reports from the CFA, OESC, Bushfire CRC and Department of Justice. These reports have different research aims and employ a range of methods and samples. Some reports investigate community safety issues during the Black Saturday bushfires, while others examine preparedness and intentions for future fires. This paper reviews these reports to identify common findings, inconsistencies and gaps relating to community safety during bushfires, and discusses the implications of methodological differences for research findings.