Victorians are living through another black summer, with fires burning through more than 400,000 hectares of forest and farmland and leaving communities from Natimuk to Walwa confronting loss. The scale of the damage underscores the need to continue evolving how we manage our landscapes to better prepare for fire.
Across my career, one lesson has remained consistent: fire is an unavoidable part of Australian ecosystems, but the extent of its impacts is shaped by how we prepare for and manage it. Effective fire management requires coordinated action across all land tenures – public and private land.
Preventing damaging fires must be prioritised. We should not rely on emergency response and recovery as our primary fire management strategy. Vegetation management, appropriate building design and land‑use planning that reflects local risk can significantly reduce exposure. This work should occur 365 days a year, long before a fire starts, giving communities a better chance of avoiding severe impacts.
The strategic use of "good fire" is also essential.
Prescribed burning, cultural burning led by Traditional Owners and mechanical fuel reduction, when applied appropriately in the right locations and at the right scale, can help reduce landscape risk. A substantial body of Australian research supports this. For example, the former Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre, a national research program funded by government, universities, CSIRO and fire agencies, produced extensive studies showing that well-planned prescribed burning reduces fire severity and improves suppression opportunities. Research from the University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne and the CSIRO shows that fuel reduction activities reduce the likelihood of fires escalating into uncontrollable events.
These treatments are most effective when coordinated across tenures. The Walwa fire, which has damaged farmland, timber plantation and public land, illustrates that fire does not recognise boundaries. As a result, a landscape‑scale approach is essential to prepare for and mitigate fire spread
Rapid detection and initial attack are critically important once a fire does start. Effective response systems, including pre‑positioned ground and aerial detection resources, are vital to reducing the likelihood that a small ignition will become a major fire. Evidence from Australia and overseas shows that shorter detection‑to‑response times significantly improve the probability of containing new fires and that even short delays in response can materially change suppression outcomes.
Adaptive management – learning from each season and new science and adjusting practice accordingly – must underpin all aspects of fire management. This includes integrating Traditional Owner knowledge, monitoring ecological outcomes and ensuring that treatments remain effective under a changing climate. Research from Charles Darwin University's Fire and Savanna Research program and studies published in the International Journal of Wildland Fire highlight the value of adaptive programs that respond to shifting conditions.
None of this is possible without people who are connected to and in touch with the land. Our members in government agencies, forestry companies, volunteer brigades and communities contribute essential expertise to fire preparedness, response and recovery. Reducing resources in rural and regional communities, combined with decisions that risk being viewed as Melbourne-centric, undermines this critical expertise.
As Victoria faces challenging conditions, the focus must remain on evidence‑based approaches. Preparation and prevention activities year-round, continuously improving detection and response capability, and sustaining regional and rural capacity to deliver these actions will help reduce harm and strengthen resilience. Fire will always be part of Australia, but with a coordinated, science‑informed approach, its impacts can be better managed.
Dr Michelle Freeman
President, Forestry Australia
