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Department of Land Administration
Government of Western Australia
Media Statement
PO Box 2222, Midland, Western Australia 6936
Tel: (08) 9273 7373 Fax: (08) 9273 7666
www.vgo.wa.gov.au
18 January 2002
BATTLING BUSH FIRES – USING EARTH OBSERVATIONS FROM SPACE
With the devastation of the Sydney bush fires still fresh, it’s comforting to know that “eyes in our
skies” are providing emergency services and the community in Western Australia with an added
edge in bush fire management.
The Department of Land Administration’s Satellite Remote Sensing Services is at the forefront of
developing new ways of delivering fire information and fire management techniques.
Firewatch is one such innovative program. Developed by the Department of Land Administration
(DOLA), in collaboration with the Departments of Conservation and Land Management, Fire and
Emergency Services, Department of Agriculture, the Northern Territory Bush Fires Service and the
Co-operative Research Centre for Tropical Savannas, Firewatch has been proving its worth since its
inception in 1995.
Using the NOAA-AVHRR and Landsat-TM satellite sensors, Firewatch is able to provide the
community with near-real time information on the potential of fire according to the land, and give the
actual location of bush fires via fax or the internet. Similar sensors could also operate from an
aircraft, broadcasting direct to the ground, and able to be displayed on computer to aid operational
fire management.
Every year, the residents of Northern Australia battle bush fires many times the size of the recent
Sydney Fires, with the total area being burnt well over one million hectares. DOLA is an active
participant in such endeavours as the Kimberley Regional Fire Management Project, and together
with programs like Firewatch, great progress is being made in fire management in such remote and
vulnerable areas.
Richard Smith, Manager of DOLA’s Satellite Remote Sensing Services, believes many of the
techniques already used by DOLA in the north west of Western Australia and the Northern Territory
can aid communities in the south of WA and Eastern States.
“In addressing the concerns of the public, we are empowering communities with as much
information as possible, in the most practical ways, to proactively battle bush fires. Whether this is
by conducting prescribed burning, a method used by the indigenous people for the past 10,000
years, or tackling fires as they ignite, communities are now able to make informed decisions with the
help of satellite technology. ”
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DOLA is also keeping abreast of international trends and the future in satellite technology. For
example, the German Bird satellite which was trialled during the Sydney bush fires, is a satellite
sensor that can target areas of interest, and deliver this information within minutes of the satellite’s
overpass.
For more information on Firewatch, access DOLA’s website at www.dola.wa.gov.au
Ends.
Media Contact: Richard Smith (Manager, Satellite Remote Sensing Services) 9340 9342
Images from the German Bird satellite are available
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