TAKING THE HEAT OUT OF BUSHFIRES WITH INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY

摘要

February 7, 2009, will long be remembered by Australians as "Black Saturday" the day on which almost 200 people perished and thousands were left homeless as a result of bush fires that raged out of control on the outskirts of Melbourne. The Black Saturday tragedy is generally thought to have resulted from record high temperatures (around 46°C) on the day, significantly below average rainfall over the five previous years and a "stay and defend"stance taken by many rural residents.Hotter summers and a drier year round climate suggest that conditions likely to increase the frequency and intensity of bushfires will persist in Australia for some time. And Australians are now looking to technology to help reduce bushfire impact in rural communities.