From The Saturday Paper, 27 August 2022:
They’re as familiar to Australians as a stop sign: the semicircular, multicoloured warning signs that indicate the level of danger posed by bushfire on any given day. But after more than half a century of use, the Australian fire danger rating system is being completely overhauled to bring it into line with advances in fire science, community behaviour and climate change.
From September 1, the new fire danger rating system will be consistent across all states and territories, with only four levels instead of six. The modelling that informs the ratings can easily be updated as the science and modelling of fire behaviour evolves, and will hopefully improve the accuracy of forecasting to reduce the risk either of false alarms or – the worst-case scenario – missed warnings that cost lives. Read more.
Bianca Nogrady 