|
|
- Info
Predicting the probability of house survival during bushfires
| Author: |
Wilson, A.A.G.; Ferguson, I.S. |
| Date: |
1986 |
| Periodical: |
Journal of Environmental Management |
| Abstract: |
Trends in the pattern of house survival during a bushfire were examined by analyzing data from 450 houses affected by the serious bushfire of 16 February 1983 at Mount Macedon, Victoria. The possible effects on house survival of fire intensity, house design and construction materials, garden and bushland vegetation, topography, the proximity of fuels and other buildings, and the fire-fighting activities of residents and others were evaluated. A logit model fitted to the house survival data established a relationship between the probability of house survival and the following variables: fire intensity, attendance during a fire by householders, wall material, roof material and pitch, the proximity of flammable materials (such as heaps of firewood), and the height of garden vegetation. Fire intensity was found to be the most important determinant of house survival, and this result leads to the conclusion that fuel reduction is a major priority for the protection of houses against bushfires. |
|
