The Bushfire Surveyor project provides a platform for interested citizen scientists to perform their own small-scale post-bushfire surveys. We are interested in the bushfire impacts that can only be identified by visiting a site in-person. These include any bushfire damage to homes, buildings, gardens, and farms – essentially any damage to your property, caused by bushfire.
These small-scale surveys will allow us to track bushfire impacts that might otherwise go unrecorded. This is very important data that will contribute to what we know about bushfires and their consequences for communities. This will help researchers and bushfire agencies and volunteers to improve bushfire response and management, saving lives and protecting property and the natural environment.
By participating, you will also increase your knowledge of bushfires, their risks, and how to prepare for and mitigate their impacts.
Should you agree to participate, you will be asked to upload photos of recent bushfire impacts to your property or to nearby bushland. For example, if a bushfire has damaged your fence, we would invite you to upload a photo of the damage and to provide some basic information about the bushfire; some information about the fence; and a description of the damage.
Detailed instructions on how to upload and submit a record are provided in the user guide (in the project resource).
Bushfires are dangerous, even for experienced fire-fighters, so we recommend caution in collecting post-bushfire data. Make sure to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and take the appropriate safety precautions. Never enter a site unless it is safe to do so. Record your observations of fire damage and other impacts as close to the event as possible.
The Bushfire Surveyor project was funded by CSIRO and the National Recovery and Resilience Agency (NRRA) as part of the National Bushfire Intelligence Capability (NBIC).
Please note that a plain language Participant Information Sheet (PIS) is available under the resources tab, which will provide you with a summary of important information about the project. A plain language Participant Consent form is also provided under the resources tab for you to read and understand. Please read the information contained in the PIS and Consent form before agreeing to participate.