A fire and air forum will be held at the University of WA in Perth on May 5 to explore community concern regarding the impacts of broad-scale prescribed burning in South West forests.

Curtin University research has shown how fuel reduction burning to decrease the likelihood of bushfires in South West forests has apparently increased fire risk.

The Fire and Air Forum: Biodiversity, Environmental Sustainability and Human Health follows the Fire and Biodiversity Forum held at the Margaret River HEART in 2021.

This event which also included a field trip attracted 440 people and with 280 seats available at the May 5 forum this is expected to sell out fast.

Speakers will include those with expertise in landscape flammability, biodiversity, ecology, air pollution, health impacts and the latest in peer-reviewed research.

Combined with the wisdom of First Nations traditional knowledge, forum convenor Carole Peters said this was an event not to be missed.

Private donors have enabled the price to be halved making the forum accessible to a diverse audience.

“A switched-on audience is vital to a successful event,” Carole said.

“This is a not-for-profit event with all planning, organisation and coordination voluntary, and speakers give freely of their time and effort.”

Topics would cover pervasive smoke pollution which has heightened concern about the frequency, scale and intensity of burns.

Also risks to public health and safety, risks to biodiversity and the escalating risks of climate change will be examined.

Speakers include Associate Professor Phillip Zylstra whose study of red tingle forest in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park has found that prescribed burning caused mass thickening of vegetation beneath the main forest canopy. This could result in greater fire risk.

“The findings suggest South West forests grow in a way that naturally reduces fire risk once they have recovered from disturbance such as natural bushfire,” he said.

“But prescribed burning has undermined this natural process to create a more fire-prone landscape.”

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 6 April 2023.