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Bushfire History Data Project

The information represented on this page has been put together to openly communicate the 2021-23 Bushfire History Spatial Data Project. 

Project Overview

The Bushfire History Spatial Data Project is part of the Bushfire Data Challenges program, supported by the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), which is developing innovative digital infrastructure solutions with the aim of improving Australia’s bushfire resilience, response and recovery. The ARDC is funded by National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS).

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This work has been supported by the Australian research Data Commons (ARDC) and the Minderoo Foundation.

Project Goal

Using the resources provided/available to the Project Team and Work Stream Partners we will deliver an "aggregated and harmonised burnt extent fire history data on a national scale" product.

Project Summary

The Project Statement (as submitted):

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"Nationally Aggregated and harmonised burnt extent fire history data (Stream 1) will provide Nationally consistent fire history data for Australia.  Through collaboration between National, State and Territory agencies to produce a standardised state and national products.  Funding will support the collaboration and assistance to agencies for the supply of datasets that can be combined into National Fire Boundaries and History datasets.

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The products will support National Emergency Management, National Fire Danger Ratings System and associated risk management tools, biodiversity management, carbon accounting, bushfire research and open data for the general public.  This project will full-fill a long-standing gap and demand for National Fire Boundaries and History datasets.

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Using modern technology, web services, open data with the goal of meeting F.A.I.R data principles.  With improved satellite imagery data supply and cloud computing processing power, a satellite derived historical fire history for the nation can be created." Source: Bushfire Data Challenges Proposal Form, Page 3, 2021)

Official Project Documentation

The following document will give the reader more information about this Project and the deliverables aligned to each of the 5 Work Packages under Stream 1. 

Project Deliverables - Work Package Summaries

Work package 1 is to deliver a gap analysis to identify the maturity of burnt extent and history data from each state and territory.

Work package 2 is to finalise a review of fire history datasets and produce a national framework for burnt extent datasets

Work package 3 will define projects to uplift state and territory capability to enable delivery of burnt extent data to the specifications of the national framework.

Work package 4 will curate and harmonise the state and territory datasets into a consistent product and make it available through the EMLINK system.

Work package 5 will develop a fire history product from Earth observation data available from the Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellites.

Project Status and Updates

Regular status and Project updates for each Work Package will be provided in this section from late July through to project delivery in June 2023. 

Work Package 'Quick' Status Update

Current as of: 24 March 2023

WP1a

WP3

WP1b

WP4

WP2a

WP5a

WP2b

WP5b

Project not started

Project awaiting ARDC comms

Project underway

Project Delivered

Final Project Outputs 

Project outputs will appear here once they go through all the appropriate approvals. 

Work Package External Updates

From late July 2022 regular external updates for each Work Package will be placed into this Google Drive folder. 

Accessing Project Outputs Before Completion

  • The Project understands and recognises that some of our Work Packages are inputs into other Projects and areas of work.  However, our goal is to methodically create a series of robust products that the bushfire community can rely on for years or even decades into the future.  As such, we will not be releasing products aligned to this Stream of work until they have gone through the appropriate approvals and peer reviews. Once these approvals are gained the product will become available in the area directly above.       

Project Out-of-Scope

  • The Project Team are very aware of the potential for scope creep and project distractions.  Therefore, to avoid any confusion on what this Project will work on the Project Team have identified the following as out-of-scope:

    • Bushfire Severity​ (Data and Modelling)

    • Bushfire Behavior (Data and Modelling)

    • Fuel Loads (Data and Modelling)

    • Bushfire Modelling (all)

    • Bushfire Impact (Data and Modelling)

    • Near-Real Time Operational Bushfire Boundary Webservice  

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  • This list will be updated throughout the life of the Project.​

Project Changes/Additions

From July 2021 to June 2022 the Project Team did not receive any project changes or alteration requests. As the Project is now well into the development phase any requests for items other that what is in the original Project Document will not be considered by the Team.

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Please contact the ARDC directly if you wish to appeal this decision.     

Project Contacts

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