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2003 North East/Gippsland FiresCountry Fire Authority of Victoria
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Public Safety |
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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After an extended period of drought, on January 7, 2003, dry lightning strikes ignited a series of bushfires that gradually consumed more than 1,900,000 hectares including towns in the alpine areas of Victoria and New South Wales during an eight-week period. GIS technology played a significant role in the fire service’s ability to understand the bushfires. It enhanced decision making both at the local level on the fire lines and at the strategic level where statewide resource issues could be managed effectively. Knowing where fire boundaries and active fire edges are located over such a large area was a huge bonus to the planning of the fire management operations. The public and partners in the fire industry, such as forestry and water companies, were kept informed of the fire situation via a suite of mapping products on the Internet. |