Preventing and Reducing Bushfire Arson in Australia: A Review of What is Known

Abstract

Bushfires are the leading cause of death and injuries from natural disasters in Australia, are responsible for hundreds of millions dollars in economic losses every year and seriously affect the country's ecosystems. National data shows that half of these fires are deliberately lit with a significant proportion of these ignitions due to arson. This indicates the importance of arson research in any attempt to reduce unplanned fires. Strategies to prevent bushfire arson are examined from a criminological perspective. Much of the research on bushfire arson to date has focussed on identifying the motivations of arsonists and the paper shows the lack of utility of this approach. The difficulty of screening arsonists from employment with fire agencies is also discussed. More productive strategies include identifying and working with communities with high arson potential and early interventions with known arsonists or those at high risk of becoming one. The deterrence value of higher penalties is examined. The paper concludes that better data on bushfire ignitions and working with high risk communities and individuals offer the best chance of minimising bushfire ignitions in Australia at the present time.

Do fires discriminate? Socio-economic disadvantage, wildfire hazard exposure and the Australian 2019–20 ‘Black Summer’ fires

“…Various statistics suggest that 40-50% of the fires in Australia are deliberately lit, and another 47% are accidental, i.e. failure to comply with guidelines (Beale and Jones 2011). Arsonists are predominantly male youth and unemployed middle-aged men with a history of mental illness, substance abuse and criminal records (Bell et al 2018;Ellis-Smith et al 2019).…”

Catastrophic Bushfires, Indigenous Fire Knowledge and Reframing Science in Southeast Australia

“…As a result of climate change, dry-lightning strikes are an increasing ignition source [44][45][46]. Compounding this is the ever-increasing human population of Australia, which has and will always carry with it the risk of accidental and deliberately lit fires on extreme fire weather days [47,48]. The role of fuel in the recent fire crisis has been fiercely debated; however, the focus is principally on the efficacy and successful execution of hazard reduction burning [25].…”

Do Fires Discriminate? Socio-Economic Disadvantage, Wildfire Hazard Exposure and the Australian 2019–20 ‘Black Summer’ Fires

“…A third pathway through which socio-economically disadvantaged communities might face a greater wild re hazard exposure is arson risk. Various statistics suggest that 40-50% of the res in Australia are deliberately lit, and another 47% are accidental, i.e., failure to comply with guidelines (Beale and Jones 2011). Arsonists are predominantly male youth and unemployed middle-aged men with a history of mental illness, substance abuse and criminal records (Bell et al 2018;Ellis-Smith et al 2019).…”