CFA remote sensing analyst, Dr Danielle Wright said boosting the number of trained observers would help fill gaps in the current data coverage.
“There are still a few areas of the state including the north-east, north-west and south-west parts of the state where we would really benefit from having more volunteers out on the ground,” Dr Wright said.
“In regions where on-ground observations are not occurring, we are solely relying on satellite data.”
Grassland curing is the annual drying out of grass and the drier the grass becomes, the higher the fire risk.
At this time of year, curing data feeds directly into CFA’s fire danger calculations, making accurate figures essential for determining fire danger ratings.
The ground observations are combined with satellite imagery to produce weekly maps that show how dry the grass is across Victoria.
Dr Wright said the satellite model was extremely useful, but it couldn’t pick up every detail.
“It can overestimate and underestimate curing,” she said.
“Cloud cover can block readings for weeks, grass under trees can be missed entirely and rainfall can impact readings.
“After rain new green shoots might appear, but they’re tiny and don’t affect fire behaviour. The satellite sees green and assumes the area is of lower risk.
Volunteers make a huge difference to the accuracy of data by confirming what actually happens on the ground and capturing details the model often miss.
John Taubman has been a ‘citizen scientist’ for nine years and said being a grassland observer really sharpened his awareness of how the environment changes from day to day.
“You learn to read the landscape, from the wind and temperature to the humidity,” John said.
“You don’t always need instruments to tell it’s a bad fire day.
“The more data points we have on the map, the more accurate the data is.”
Dr Wright said becoming a grassland observer was a simple yet highly valuable way to support local fire safety.
“Everyone is welcome to participate, not just CFA volunteers,” she said.
It’s a great way to support CFA without needing to be on the fireground and with summer approaching, regular grassland observations are more important than ever to help track fire risk across Victoria.
For more information: visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/grass or email grassland@cfa.vic.gov.au
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