Economic Impacts
Infrastructure like offices, malls, homes, essential services and businesses are either damaged or destroyed by bushfires. Families affected by the fires tend to have no home, or source of income, which means that they will turn to the government, banks or insurance companies for money, which will get very costly.
Another big economical impact is insurance losses. People who get affected by the fires and are either not insured, or weren't properly insured can't be given the money they need.
The 1967-1999 bushfires cost $2.5 billion dollars in infrastructure alone. Public infrastructure is also affected in bushfires. Bridges may be burnt, power lines damaged and industrial plants destroyed. This means that the Government has to use resources to repair them, or means that there is reduced economic performance from industries. Apart from the inconvenience of interrupted access, lack of electrical power and economic activity and job losses also become an issue.
Subsequently, it also costs money, and resources, to combat the fires themselves.
Disaster level bushfires cost an average of $77 million alone.
Another big economical impact is insurance losses. People who get affected by the fires and are either not insured, or weren't properly insured can't be given the money they need.
The 1967-1999 bushfires cost $2.5 billion dollars in infrastructure alone. Public infrastructure is also affected in bushfires. Bridges may be burnt, power lines damaged and industrial plants destroyed. This means that the Government has to use resources to repair them, or means that there is reduced economic performance from industries. Apart from the inconvenience of interrupted access, lack of electrical power and economic activity and job losses also become an issue.
Subsequently, it also costs money, and resources, to combat the fires themselves.
Disaster level bushfires cost an average of $77 million alone.
Social Impacts
Bushfires affect communities in many ways. Such way include loss of life, injury, health problems and loss of livelihood (home, income, business). They can also indirectly affect people with loss of power, which results in no form of easy communication. Many people aren't informed about the risks and dangers bush fires pose, so when they are confronted with a fire, they become traumatized and panicky, which also takes an emotional and mental toll. The time people spend getting prepared for bushfires drain them physically, socially and psychologically. They also cause a disruption to family life. Children are sent away while their parents go to either protect their house or help in the front line.
Many communities and families also feel isolated and hard done by during and after the bushfires.
The media also causes a negative panic due to their sensationalized way of reporting the fires.
Bushfires also place massive amounts of stress on families, as well as causing the destruction of community structures and facilities.
In the 2003 Canberra fire disaster, the cost to insurers alone was $257 million. Additionally, there is also the loss of life, personal trauma, loss of invaluable personal possessions and possibly the destruction of scientific equipment and data.
Bushfires from 1967-1999 resulted in 223 deaths and 4185 people being injured.
Many communities and families also feel isolated and hard done by during and after the bushfires.
The media also causes a negative panic due to their sensationalized way of reporting the fires.
Bushfires also place massive amounts of stress on families, as well as causing the destruction of community structures and facilities.
In the 2003 Canberra fire disaster, the cost to insurers alone was $257 million. Additionally, there is also the loss of life, personal trauma, loss of invaluable personal possessions and possibly the destruction of scientific equipment and data.
Bushfires from 1967-1999 resulted in 223 deaths and 4185 people being injured.
Environmental Impacts
The environment will always be damaged by bushfires. They will cause the destruction of wildlife, have adverse impacts on water supplies and dispel smoke into the atmosphere. Additionally, livestock and crops will be affected by fires too.
There is widespread damage to trees and can even kill them off entirely. Large volumes of smoke can dislocate aerial communications and affect human and animal health. Bushfires also cause changes to the atmosphere with increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air and a localized change in weather.
Massive ash-type eucalypti forests were killed in the 1939 Victorian fires. in the 2005 Perth Hills fires, over 1.5 million trees were killed.
The forest environment is also lost after fires, and takes some time to regrow. This is important as that environment is essential for many aspects of biodiversity.
Young trees killed in bushfires also affect the wood industry, due to wood shortages.
Many animals are killed because of bushfires, mainly from incineration or smoke suffocation.
Animals that hide in logs or underground during the fires will tend to be some of the first animals to die in the aftermath, as there is no shelter from predators.
However, there is a big potential for bush fires to cause the loss of an endangered species.
Not all environmental impacts are bad. Some native Australian fauna need to be burnt by flames in order to reproduce. Other plants that get burn have managed to adapt to bushfires, as have the animals that use them as a habitat.
There is widespread damage to trees and can even kill them off entirely. Large volumes of smoke can dislocate aerial communications and affect human and animal health. Bushfires also cause changes to the atmosphere with increased levels of carbon dioxide in the air and a localized change in weather.
Massive ash-type eucalypti forests were killed in the 1939 Victorian fires. in the 2005 Perth Hills fires, over 1.5 million trees were killed.
The forest environment is also lost after fires, and takes some time to regrow. This is important as that environment is essential for many aspects of biodiversity.
Young trees killed in bushfires also affect the wood industry, due to wood shortages.
Many animals are killed because of bushfires, mainly from incineration or smoke suffocation.
Animals that hide in logs or underground during the fires will tend to be some of the first animals to die in the aftermath, as there is no shelter from predators.
However, there is a big potential for bush fires to cause the loss of an endangered species.
Not all environmental impacts are bad. Some native Australian fauna need to be burnt by flames in order to reproduce. Other plants that get burn have managed to adapt to bushfires, as have the animals that use them as a habitat.