bushfires - News, Features, and Slideshows

News

• ​IAG uses drones to assess Victorian bushfire insurance claims

  IAG has used drones to assess damage caused by bushfires in the Great Ocean Road area of Victoria during December 2015.

• NSW Rural Fire Service cuts travel costs by using video conferencing

  A video conferencing deployment by the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) in June 2014 has saved it thousands of dollars in transport allowances/accommodation as it no longer needs to send staff to headquarters in Lidcombe, Sydney for training.

• Website monitoring tool helps fire service save lives

  As 627 bushfires raged across NSW for two terrifying weeks in October last year, the NSW Rural Fire Service's website was accessed by 5.7 million people seeking real time information.

• Powerline fault detection system cuts bushfire risk

  Researchers from RMIT University have developed a fault detection system that can alert electricity companies of discharges on powerlines, reducing the chances of starting bushfires.

• ANSTO computer modeller wins international award

  The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s (ANSTO) computer modeller, Dr Guan Heng Yeoh, will be awarded a prestigious Brennan Medal by the UK’s Institute of Chemical Engineers for his work with bushfire planning.

• Vic deploys airborne fire spies

  The Victorian government has outfitted its fire-spotting aircraft with video cameras to spot fires and monitor the effectiveness of fire-fighting efforts.

• Trial by fire: Vic bushfire system on alert

  Victoria’s troubled bushfire alert system will be put to the test today as the state braces for [[artnid:275889|catastrophic fire conditions]] and soaring 40 degree temperatures.

• Telstra the frontline of defence in bushfire season

  Telstra has been awarded the contract to build a national telephony-based emergency warning system in the event of a life-threatening natural disaster.

• Racial hate groups erupt on Facebook

  Racist Facebook groups have sprung up in the wake of ethnic violence in Sydney's West.
  

• UPDATED: Communications and connectivity devastated by Victorian bushfires

  Thousands of Victorian customers have been cut-off from telephony and Internet connectivity as a result of the devastating Victorian bushfires.