Three types of bushfire occur in NSW parks: ground fires, surface fires and crown fires. One, two or all of these types of fire may make up a fire event.
A ground fire can occur in any conditions and is where peat, coal, tree roots or other materials ignite and burn under the ground. Ground fires can burn through to the surface and become surface fires.
Surface fires are low to high intensity fires that burn on the surface of the ground. The tree canopy may be scorched but does not burn to the extent that it will carry a fire.
A crown fire occurs during fires of extreme intensity. A crown fire is when fire burns and spreads through the crown or canopy of trees. The influence of wind is greater in the tree canopy. When the tree canopy is interconnected or continuous, a fire can spread incredibly quickly.
Responding to bushfires burning in parks
- 90% of fires that start in parks are contained in parks
- during 2015-2016, NPWS Remote Area Response Team (RART) responded to 100% of remote bushfires within 30 minutes of detection
- during 2015-2016, NPWS treated 203,800 hectares of land in hazard reduction activities, exceeding the targets of the Enhanced Bushfire Management Program.