Logging increases risk of severe fire

by James Giggacher, Australian National University
August 16, 2021

Logged forests near regional and rural towns and settlements are at increased risk of increased fire severity, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) shows.

The study, published in Ecosphere, analysed the severity of Australia’s 2019-2020 bushfires by examining the amount of damage to vegetation.

Co-author Professor David Lindenmayer said weather had a large effect on the fires.

“However, forests also burned at very high severity when they were between 10 to 40 years old. Young forests regenerating after logging were particularly susceptible to very high severity fire,” he said.

“Our findings show there should be no logging near rural towns and other communities.

“At a time when the risk of extreme fire weather has risen 10 times since the 1960s, we must do everything possible to keep country people safe. Reducing the flammability of forests is crucial.”

Keep reading: https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/logging-increases-risk-of-severe-fire
Read the Ecosphere paper: https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.3721