A new CSIRO bushfire research facility is set to begin work on developing a better understanding of how bushfires behave and the best ways to respond.
Built at a cost of $2.1 million, the new National Bushfire Behaviour Research Laboratory in Canberra will house the CSIRO’s Pyrotron and Vertical Wind Tunnel (VWT).
The Pyrotron is a combustion wind tunnel designed to enable the safe and repeatable investigation of the mechanisms of flame propagation in bushfire fuels such as grass, forest litter and shrubs, under a range of burning conditions.
The VWT is designed to study the combustion and aerodynamic characteristics of burning bark and other firebrands at their terminal velocity.
CSIRO Chief Executive Larry Marshall said that as bushfires become more frequent and severe, the agency is investing in further research to protect communities and build on its 70 years of collaborative research in the field.