Fire Ecology

Fire is a natural and essential process in many ecosystems, shaping landscapes and supporting biodiversity. Ecological fire is a deliberate and carefully managed use of fire to promote healthy ecosystems, reduce fuel loads, and mitigate the risk of uncontrolled wildfires. ESA specialise in developing both ecological and hazard reduction fire solutions. We utilise our vast experience to ensure the right fire regime is applied to the landscape, at the right time and duration to support ecological, infrastructure and public safety objectives.

Our burn planning process involves:

Context Setting

• Defining objectives 
• Outlining biodiversity and conservation considerations 
• Desktop review of previous fire and published literature

Site Assessment

• Ecological and vegetation survey
• Fuel load analysis
• Topography and Climate analysis
• Traditional knowledge holder engagement
• Sensitive location, species and asset identification and mitigation strategy
• Emergency services or support agency engagement
• Environmental impact analysis

Fire Regime Development

• Plan development: Based on appropriate seasonality, required intensity, duration since last fire and burn structure
• Required resource identification: Burn execution partner, emergency services and/or support agency 
• Approval and Permit applications

Communication & Engagement

• Engage stakeholders
• Develop training programs
• Community awareness

Each engagement results in a comprehensive document inclusive of all elements required to plan, communicate and execute an appropriate fire program for your specific site. Our services may also extend to supervision of burn execution partner, liaison with emergency services and support agencies and post fire monitoring services.

As bushfires become increasingly frequent and severe due to a changing climate, effective risk assessment and management strategies are critical for safeguarding communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure. Our Bushfire Risk Assessment and Management Plans provide a comprehensive solution to identify, evaluate, and mitigate bushfire risks, ensuring the safety of lives and property while promoting sustainable land management practices.

Through detailed site analysis, collaborative planning, and innovative solutions, our Bushfire Risk Assessment and Management Plans not only reduces the risk of devastating bushfires but also enhances ecological resilience and supports community preparedness. These documents are used by private, public and community organisations to understand and reduce the risk from bushfire to their people and assets.

Whether you're managing a conservation reserve, rehabilitating a degraded site, or planning a development project, our service offers tailored solutions to meet your land management goals while preserving and enhancing native ecosystems. We conduct comprehensive vegetation assessments to identify species inventory and composition, habitat health, and ecological function, and we design targeted restoration plans that align with local environmental conditions and biodiversity objectives.

ESA collaborates with Indigenous fire practitioners and knowledge holders to develop ecological and hazard reduction initiatives based on the vast experience available via traditional knowledge holders. We also utilise local Indigenous fire practitioners to consult and partner in plan creation and position local indigenous practitioners and management groups to conduct burn activities.

The time, effort and commercial commitment to design and implement an effective fire management initiative is significant, so ensuring that this investment meets objectives is critical. ESA provides a post burn monitoring service that will evaluate the burn’s effectiveness in meeting ecological and cultural goals, track the recovery of native species and ecosystem health, and use lessons learned to refine future ecological fire plans. A post monitoring program can be performed over a short to medium term or as part of a longer term research project. 

The ESA team has significant experience managing projects of all shapes and sizes. Utilising proven project management methodologies and toolsets, ESA can provide a comprehensive project management service to your important fire management projects. Our deep experience managing all phases of a projects lifecycle will ensure that your projects scope, deliverables, timeline and budget are clearly identified and well documented; stakeholders are accurately identified consulted and project objectives achieved.