Community
28 November, 2025
CFA calls for citizen scientists
THE Country Fire Authority (CFA) is encouraging Victorians to become ‘citizen scientists’ and help strengthen critical information about the state’s fire risk.
Grassland curing is the annual drying out of grass and the drier the grass becomes, the higher the fire risk.
At this time of year, curing data feeds directly into CFA’s fire danger calculations, making accurate figures essential for determining fire danger ratings.
The ground observations are combined with satellite imagery to produce weekly maps which show how dry the grass is across Victoria.
CFA remote sensing analyst Dr Danielle Wright said boosting the number of trained observers will help fill gaps in the current data coverage.
“There are still a few areas of the state including the south west part of the state where we would really benefit from having more volunteers out on the ground,” she said.
“In regions where on-ground observations are not occurring, we are solely relying on satellite data.
“The satellite model is extremely useful, but it can’t always pick up every detail.
“It can overestimate and underestimate curing – cloud cover can block readings for weeks, grass under trees can be missed entirely and rainfall can impact readings.
“After rain new green shoots might appear, but they’re tiny and don’t affect fire behaviour – the satellite sees green and assumes the area is of lower risk.”
Ms Wright said having volunteers recording the information makes a huge difference during fire season.
“They’re the ones confirming what is actually happening on the ground and capturing the details the model often misses,” she said.
Ms Wright said becoming a grassland observer is a simple yet highly valuable way to support local fire safety.
“Everyone is welcome to participate, not just CFA volunteers,” she said.
“It’s a great way to support CFA without needing to be on the fireground.”
With summer approaching, regular grassland observations are more important than ever to help track fire risk across Victoria.
For more information, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au/grass or email grassland@cfa.vic.gov.au.
Read More: local