As areas around Western Australia’s southern coast and NSW faces a decade high fire risk traditional Indigenous fire management practice may hold the solution.

Country manager at Yununijarra Aboriginal Corporation, Kevin Tromp says that there is new evidence showing that traditional fire management practices greatly reduce the severity of bushfires and may even provide a decline in green house gas pollution.

By targeting patches of grass during wet seasons Indigenous rangers introduce “cold fires” that leave the amount of fuel available low, leading to less severe bushfires.

The practices also have a positive impact on carbon emissions, as less fuel for wildfires means less pollution going into the air.

Mr Tromp also believes that adopting traditional practices is the right move going forward.

Image Source: Thomas Schoch