NASA Needs You: Wheatbelt Properties Wanted for Groundbreaking Bushfire Project
The Noongar Boodja Ranger Team and Wheatbelt NRM met with NASA and ECU in late May where they were invited to become involved in the IGNIS project which is investigating the link between lightning strike and bushfires.
Pictured (L-R) Aboriginal NRM project manager Divya LaBrooy, Noongar Boodja Ranger Tarkyn Narrier, Aboriginal NRM cultural advisor and ranger coordinator Jermaine Davis, Noongar Boodja Ranger Alfred Stack and Wheatbelt NRM CEO Renata Paliskis
Wheatbelt NRM are looking for landholders interested in becoming part of a project which aims to improve bushfire response time.
The project is part of the IGNIS mission which involves NASA and ECU engineering students and staff investigating the link between lightning and bushfire ignition.
Late in May the Noongar Boodja Ranger Team and Wheatbelt NRM met with NASA and ECU where they were invited to become involved in the project.
The project will involve installing up to 14 ground stations across private property in the Wheatbelt to record lightning data, pinpointing strike locations and assessing the likelihood of the strike igniting a bushfire.
The ability to detecting bushfires caused by lightning strikes before they get out of control will go a long way in reducing the number of catastrophic fires that impact Western Australia each year.
In Southwest Australia, around one in four lightning flashes carry what is known as continuing current a powerful form of lightning that’s the main natural cause of lightning-ignited bushfires.
With approximately 90 per cent of Western Australia considered bushfire-prone, especially between October and April, being able to detect these fires early could be a game changer.
The IGNIS Project will use cutting-edge research and satellite technology to detect lightning which has the potential to ignite bushfires, allowing for faster response before a fire has a chance to spread.
This proactive approach has the potential to significantly enhance firefighting efforts, protect natural ecosystems, and safeguard infrastructure and communities.
Wheatbelt NRM’s involvement will include rolling out a network of 10 to 14 Ground Stations.
These will remain in place for 2 years, detecting lightning strikes with high precision.
The stations pick up VHF radio signals created by lightning, pinpointing strikes within 10–20 meters.
The stations allow for a comparison of readings from several stations to triangulate the exact location of dangerous strikes.
The ground stations are small, solar-powered, and non-intrusive, requiring minimal ground disturbance for setup.
They then operate independently and transmit data remotely.
Satellite imagery will be used to analyse surrounding vegetation and fuel loads in the area, allowing an estimated risk of fire ignition with greater accuracy.
To learn more about the project please contact Aboriginal NRM project manager Divya {email link}
Landholders within 100km of Brookton are being encouraged to become involved in the project.
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Published eNews #403, June 2025