13-government-services-2013-chapter9

Fire death rate — Landscape fire death rate
The landscape fire death rate is punctuated by large, irregular events (table 9.2)
(such as the Black Saturday fires).
Nationally, relatively few deaths are related to landscape fires annually (usually less
than 0.3 deaths per million people). However, the Black Saturday 2009 Victorian
Bushfires accounted for 173 deaths (box 9.9). To assist in identifying underlying
trends in the annual landscape fire death series, a 30 year time series is provided in
table 9A.6.
Table 9.2 Landscape fire death rate, per million peoplea, b, c
NSW Vic Qld WA SA Tas ACT NT Aust
2007-08 – 0.4 – 1.4 0.6 – – 4.6 0.3
2008-09 0.1 32.6 – – – – – – 8.1
2009-10 0.1 0.2 – – – – – – 0.1
2010-11 0.3 – – 0.4 – – – – 0.1
2011-12 – 0.2 0.2 – – – – – 0.1
a The small number of deaths means it is difficult to establish patterns and provide detailed
analysis. b Population estimates are the midpoint estimate of the relevant financial year (that is, as at 31
Dec). c The landscape fire death rate and the total fire death rate in table 9A.4 and 9A.5 are different. The
scope and definition of the two measures differ according to fire type (landscape fire death rate is landscape
fires only), cause of death (the landscape fire death rate includes deaths that may have resulted from the
landscape fire, but whose primary cause may be related to other factors) and location of death (the landscape
fire death rate records the location of death according to the location of the fire). – Nil or rounded to zero.
Source: Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (unpublished); table 9A.6.
Fire injury rate
‘Fire injury rate’ is an indicator of governments’ objective to minimise the adverse
effects of fire events on the community and enhance public safety and is measured
by the annual fire hospitalisation rate (box 9.10).
9.30 REPORT ON
GOVERNMENT
SERVICES 2013