Modelling community vulnerability to fires using socio-economic indexes

Abstract

The Australian Bureau of Statistics'(ABS) 2001 Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA) showed strong relationships with fire-related deaths (Australia) and injuries (South Australia), being good predictors of community vulnerability to fire. The SEIFA 2001 Index of Economic Resources showed the best discrimination of vulnerability, with the fire death and injury rates of the most disadvantaged areas being 3.6 (Australia) and 2.6 (South Australia) times that of the least disadvantaged areas respectively.