How a failure in social justice is leading to higher risks of bushfire events

Abstract

Bushfires are one of the more frightening and potentially damaging extreme events, and their frequency and severity is increasing. Maliciously lit fires are thought to be responsible for about half of all bushfires. The largest group of people who maliciously light fires are youth, and most are lit on the rural/urban interface. This chapter offers Melbourne as a case-study of how injustice likely leads to more maliciously lit fires, as most of the drivers of social inclusion and wellbeing are lower on the urban fringe, when compared to middle and inner Melbourne areas. Policies to reduce climate change and offer improved opportunities for youth, alongside planning that limits urban sprawl, are needed to reduce both social injustices and the occurrence of bushfires.