Surviving the Australian Black Summer bushfires: a veterinary perspective

Abstract

The Australian summer of 2019–2020 has become known as ‘the Black Summer’. The fires burned an estimated 186 000 km2; destroyed over 5900 buildings and killed at least 34 people. Nearly 80% of Australians were affected either directly or indirectly by the Black Summer bushfires. One of the lessons from this disaster is that everyone at risk has a responsibility to manage their own response to an emergency, there are simply not enough resources to be able to defend every house and every community. Prior preparation enables a community level response to an emergency that can improve outcomes in a disaster situation. This article provides an insight into the Black Summer fires from two different veterinary viewpoints, a practice partner whose hospitals came under direct fire threat, and a veterinarian volunteer firefighter who fought these fires on the frontline. The lessons learned from these unprecedented fires are applicable to all veterinarians. In a world where natural disasters are becoming the new norm, preparedness is the key to successfully managing these challenges.