 So an ember attack is predominantly driven by what we call firebrands, which are in Australian forest types predominantly bark This is a sample of fiber stringy bark that can throw spot fires up to about four to five kilometers This is a sample of a smooth gum bark roll. These can travel up to about 40 kilometers So one of the key aspects of actually understanding the role of embers in bush fires is studying Firebrands as they're burning as they're falling through an airstream as it burns It actually changes its terminal velocity how fast it falls which dictates how far in front of the fire will actually travel So there are some situations where you might not be aware that there's a bush fire heading towards you But you then see lots of embers landing around you starting spot fires And there may be so many spot fires landing that you just don't know which way to go There's no questioning the facts learn more at emergency.vic.gov.au Authorised by the Victorian government Melbourne