As Australia prepares for what is expected to be an intense bushfire season, experts and local firefighting brigades are raising the alarm over troubling decreases in volunteer numbers, a situation made even more urgent by the country’s record-breaking heat in recent history.

According to a data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the number of volunteer firefighters dropped by 4000 people between 2022 and 2023 from 140,000 to 136,000. Numbers have been in decline since 2018.

This decline in volunters comes when the planet is facing unprecedented heat. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced a 77 per cent chance that 2024 would be the hottest year on record, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts a greater number of dangerous fire days across Australia during the summer of 2024–2025.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology reported that in 2023, average temperatures had increased by 1.5°C since 1910, with Perth experiencing over 25 bushfires, with over 5000 hectares of land burnt, in the 2023–2024 summer period, including the destruction of at least five homes.

These numbers are raising concern for what is expected to be an even hotter summer this year, leading to a significant rise in bushfires and putting increasing pressure on firefighting resources.

Curtin University associate professor Philip Zylstra specialises in studying fire behaviour and fire ecology. He said bushfires will become more common as the planet gradually warms and the climate changes.  

“The conditions we face now are unlike anything we’ve ever faced before,” Zylstra warned. “Hotter days will bring more frequent bushfires, and the severity of these fires will most likely increase as well.”

Leader of the Swan Communications Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade Shelly Staff expressed deep concern over the dwindling number of volunteers at a time when they are needed most.

She said: “We’ve had many people leave and not enough volunteers to fill the space. It’s incredibly worrying to be heading into this summer season. We’ve got the resources, but not the manpower.”

Ms Staff is calling for increased support from both the government and community and encouraging more people to volunteer. “Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and it plays a really important role in protecting our city and keeping people safe.”

Efforts to recruit new volunteers have begun with Swan and many other bushfire brigades advertising across social media, including Facebook and Instagram, and hosting community events to try and attract new members. Events include the 60th SES Anniversary celebration the Swan Brigade hosted in May.

A frequently suggested solution to address the volunteer shortage is introducing financial compensation for volunteers. This idea was endorsed by several government officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, back in 2019. But despite the support, neither Albanese nor the state Labor government has pursued this suggestion since their election in 2022.

To learn more or sign up to volunteer for your local branch, visit the DFES website volunteer page.