Rick McRae

Adjunct Professor

I trained as an ecologist at the University of Sydney. I am recently retired from a career in bushfires and emergency management spanning over three decades, based in Canberra. I worked on a wifde range of natural hazard risk assessments.

I am a visiting fellow at UNSW. Rick has specialised in fire behaviour, and served on major fires in the ACT, Tasmania, and Canada. After the 2003 Canberra fires I studied fire thunderstorms (pyroCbs) and joined an international science collaboration studying them. I have worked on predictive tools and research dissemination. I have worked on key pyroCb case studies, and work with Jason Sharples’ group in UNSW Canberra identified vorticity-driven lateral spread and confirmed pyro-tornadogenesis. I maintain the Australian pyroCb register.

PUBLICATIONS
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Journal articles
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Badlan RL; Sharples JJ; Evans JP; McRae RHD, 2021, 'Factors influencing the development of violent pyroconvection. Part I: Fire size and stability', International Journal of Wildland Fire, vol. 30, pp. 484 - 497, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF20040
2021
Badlan RL; Sharples JJ; Evans JP; McRae RHD, 2021, 'Factors influencing the development of violent pyroconvection. Part II: Fire geometry and intensity', International Journal of Wildland Fire, vol. 30, pp. 498 - 512, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/WF20041
2021

AWARDS
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  • Finalist, 2013 Eureka Prize.
  • 2020 Canberra Citizen of the Year (member of ACT Emergency Services Agency).
  • National Medal and clasp, ACT Emergency Services Agency Long-Service Medal and 2 clasps, 2003 Bushfires Medal.

GRANTS
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  • Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre's HighFireRisk Project, 2004-2008.

  • GeoInisght program in 2000, a $2 million Technology Diffusion program from Federal Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources to facilitate the uptake of spatial data across Australia's emergency managemenbt sector.

AREA OF EXPERTISE
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I study wildfire thunderstorms (pyroCbs) as part of an international collaboration.

I maintain the Australian pyroCb register.

I work on predictng blow-up fire events.

I am a fire behaviour analyst with operational experience in Australia and Canada.

I am involved in detailed analysis of the Black Summer fires.