About Fire and Biodiversity WA (FABWA)
FABWA is a community-led, science-informed movement working for smarter fire management in Western Australia — solutions that protect people, natural biodiversity and health.
Our Mission
We stand for
- Protecting people and property with smarter strategies.
- Safeguarding biodiversity from unnecessary burns.
- Respecting and supporting Aboriginal cultural fire knowledge, values and practices.
- Reducing health impacts from smoke.
- Responding to climate science with evidence-based solutions.
FABWA is not anti-fire. We support fire where it is smart, safe, and targeted. We oppose area-based targets that damage natural biodiversity and communities.
Our Origin Story
Community members, scientists, and Traditional Custodians stood in the ashes of forests that should never have burned — and realised the same thing: this is not working.
- In Walpole, a “controlled” burn felled ancient 400-year-old tingle trees.
- In Denmark, peat wetlands that had taken millennia to form were left smouldering and decimated.
- In Perup, dozens of endangered numbats died in a single prescribed fire.
Our Core Values
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Evidence first
Backed by science, on-ground monitoring and first-hand accounts. -
Respect for Country
Indigenous cultural knowledge, values and experience at the heart. -
Balanced solutions
Protect people and biodiversity. -
Transparency
Open about funding, reports, and partnerships. -
Collaboration
Working with communities, scientists, Aboriginal Elders, Traditional Custodians, practitioners and policymakers.
Our Partners
How We Work
Translate science into plain-language evidence and application.
Share the lived experiences of residents, scientists, students, practitioners, Aboriginal Elders and Traditional Custodians.
Propose constructive approaches and strategic input to policies, procedures and practices.
Forums, campaigns, workshops.
Monitoring & Evaluation
On-ground monitoring, evaluation and site visits of natural areas before and after fires.
Promote rapid detection and suppression and ecologically sustainable and culturally responsible land management practices.
Meet the People Behind FABWA
