To compare wildfire conditions across Tasmania, we need a consistent view of the landscape and a way to relate it to where buildings stand.
For the Tasmania Wildfire Index 2026, Geoneon combined vegetation observations, terrain and climate information to build a relative landscape index. We then summarised those modelled conditions around assessed building footprints. The first step describes the landscape; the second describes relative building exposure.
Satellite imagery provides observations of vegetation patterns. The 2026 Index uses a Sentinel-2 quarterly mosaic from October to December 2025, sourced through the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem.
Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (nominal 30 m) supplies elevation information, while ANUCLIM contributes climate and dryness information. The climate input describes longer-term conditions, not today's fire weather or a forecast for the coming season.
Overture Buildings supplies the mapped footprints used in the exposure assessment. ABS local government area and suburb boundaries are used to summarise the results. A building footprint is a mapped outline in the source dataset; it is not necessarily one dwelling, property or household.
Satellite imagery, elevation and climate data describe the landscape in different ways. Their information is prepared as distinct vegetation/fuel, terrain and climate/dryness components for the statewide model. Imagery alone does not show the resulting Wildfire Severity Index.
The display also keeps different meanings separate. In the released Wildfire Severity Index, class 0 means Non-fuel. NoData means usable index information is absent. Neither should be read as an ordinary low class.
The Wildfire Severity Index (WSI) combines modelled vegetation/fuel, topography and climate/dryness inputs to describe relative landscape conditions. The same modelling approach is applied across Tasmania so places can be compared on a common basis.
Its positive classes run from 1 to 10. Higher classes indicate a modelled combination of conditions relatively more conducive to severe bushfire behaviour. They do not give the probability that a fire will start, show how a particular fire will spread, or describe current conditions.
WSI is a landscape surface. Its colours continue across the mapped area, whereas the building exposure output is attached to assessed footprints. This distinction is central to reading the two maps together.
The Wildfire Exposure Index (WEI) summarises modelled WSI conditions around each assessed building footprint. It assigns a relative exposure class to that footprint, using the same ordered positive class labels as WSI.
WEI colours mapped building outlines rather than the entire landscape. The space between footprints is not a continuous exposure surface or a low-exposure class. WEI does not assess a building's construction, maintenance or ability to withstand a fire. It is not a complete property-level risk assessment, and lower classes should not be read as safe or risk-free.
The matched Fern Tree panels show the same window as source imagery, elevation context, landscape WSI and building WEI. The first two panels provide source context; they are not maps of the prepared vegetation/fuel or terrain components.
The maps and report were prepared from retained statewide WSI and WEI outputs, version 26.1.1. Release checks reconciled building-footprint counts, class values and local government area and suburb summaries, as well as map labels, legends and the final report. These checks support consistent reporting; they are not a validation against observed fire behaviour.
The report compares both the count and the share of assessed building footprints in WEI classes 7–10. A count shows how many footprints fall in that group. A share shows the fraction of all assessed footprints in the same area. A place with many buildings can stand out by count, while a smaller place can stand out by share. The denominator matters in every comparison. Classes 7–10 are grouped for reporting; they are not a separate risk category.
The Index supports broad screening, preparedness and planning. It can help identify places or questions that warrant closer investigation alongside local knowledge and professional advice.
Explore the Tasmania Wildfire Index 2026 release page, interactive map and Version 1.0 report for the full results, sources and limitations. For current warnings and bushfire preparedness information, use Tasmania Fire Service resources. The Index is not a live warning or evacuation guide.
The Tasmania Wildfire Index 2026 was developed and funded by Geoneon, with support from Kingborough Council.
Source credits: Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025. Elevation data: produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved. The organisations in charge of the Copernicus programme by law or by delegation do not incur any liability for any use of the Copernicus WorldDEM-30. Copernicus Sentinel legal notice · Copernicus DEM GLO-30 licence, Article 6.