What are social and economical impacts of a bushfire?

Question

What are social and economical impacts of a bushfire?

Answer 1

Social-  Urban communities that spread into high risk zones may be devastated when the bushfire sweeps throuh an area.  Socailly the threat tens to keep people away from these areas.  It doesn't tend to affect rural communities much as they have grown accustomed to bushfires.

Economics-  Urban sprawl into high risk zones can cause high losses to developed lands.  In genreal the other costs tend to be relatively low.  Agricultural land is burned temporarily and the goverment tends to not try and stop bushfires from burning existing forest since it's a natural process.  You could claim there is a short term loss in trees and grassland, but the long-term health of the areas require burns from time to time.

Answer 2

Depends on the bush.

It could certainly slow development.  Anyone who depends upon the bush for their livelihood would certainly suffer.  Many would fall upon hard times...causing obvious social ramifications.