Our firefighting efforts should be restricted to fires threatening people & communities. This news – Four of five NSW firefighters injured in truck rollover in north-west Tasmania released from hospital – makes me think we should not risk one hair on the head of a firefighter in fighting wilderness fires.
The Australian wilderness has evolved over millenia in conjunction with wildfire. Greens have beaten up these fires as unprecedented – even Google finds fires at Mawbanna in late Jan 1939
nla.gov.au/nla.news-article68537033
There is strong evidence that since the very earliest humans we have been using fire and that many primitive groups intentionally set fire to bush to improve the fertility.
So, it is very likely that as fewer and fewer people live a “primitive” lifestyle that there have been fewer fires. The result is likely a build up of combustible material so that when fires occur, they are now more intense.
So, the big question is this: do you try to go back to a “natural” fire system as it was a few centuries ago, or do you try to resort back to the “non-human” fire system that was present before the first humans (and human fire)?
Because paradoxically (from what I’ve read) the best way to stop wild-fires is to set a “wild” fire. Indeed, perhaps what is really needed are patrols like avalanches – which go out and check areas to see whether it is time they had “a burn” and that a lot more burning took place but well before there was sufficient combustible material built up to great a “fire storm”.
Hazard reduction burns are a much debated issue in Australia Mike. There is constant Greens opposition to cool season burns and few Govts get enough done. So nature does it for us in the summer.
Impact on the water supply of not enough controlled burns.
bushfirefront.com.au/impacts-of-bushfires/fire-and-water-supplies
I appreciate that link thanks Philip.
Recently I have become aware that the Institute of Foresters Australia
www.forestry.org.au/
also has been over many years advocating for managing catchment bush in a more productive way re water flows.
But nothing has yet broken through the WA Govt position which is to allow the dams to quietly be decommissioned.