A Mr Brian Sullivan made the comment below in response to a video dealing with the bushfires in January 2020. His comment is pertinent, particularly with reference to the need to reduce the fuel load in the bush.
__________________________
Let me put your mind at rest because I live in Melbourne Australia and so am a little closer to the actual events. Plus, my eldest son is a senior team leader of a fire-fighting crew, and he is currently in the heart of the fires for the third time in the past 6 weeks.
Many statements have been made about these fires and yes, they are huge and dangerous and yes, much wildlife and human life have been lost in them.
Now for some facts.
In total these fires covering South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, NSW and Queensland have burnt out about 4.2 million hectares. A huge area no doubt but consider this, in the mid 1800s in Victoria alone the black Thursday fires burnt out 5 million hectares.
The 1939-40 fires [Black Friday] burnt out huge areas in Victoria and NSW killing many people and much stock and wildlife. The 2009 Victorian fires killed 179 people, burnt out many hundreds of homes and buildings and destroyed complete towns.
We live with fire in the summer in Australia and it is the management and mitigation methods that are being questioned this time and have to be addressed forcefully after things have settled down.
We have had royal commissions after the 1939, 1983 and 2009 fires where recommendations were handed down from each commission about reducing fuel loads in the bush. Yet a few years after each event they were simply not enforced, resulting in today’s horror.
Today, 16/1/2020 we are being warned of a huge storm cell that is moving into the Eastern part of the country and is expected to bring much rain over the next week or so.
Queensland is already copping it with the late monsoon finally arriving and dumping rain where it is needed.
We are still only halfway through our summer so, it is likely more fires will occur but, hopefully, not like the last month or so.
The question to be asked is, have they finally woken up and will they now act on all the recommendations from the promised Royal Commission number 4 (emphasis editor)
__________________________