Benj,
There are 2 things that firefighters want and need when fighting
forest fires. They are:
1. That north/south running fire trails be hazard reduced for 200/300m on
the western side on a regular rotation.
2. That they be allowed to fight fires at night.
If these two things had been in place and occurred, the McIntyres Hut fire
would have been controlled on the 1st night and been extinguished on the
following day. There would have been something in the order of 20 to 30 ha
burnt.
Fire authorities have taken an unwelcome interest in firefighters wellbeing
with regard to night firefighting or is it that they are using that as an
excuse to cover for their dodgy decision making. (Sorry about the cynicism,
but the 4 Corners program a month ago does tend to support my views.)
On the same night as the McIntyres Hut lightning strike there were lightning
strikes in the Carwoola area on forested hills. While the bosses cast their
eyes to the west, these fires were extinguished in the east.
My strongly held opinion is that forests need to be hazard reduced to make
safe firefighting possible. Benj, the fire authorities will have sway for
the next several years (until the memories of the 2003 fires abate) but that
doesn't stop you from pushing your views about the ineffectiveness (and
environmental damage) of burning grasslands. Good luck.
Graeme
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