Post Mortem - Bush Fire

Australian Storyteller

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Post Mortem - Bush Fire

July 2nd 2009 06:00

In February 2009 bush fires raged in Victoria causing millions of dollars worth of damage. Now comes the analysis of what went wrong. A Royal Commission, no less, is investigating the circumstances of the fires, why they did so much damage, took so many lives and what could have been done better.
Saturday, February 7th has been christened Black Saturday. 26 years ago the fires came on a Wednesday, now called Ash Wednesday. Same scenario with the weather, the dead undergrowth in the forests, and no breaks to slow the fires progress.
Why did it happen again? The fires from 26 years ago had their doctors doing postmortems and making recommendations. What happened? Nothing at all. Had there been any notice taken of that inquiry 26 years ago, perhaps some of those who lost their lives this year would still be alive.

The same situation exists wherever there is a bush fire prone area. The past fires have taught the powers in control nothing at all and I wonder if the current Royal Commission will achieve anything except provide a good income for lawyers and beaurocrats during the time it's running.
I would like to think otherwise but political will only lasts as long as the sensation of the moment. Prevention is better than cure. So why not make breaks in the forests to prevent the fires from becoming so big and so hot that they cannot be fought.
Bush fire has, as I see it, three stages:
1. Bush fire - Can be fought and controlled
2. Wild Fire - Difficult to fight but reasonably small area
3. Fire Storm - Unstoppable and unfightable.

Which would you want in you home area. You live there, you know what you stand to lose next time, stand up now and have your say about the prevention of the next possible 'Fire Storm'.

It is a pointless exercise looking for someone to blame, that person may not be there in 10 , 20 years or whatever, but the fire will; with all trees blazing.

I am no expert, just an old guy who has seen it all before.

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Posted By: Robert Bruce - Category: No Category

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Comments

2 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Tricia Benet

July 2nd 2009 15:55

The Night Owl
Yorkie Yappers

Well done Bob. I can't understand why people can't learn from a lesson well taught. The same thing happens here every year in California, but nothing is done to stop them. People build their million dollar home on the edge of tall cliffs, surrounded by brush. Every year, the fires take the brush and several houses. After the brush and trees are gone, rains cause mudslides that slide the rest of the expensive homes that did not burn, down the hill.

The government pitches in and they rebuild them in the same places, waiting for the next fire storms to move through.

Comment by Robert Bruce

July 2nd 2009 23:22

Australian Storyteller
Storyteller - prose and poetry
Bushwriter

It seems that the Govt of the day only has the political will to do anything as long as there is a benefit for either the Politician concerned or his/her party. No benefit, no further action. Shame really when a lot of the losses could be avoided by a bit of forward planning, real planning.