Fires

[Yenn]

We have just had or are still having fires in Qld. I have experienced fires here before and also in NSW years ago. Those fires in NSW and also Vic are frightening as they jump from treetop to treetop 5km away. Our Qld fires are all grass fires, but they can pack a punch. 1.5m grass, tinder dry goes up like a rocket, but it is over fairly quickly, unless a standing tree or fence post catches alight.

 

Years ago we all used to burn off to reduce the amount of fuel and make it safe. The government in their wisdom then legialated that we had to get a permit, from the local fire warden. That permit said when you could burn and had a load of controls so that fires couldn't or shouldn't get away. What happened was that we just stopped applying for permits and stopped burning. Surprise surprise, we now have a situation where the grass is 1.5m high and close to buildings. Something gets it alight and away we go.

 

Local government and police jump in and control the situation, evacuate the town, Firies do the hero thing and get the blaze under control. Government pats itself on its back and says what a good job they have done, also the firies, police, volounteers, uncle John Cobley and all deserve medals. The ABC is waffling on all day on local radio, talking to experts and locals, who all of course did a wonderful job. The one I really liked was the chap who said the heat was dangerous and someone could have heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Lay them down in a cool place. No mention of signs of heat stroke or the need to cool them, just call the ambos'.

 

Now I am waiting to hear what caused the blaze.

 

The first fire like this I can remember was in Rockhampton suburbs, where a couple of houses were burnt. Those houses backed on to a national park. The Deepwater fire was supposedly started from a national park. National Parks don't like to burn, they think it ruins the ecology. I have even noticed that National Parks don't like to do anything that involves spending money, except telling us how lucky we are to have so many parks.

 

My opinion is that the government should legislate that you have to control the fuel on your property, to reduce the massive drain on resources and the loss of property. I don't think it will happen, we will probably see more resources going to get more firies, fire education experts and others who are even less use.

 

 

[facthunter]

The fire prevention (Preparation) is the absolute worst I've seen here in 40 years . If you don't do anything the outcome will be catastrophic Victorian fires will be hotter and more fierce due to the extra fuel in larger tree canopies. The high ambients and stronger winds are the CAUSE of the severity of these fires Yenn. Hot and DRY. The hot winds from the centre, usually go to Adelaide and Victoria this time of year and later. NOW they are getting as far north as Cape York. Nev

 

 

[red750]

Like Donald said, rake the leaves.

 

 

[storchy neil]

yenn I know of a couple of pilots that did that burning from the air trying get em on the phone that's another stuff up by your gov experts that no jack sheeeet neil

 

 

[storchy neil]

yen lets hope that an inqury into your fires up there gets going lets hope that it is pushed for the currant state gov is called to answer their gross negeliance in banning the burning off with cold fires and why they stopped it should be interesting greenies better start leaving the country neil

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

... greenies better start leaving the country neil

Neil quite a few "greenies" are active members of local RFS brigades.

 

 

[facthunter]

Didn't dry and strong 42 degree winds have something to do with it and people lighting some of them deliberately.? Nev

 

 

[storchy neil]

as yen said the Brisbane fxxxxxits made these LAWS anything to stuff people around

 

lets see a few years ago people used to fly around and drop little matches out off a plane to start cold fires in the national parks

 

they didn't drop big matches cause that would have started a big hot fire

 

a farmer could see when the conditions were right burn off a paddock with a cold fire when the conditions not good left it and went a had a beer hopeing that some idiot didn't start something they the idiot could not finish

 

the idiot when caught 10 years end off story

 

hey red better get Donald a bloody big rake :please:neil