In the aftermath of the 2009, February 7 fires in Victoria, Australia, there has been much concern from the public about the effects of native vegetation in fueling the fires and what could have been done to prevent such a catastrophe.
The most alarming is the call for native vegetation clearing rules to be abolished. Let's not forget that these fires came on the back of over 10 years of prolonged drought conditions, in the middle of the most extreme weather conditions known. It is not the vegetation to blame here, it is not inadequate fuel reduction burning to blame here, it is simply the extremes of climate and circumstance.
No amount of fire preparedness could have reduced or eliminated the outcomes of that day. In my next post, I be adding an essay written by a good friend and respected ecologist, Bryan Walters.
Bryan Walters is an environmental consultant with thirty years’ fire-fighting experience. He holds a National Service medal for firefighting duties. He worked with the forests commission for 17 years as a forest overseer and with fire protection branch. He became the Parks Protection officer (Fire) with National Parks Service (13 years) with State-wide fire responsibilities, then Parks ecologist. He has run a successful environmental consultancy for a further 15 years.
PJ
