Back burning comes up as the solution to bushfires, esp when it's a, chance to blame Greens for lack of back burning.
Per 2002 parliament inquiry back burning is of limited use in large scale prevention. Thread.
aph.gov.au/About_Parliame…
Per 2002 parliament inquiry back burning is of limited use in large scale prevention. Thread.
aph.gov.au/About_Parliame…
Backburning is not a means of creating fire breaks. It involves small, contained fires in at risk areas on a regular basis to reduce ground fuel loads whilst leaving upper canopy of forest intact.
When sparks can jump 1km or more, firebreaks are impossible.
When sparks can jump 1km or more, firebreaks are impossible.
Fuel reduction burns can only be carried out when the ground is moist, so fires stay at ground level and don't spread to the canopy.
In a drought like now, the ground isn't damp, it's dry. Back burning is too dangerous after prolonged drought. Like now.
In a drought like now, the ground isn't damp, it's dry. Back burning is too dangerous after prolonged drought. Like now.
Even in optimal conditions, fuel reduction burns aren't always effective. Post burn assessments of effectiveness of prescribed burns in the Blue Mountains in the period 1990 97 found that 30% of the burns had a negative result, 40% sub-optimal, and 30% were rated as effective
HR Burns by definition can only be carried out in restricted areas. Have you seen NSW? It's huge. Areas of Nth NSW burning now mostly aren't agricultural - they're in and around forests.
And backburning does harm wildlife. Remember Sam the Koala? She came down from the canopy after being injured in a back burning operation. 
There's more on burns here, including the difference between hazard reduction burn (scheduled harm mitigation) and backburning (a preventative last resort to stop the spread of wildfire). theconversation.com/explainer-back…
Research from The International Journal of Wildfire, showing preventative burns have "minimal if any" effect on risk and intensity of wildfire cosmosmagazine.com/climate/bushfi…
NSW govt policy shows issues with hazard reduction burns including increasing, ageing populations in and around heavily forested areas. environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-r…
And what we have now is an extreme drought, which has made hazard reduction, which is of limited effectiveness at best, unsafe in recent times.
Science agrees that hazard reduction burns are of limited use. And that climate change has contributed to the extended drought we're now facing. We've always had droughts and fires. The difference now is hotter weather, longer droughts and now - - worse fires.
I hope there is no major disaster tomorrow. And that people don't crow about unnecessary warnings, but that the warnings worked.
But to get back to my original point - these bushfires aren't the Greens fault. What people refer to as backburning doesn't work much, and is no use at all in conditions like we have now.
It will take years to reverse the trend of climate change. In the meantime, we need well resourced and funded fire fighters and emergency broadcasters (that's the ABC) and whatever assistance survivors and evacuees require.
And for the love of God, leaders who start taking the lessons from all this seriously /fin
More:
Land owner rights to clear trees and vegetation on their land have been progressively relaxed for years. Latest legislation allows self assessment and extensive clearing lls.nsw.gov.au/sustainable-la…
