Negligible effectiveness of hazard reduction burning: This is the Green Wattle Creek fire south of Katoomba, 2015-2019 prescribed burns are shown in mauve; re-burnt prescribed burn areas in red.
@Jane_Ruizhu fire mapping from here:
ruizhuj.carto.com/builder/594eb4…
@Jane_Ruizhu fire mapping from here:
ruizhuj.carto.com/builder/594eb4…
@Jane_Ruizhu But prescribed burn north of Lawson (near top edge) does seem to have been useful in stopping the Grose Valley fire approaching from the north. Illustrates fire expert comment that hazard reduction burning is only demonstrably effective when it fringes assets needing protection.
@Jane_Ruizhu Burning off patches in the middle of nowhere appears to achieve essentially nothing. It is probably a waste of scarce resources and available out-of-season burning time.
@Jane_Ruizhu But please don't let actual evidence get in the way of radical right culture warrioring.
@Jane_Ruizhu Oh, and be sure to judge hazard reduction burning effort by the wrong metric -- total area burnt, instead of length of asset edge protected.
@Jane_Ruizhu For context, here is the northern bit of the Green Wattle Creek Fire on Sunday (this section is called the Erskine Creek Fire), north of Lake Burragorang.
Sentinel-2 false colour: apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser/?la…
Sentinel-2 false colour: apps.sentinel-hub.com/eo-browser/?la…
@Jane_Ruizhu Similar for Victoria -- burn over of the burn-overs (here all fires, not just prescribed burns):
@Jane_Ruizhu And "collapsing" alpine ash forest.
Alpine ash, Eucalyptus delegatensis, is an obligate seeder -- pretty much only regrows after fire from seed. Burn it again before it sets seed, say two times, and it is *gone*.
Alpine ash, Eucalyptus delegatensis, is an obligate seeder -- pretty much only regrows after fire from seed. Burn it again before it sets seed, say two times, and it is *gone*.
@Jane_Ruizhu Is that not a CO2 source, potentially as large as that from equivalent land clearing? Seems to be. Are we counting it? Seems not. The climate system cannot be cheated, does not notice how you measure, does not care.
