Poor fire hazard
management played
a big role in the
severity of recent
Australian bush fires.
Back in 2016,
a Special Inquiry
was held following the
catastrophic Waroona
bush fire, just south
of Perth that year.
The report
emphasized
the crucial role
of controlled burning,
and gives an insight
into the evolution
of such practices
in recent decades:
Below is
the key segment
of the report.
( The data relate to
Western Australia,
and P&W refers to the
Department of Parks
and Wildlife ).
The chart above shows
a continuous decline
in the area that was
a continuous decline
in the area that was
control burned
since the 1960s,
which seems like
criminal negligence.
This report is about
Western Australia,
but similar factors
also apply to the rest
of Australia.
There are many reports
like these over the years
that arrive at the same
conclusion as the WA
report -- it’s all about
the fuel.
The 1939 Victorian bushfire
Royal Commission findings:
A critique of the Esplin Report
into the 2003 Victorian bush fires:
The 2009 Victorian bush fires