spouse of scouse

The new sign greeting visitors to Mogo, a tiny town on the south coast of NSW that was hit badly by the fires. They've lost a lot, but not their sense of humour

ozzieeagle

It's going to be back on after today, Unfortunately.

scrubbedexpat098

We spent new year in mogo / Narooma afew years ago, it's so very sad to see what it's like now.

KJMW

Draught and temperature play a part in fires, patently that is obvious. Australia also has bush fires every year another fact. What perhaps isn't the norm is that I have read that up to 180 people have been arrested by the Police for starting fires!!! Now that figure could include people stupid enough to light a BBQ, the article didn't say. Almost certainly a large proportion of those will be arsonists though. That I doubt is normal. If true just what is happening to people out there? There was also a report a few weeks ago that several Firemen have been arrested for starting fires, I bet tat has gone down well with their mates on the front line!!!!!

KJMW

I have to agree with GarryP, at least in part. It needn't become a 'shit fight' He does become a little indignant and rather supports what you have said in that respect but as long as it can remain civil I think it is relevant to talk about the issue of Fire prevention, carelessness, arson and-d so on and it is difficult to touch on those subjects, which are relevant, without mentioning those whom people believe are responsible.

rabble_rouser

Isn't all this just part and parcel of living in a vast brown parched scrub-land? I mean this sort of thing happens every year, and every decade or so much worse.
Its a bit like working in Sydney and then complaining about the congestion. I mean it sucks, but its completely expected. This will keep happening over and over in the future.

spouse of scouse

It would be sad Steve. It was by all accounts a lovely little historical town. Hopefully it will be again, although many of the historical buildings are gone.

KJMW

Of course it will keep happening, unless planning and management take place.

moneypenny20

The whole point is that the current situation is in no way 'normal' , nor is it part and parcel of living here. If you just read some of what's been posted, you'd realise that.

rabble_rouser

Except, it IS normal. Sure not every year is a bad one, but every decade or so.
Just look at the history of bushfires.
Whether or not anything major can be done about this cycle in practice, I have yet to see any evidence.

Beoz

No new thread required, but to suggest Morrison could have single handedly saved Australia from bushfires, democracy is the loser and in a nutshell, love child Shorten would have been the answer here, is a little far fetched, and on that basis, correct, no political shit fight needed. Just common sense.

Beoz

Indeed. The cycle of weather events. Droughts have happened, rain does become scarce, tinder gets created, and the perfect storm is created

Loss of life in this bushfire event, despite the amount of land burned, is a lot less than many previous bush fire events.

Pollyana

I can assure you this year is NOT normal. This is by far the worst year on record, that fact is discussed daily in the many briefings taking place within State Fire Service. Loss of ife is less than i previous events, but overall property loss and burnt ground is far greater and the conditions are considered unprecedented.

mikelincs

But this year everything is so much worse that ever before, exacerbated by the incredibly high temperatures and the very long drought. Despite what some people, ie Scott Morrison, have said this IS due to global warming, nearly every country in the world has had record temperatures, the UK included, December has been so warm, and January has started the same way. There is NO quick fix, but governments do have to take the issue of climate change very seriously, but with people like Morrison and Trump denying it then there is little likelihood of things improving.

Moses2013

I suppose the biggest problem is that more humans move to these places. They pump out ground water (mining etc.) and fill up swimming pools, the trees are getting less water and it creates more fuel for fire. The people will plant more trees and will continue to pump water out of the ground, which means even less water for the existing trees.

• During prolonged dry spells, groundwater levels can get so low that capillary action cannot take place, creating a condition called “hydrological drought.”
• The researchers found that when a fire occurs, almost 10 times more land is burned in a hydrological drought year than in a non-drought year.