Fire And Rain

Over the next week, considerable rainfall might occur in exactly the most parched locations in Australia - South Australia, Victoria, and NW NSW - something to be welcomed!

Here's an interesting article - veteran Australian foresters blame efforts over the last two decades to stop logging for the severity of the big fires there. But they seem to pin the blame on the growing absence of local know-how and willing hands to fight fire, not, as in related U.S. arguments, on fuel buildup due to fire suppression. In both hemispheres, though, the urbanization of the populace coupled together with the emptying of rural areas, the expanding urban/wildland interface, and tight budgets, all can lead to dangerous fire storms.

One thing I noticed when I was driving around recently in Queensland was how many trees, many looking quite healthy, sported serious burn marks. The forests apparently burn much more often in Australia than they do here, but whether it's deliberate land use policy or just accident, I don't know.