Eleri Harris

Eleri Harris

Crikey: Bushfire battler story is more complex than it looks

Eleri Harris writes: Greg Sheridan’s piece in the most recent Weekend Australian “A load of old crystal balls” exemplifies how problematic the unquestioning rehashing of items in the news cycle can be.

Bulldozer Solution only compounds problem

The research also has implications for bushfire-prone areas in Victoria, where there have been calls to clear large areas of bushland after this year’s Black Saturday bushfires.

‘The “bulldozer solution” of clearing large tracts of bush to reduce the risk of bushfires will only compound the problem – by clearing the land, you get a hotter land surface, so bushfires will be more severe,’ said Dr McAlpine.

‘Rather, we need to restore and actively manage native forests and woodlands for the multiple ecosystem services they can provide.’

Old Growth less fire prone

"I have lived in the Gippsland forests for 30 years, been a volunteer fire fighter for 20 years. I have noticed the same type of fire behaviour. The old growth enclosed canopy forests that have not been subjected to manipulation, tracks, burning, logging – and are more fire-proof. The dense understory creates a damp micro climate and slows down the ferocity of the winds."

Veg Removal wouldn't have made any difference to Quarry Rd Fire

I fought the Quarry rd fire. It *started* in Quarry rd, and regardless of how properties are cleared, it would not have been stopped without the Heli [helicopter].

Volunteer of CFA Posted at 5:30 PM Today on Herald Sun Website

Vegetation value on roadsides

Kevin Tolhurst, a fire ecologist at the University of Melbourne, says roadsides sometimes actually provide a good wind break and can actually slow fires down.

"We need to be managing those roadsides but the concentration on woody material in the roadsides is probably a little bit of a furphy, but we should be maintaining and managing those," he said.

"And one of the things we need to be doing is keeping weeds out of them, because weeds are more flammable than the native vegetation that we have."

1 tree on 21 acres yet house still burns

Mr Wiltshire says he and his wife had been meticulous in their preparations to fight the bushfires and there was only one tree on their 21.5 acre property.

Horsham lost 7 houses, golf course, club rooms

Some paddocks that burnt had no grass, the sheep manure carried the fire through.

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