NSW firefighters merge bushfires to prevent uncontrolled megablaze
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Version 0 of 1. Deliberately linking fires together to create a much larger blaze may seem like a rather reckless thing to do, but the move, conducted by the NSW Rural Fire Service on Tuesday, highlights the wide variety of tactics used by firefighters. Fire crews ensured the State Mine and Mount Victoria bushfires met along the Darling Causeway to prevent a far larger inferno. “The fires were linked under controlled circumstances so it burned back on itself,” a fire service spokeswoman told Guardian Australia. “This prevented the risk of the fire joining with another uncontrolled fire. As a result, this fire is now under control and is being managed.” Barry O’Farrell, the NSW premier, has admitted this method of fuel reduction is “controversial” following adverse results in Victoria during the 2009 bushfires when controlled fires rapidly got out of hand and threatened homes. But, as O’Farrell pointed out, swift decisions have to be made when fighting rapidly moving fires, requiring authorities to call upon a range of options. Broadly speaking, fire fighters tackle blazes with two objectives – to contain and ultimately extinguish a fire or to simply save property and lives. Burning flammable material to starve a fire of fuel has long been a way of achieving the former objective, and Tuesday’s fire link-up is the culmination of decades of formulating the best fire fighting tactics. “Fuel reduction carries a risk, but then most things do and you have to make a judgment call in the conditions,” said professor John Handmer, director for the Centre for Risk and Community Safety at RMIT University. “Sometimes mistakes are made, but on this occasion it looks like it went OK,” he said. Handmer said other tactics include attempting to slow a fire down near properties by reducing its intensity. This can be problematic if the wind carries embers ahead of the main fire front. “Fire fighting tactics are well rehearsed, although some fire chiefs have told me there isn’t a clear doctrine when it comes to interface fires, which are fires at the edge of cities,” Handmer said. “It may be an area where people experienced in fighting these kind of fires could pull together a strategy. “Interface fires are in areas near lots of valuable assets – houses, businesses and people. There have been a number of fires across NSW that will have been a big challenge and caused questions about how best to deploy resources. I think the intensity of it has taken them by surprise.” A fire service spokeswoman said, “We have been using a mixture of tactics based on the situation faced at any particular time. It may be the only choice to protect life or property at certain times. It’s an ongoing situation but these tactics have been successful.” Aside several thousand trucks, the NSW fire service has 89 aircraft either deployed or on standby. These water bombing machines often provide the most spectacular imagery of fire fighting but in reality are only effective in certain situations. “The sky cranes, essentially very large helicopters, have come over from the US,” said Handmer. “They are very spectacular and it’s a morale boost to see them. They can protect assets and lives but not many people will tell you that they can put out fires. They are also very expensive.” Handmer said the US often comes up with leading fire fighting equipment due to the fire risk in places such as California, which has seen such an increase in blazes that the US Forest Service has decided to be less aggressive tackling large fires, as long as they are not threatening property. “There is an exchange of ideas with the US on how to combat fires, especially with California,” Handmer said. “US colleagues have looked to us for policy ideas while we have looked more to them for equipment and technology. People in the US and Europe have said Australia is a very good source of ideas, due to our experience in bushfires.” Above all, fire fighting strategies must be fluid – assessing risks and prioritising areas to protect in the face of a rapidly morphing foe. The fact that such severe, long-running fires have spread in October has compounded the challenge, with many residents not having fire plans ready yet. In all, it’s a complex web for Shane Fitzsimmons, the NSW fire chief, to untangle. “Forming a fire fighting strategy requires a lot of skill,” said Handmer. “It’s important that media and political focus doesn’t overly influence this. It would certainly be a mistake for a politician to take over fire management.” Our editors' picks for the day's top news and commentary delivered to your inbox each morning. |