We need action to prevent further catastophic fires and we need to be prepared for wildfires

There is no climate sceptic on the end of a fire hose. #jailclimatecriminals

Governments must prepare for catastrophic fires.
 
* Establishing services to support those ‘burned out’ and those who cannot insure

* rezoning areas unsuitable for building

* changing building regulations

* employing indigenous people to carry out controlled burning to reduce fuel loads as they have done for thousands of years

* increasing the numbers of professional firefighters, giving more support to volunteer firefighters and purchasing more aviation support are just small steps.

* increasing funding for bushfire research

* the most important action for governments is to cut carbon targets and to pressure other countries to do the same. Tariffs on carbon reckless countries, like the USA, Saudi Arabia, China and Australia are inevitable.

and

Koalas suffered greatly. #jailclimatecriminals

* funding air support.


" The main reason more prescribed burning has not been done is the risk the deliberately lit fires will get out of control and burn down property, or otherwise choke population areas with unhealthy amounts of smoke.

This risk has gone up with the drought, which has meant there are fewer days every year with low-risk fire conditions. It's also gone up with population levels, which has meant more people are affected by prescribed burning.

#climatecrisis, heatwaves  

"With many prescribed burns now conducted close to the expanding urban fringe and close to essential infrastructure and agriculture, the community tolerance levels are very low to heavy smoke and potential damage to delicate ecosystems," Dr Thornton says."

"....  Mr Bradstock described it as a "tired and old conspiracy theory" while Greg Mullins said ex-fire chiefs were annoyed that the fires were being used for political attack."

#bushfire,  #wildfire,  #jailclimatecriminals

"Greg Mullins (former NSW fire and rescue commissioner Greg Mullins) said climate change means it's often too dangerous to burn: "Extreme drought like this, underpinned by 20 years of reduced rainfall, has meant the window for hazard reduction is very narrow now."

He also said a long-term reduction in forestry and national parks personnel has meant hazard reduction has fallen to volunteers."

California fires 2020

How effective is hazard reduction?

Many bushfire experts want to see more hazard reduction, but they also say there's a danger in presenting prescribed burning and fuel management measures as a 'silver bullet solution' to the continent's increasing fire risk.

Some areas are suitable for prescribed burning, while others are not.

"The complexities around hazard reduction burning are large and growing," said Dr Richard Thornton, CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre."

https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/is-more-prescribed-burning-the-answer-to-bushfire-threat/11844766

#wildfire,  #bushfire,  #firefighters,  #climatecrisis

  "Australia faces a "nightmare scenario" of escalating and catastrophic natural disasters without urgent action on climate change, the bushfires royal commission has been told.

A group of 33 former fire and emergency services chiefs wants the royal commission to record as fact that climate change was the main driver of the extreme weather conditions behind Australia's unprecedented bushfire season.

"We think that this is a great opportunity for an authoritative body to spell out loud and clear that if it wasn't for climate change we would not have faced the bushfires that we did," former Fire and Rescue NSW commissioner Greg Mullins told AAP.

"That the science is very clear that we would not have had weather conditions like we did if it wasn't for a warming climate and the fires were driven by extreme weather."" The Canberra Times, May 24,2020

Catastrophic bushfires and catastrophic fire seasons will become a new normal due to the shortening of fuel reduction periods, increasing severe droughts and extreme temperatures. 

See also: Preparing for heatwaves
 

Related: California begins rolling blackouts as state faces worst heat in 70 years (excerpt): SMH

#jailclimatecriminals, #jail the climate criminals, #wildfire, #bushfires, #climateaction, #heatwaves, #drought, #firestorms, #Australia, #California, #cambio-climatico,