Fires in Australia - Learning from experience. Or not.

The Volunteer Firefighters Association (VFFA), the body representing the Voice of Volunteer Rural Firefighters in NSW refutes the claim by green alarmists that climate change is the cause of the recent bushfires in New South Wales.

It’s ridiculous to blame climate change when we know there has been far worse bushfires stretching back to the earliest days of European settlement in Australia including the Black Saturday Victoria 2009, NSW Bushfires 1994, Ash Wednesday Victoria 1983, Blue Mountains NSW 1968, Black Tuesday Hobart 1967 and Black Friday Victoria 1939, said Peter Cannon, President of the VFFA.

There is no question that climate is changing. But it is not changing in the same way at every spot on the globe. Therefore it would be wise to prepare reaction that is adequate, appropriate to natural, social and economic circumstances of each country, region and community. And for that to be achieved one has to understand those individual circumstances, their own natural, social and economic environment.

If anything we can learn from current bush-fire crisis it is that we don't understand our environment, especially natural one, but independent observer would say the same for social and economic as well.

Without proper understanding of the problem and circumstances our actions are likely to be inappropriate and even counterproductive as I mentioned in previous article:

I am glad that similar view has been expressed by VFFA as well. I would agree with the view expressed by other firefighters about developing/building in our environment:

"Jenny Brockie: Justin, do you think there are places that just shouldn’t be inhabited in Australia? I mean, what’s the message you want to get out about fire?

Justin Leonard: I’d say that there’s, there’s a way to live in every part of the landscape and it’s this integrated way of understanding what, what fire is in that location, how to find the balance and manage the bush in the right way, and that easily unlocks how you build and live and behave and understand."

Path to this, finding the way to live in bush-fire or flood or drought prone environment, is through communicating, learning, understanding and respecting. It is not a fast process and there are no shortcuts nor quick fixes. Calls for immediate action are justified but it is important to act in the right direction. Ignorance opens the door to manipulation and misdirection.

Panic doesn't help either.

And Merry Chrismas, Христос се роди!