I spoke to a forester recently who has been working in last summer’s burned areas around southern Tasmania.
He said the burned forests are far from spent.
“There is that much charred timber on the ground and stuff falling off the previously burned trees that I’d say those areas could burn again very easily,” he said.
“That and the fact that much of the eucalypt grows back quickly doesn’t help.”
Meanwhile, see this picture from the Blue Mountains near Sydney.
Sydney is in deep doodoo this year, the health ramifications from the smoke inhalation alone will likely be long-term … think lowered IQs, earlier onset dementia, and other nerve diseases, cancer etc. Much illness will not be recognised as caused by fire smoke because of the latency.
The point of these posts is not to scare, but to get people motivated – buy a fire pump, service the fire pump, and clear the rubbish and vegetation around your house.
If you can’t be a firefighter the least you can do is ensure your property will not be a fire hazard because of lack of prep.