Army Started the State Mines Fire
Still here, still enjoying the respite, but rather pissed off.
It turns out that the Army did start the massive State Mines fire that was sitting on my doorstep and has now burnt through over 50,000ha (nearly 200sq miles) and is expected to continue to burn for weeks or even months before it is put out.
The acting Defence Minister today admitted it in a media conference and apologised.
It was started by the detonation of two explosive devices on the Marrangaroo Army Base ordanance range. The RFS fought the fire around the base, but it was considered too dangerous for non military, non specialist ground or air crews to enter the live range.
The day it started, it was not a total fire ban, although the fire danger was rated high (the highest is extreme).
I think it was foolish for them to have been doing demolition explosives exercises on a day with high fire danger and high winds, but the actual starting of the fire is not what I'm angry about.
The thing I'm angry about is that the fire could more than likely have been put out if it had been dealt with when it first started.
Marrangaroo base, like many bases across Australia, were supposed to have had a bushfire plan in place since 2011. Like many bases, it didn't, and because of a lack of a bushfire plan and inadequate fire fighting personel on hand during the exercise, it wasn't dealt with until the RFS were called in after it had escaped the base - and look at the result.
This is the third fire started in this way that got out of hand because of a lack of proper fire safety over three states in the last couple of years.
Defence's Directorate of Training Area Management knew that ranges across Australia had failed to implement bushfire plans, even though such plans were demanded in a 2011 fire protection manual.
We live in a country that is prone to fire and they can start in many ways.
If they're not started intentionally or because of utter stupidity or uncaring recklessness, we can be pretty forgiving - there are times when it seems just looking at bushland the wrong way will cause it to ignite over here - but we do expect a reasonable attempt at prevention and a quick response - that's what we find unforgiveable and that's the fallout the Army are going to have to deal with.
This is a fire that is and will continue to wipe out vast swaths of national park, world heritage and wilderness area full of truly unique flora and fauna, it's destroyed an historic railway that had just been restored at the cost of $4 million, and much of what was lost was antique engines that can't be replaced, homes and businesses were lost and it truly is a miracle that no lives were lost.
But for the incredible efforts of the RFS, Lithgow and surrounding townships and hamlets (mine included) would have been gutted. Fire personel have risked their lives, lost pay while volunteering and some have found they've lost their jobs because of time off work while fighting to save the town (more on this at a later date) the cost by the time this fire is quenched will be astronomical.
The Defence Minister was quite rightly very contrite and obviously embarrassed when he made his statement today.
How can an army base that has a live ordnance range and ... even more scary... is also a munitions storage facility and has been since 1941, situated in the midst of bushland just outside a regional city NOT have an adequate fire safety contingent and lack a bushfire plan?
I'm afraid that this will cause a lot of ill will towards defence personel in the town, which is unfair, I know, because the soldiers on the base were and are in danger by this lack of planning too - but that's what a lot of people are like.
It turns out that the Army did start the massive State Mines fire that was sitting on my doorstep and has now burnt through over 50,000ha (nearly 200sq miles) and is expected to continue to burn for weeks or even months before it is put out.
The acting Defence Minister today admitted it in a media conference and apologised.
It was started by the detonation of two explosive devices on the Marrangaroo Army Base ordanance range. The RFS fought the fire around the base, but it was considered too dangerous for non military, non specialist ground or air crews to enter the live range.
The day it started, it was not a total fire ban, although the fire danger was rated high (the highest is extreme).
I think it was foolish for them to have been doing demolition explosives exercises on a day with high fire danger and high winds, but the actual starting of the fire is not what I'm angry about.
The thing I'm angry about is that the fire could more than likely have been put out if it had been dealt with when it first started.
Marrangaroo base, like many bases across Australia, were supposed to have had a bushfire plan in place since 2011. Like many bases, it didn't, and because of a lack of a bushfire plan and inadequate fire fighting personel on hand during the exercise, it wasn't dealt with until the RFS were called in after it had escaped the base - and look at the result.
This is the third fire started in this way that got out of hand because of a lack of proper fire safety over three states in the last couple of years.
Defence's Directorate of Training Area Management knew that ranges across Australia had failed to implement bushfire plans, even though such plans were demanded in a 2011 fire protection manual.
We live in a country that is prone to fire and they can start in many ways.
If they're not started intentionally or because of utter stupidity or uncaring recklessness, we can be pretty forgiving - there are times when it seems just looking at bushland the wrong way will cause it to ignite over here - but we do expect a reasonable attempt at prevention and a quick response - that's what we find unforgiveable and that's the fallout the Army are going to have to deal with.
This is a fire that is and will continue to wipe out vast swaths of national park, world heritage and wilderness area full of truly unique flora and fauna, it's destroyed an historic railway that had just been restored at the cost of $4 million, and much of what was lost was antique engines that can't be replaced, homes and businesses were lost and it truly is a miracle that no lives were lost.
But for the incredible efforts of the RFS, Lithgow and surrounding townships and hamlets (mine included) would have been gutted. Fire personel have risked their lives, lost pay while volunteering and some have found they've lost their jobs because of time off work while fighting to save the town (more on this at a later date) the cost by the time this fire is quenched will be astronomical.
The Defence Minister was quite rightly very contrite and obviously embarrassed when he made his statement today.
How can an army base that has a live ordnance range and ... even more scary... is also a munitions storage facility and has been since 1941, situated in the midst of bushland just outside a regional city NOT have an adequate fire safety contingent and lack a bushfire plan?
I'm afraid that this will cause a lot of ill will towards defence personel in the town, which is unfair, I know, because the soldiers on the base were and are in danger by this lack of planning too - but that's what a lot of people are like.