Fortigurn, I never said that cleaning up around the house was the only thing that needed to be done - I only implied that not doing so is a very common reason why people lose their lives and their houses. Cleaning up saved my parents house in 1983, while our three neighbours had overgrown gardens and burnt down homes.
Often, it really is that simple.
An article from The Australian reads:
"AUSTRALIANS living in the bush and in semi-rural suburbs must change the way they live or else risk dying in bushfires, according to the man leading the fight against the Black Saturday fires.
Russell Rees, chief officer of Victoria’s Country Fire Authority, yesterday said firefighters could no longer guarantee saving the lives of those who chose to surround themselves with vegetation despite the obvious fire risks.
His warnings came as it emerged that Victoria had ignored repeated demands to reduce bushfire hazards and crack down on “tree-changer” housing estates in the years leading up to Saturday’s deadly fires, which are believed to have killed more than 200 people and left 7000 homeless."
But hats off to anyone who can use the term “hummock grasslands” in all seriousness. I was going to go into the whole Gondwanan rainforest evolution thing, the emergence of the schlerophyllous taxa, C4 grasses, the browning of Australia and the rest, but I can’t beat that. Hummock grasslands to you too. I’ll let you save the world.
its sad that about 200 people lost their lives. And its terrible that they estimate up to a million animals may have died. Heart breaking for the animals that got hurt and died slowly especially. I suppose Australia can live without some of its kangeroos (because they are a pest in their numbers) but many other animals are not that common.
not that Im feeling less for human lives , but humans (hopefully) got the word and had a chance to flee for the most part. Or at least I certainly hope so. But the animals had no idea of whats up and perished. I read about kangeroos being territorial who survived the fire and went back and singed their feet.
About a roo that stuck out of his mothers pouch and burned his ears, and all that.
I feel bad that an animal has to suffer.
The other day i came across a squirrel that had been hit and was trying to use its front paws to claw to the side of the road. Its back was probably broken. I doubled back thinking that I will help him get to the side of the road. But when I got there another Suv came by and ran right over him and his eyes closed and died right there.
In hindsight , I thought it was better this way for that squirrel because what would have happened had I gotten him to the side of the road? He would simply have taken a lot longer to die. I wasnt planning on taking him to the hospital. And he wouldve died there perhaps after a day or two of thirst or some such.
The other car came by and dispatched him without further suffering.
If an animal must die, one can only hope it goes fast.
Same for humans of course. Nobody likes to see a person suffer needlessly.