This is a deep drought but it's coming on the tail end of a wetter than average decade. So plants have had plenty of time to build up combustible fuel over the past decade.
"As former State Fire Chiefs call for a summit on bushfires, expert and scientist David Packham explains that it has nothing to do with climate change and everything to do with fuel-loads."
David Packham warned about the fuel loads in 2015.
Bushfire scientist David Packham warns of huge blaze threat, urges increase in fuel reduction burns
Darren Gray
By Darren Gray
Updated March 12, 2015 — 4.05pm
You've done some exceptional work here cherry picking a world view that matches your own.
Australia has generally gotten wetter over the past 50 years than the first 50 years of the 20th century
Even if I take Roy Spencer at his word, higher rainfall isn't in opposition with some areas of the continent becoming drier, or hot, dry weather systems getting more intense. As with the link I provided from the Bureau of Meteorology, the rainfall patterns are changing and certain places are actually becoming wetter, but some places much drier - particularly the south east of Australia. You might want to read it.
Worse still, they actively discouraged and fined people for attempting to remove firewood from national parks:
> That's negligence of the highest order.
That's hyperbole of the highest order. I'm not sure how you back your claim that local residents taking firewood (which is habitat for many endangered native birds) makes a significant impact on fuel load.
And fuel reduction burns are not a perfect strategy. Even when timed as best as possible, they are often not enough to solve the problem, and won't prevent canopy fires when you have catastrophic level weather patterns.
This article was published today and provides a nuanced view on the topic.
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Australia has generally gotten wetter over the past 50 years than the first 50 years of the 20th century: http://www.drroyspencer.com/2020/01/are-australia-bushfires-...
This is a deep drought but it's coming on the tail end of a wetter than average decade. So plants have had plenty of time to build up combustible fuel over the past decade.
"As former State Fire Chiefs call for a summit on bushfires, expert and scientist David Packham explains that it has nothing to do with climate change and everything to do with fuel-loads."
https://volunteerfirefighters.org.au/scientist-david-packham...
David Packham warned about the fuel loads in 2015.
Bushfire scientist David Packham warns of huge blaze threat, urges increase in fuel reduction burns Darren Gray By Darren Gray Updated March 12, 2015 — 4.05pm
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/bushfire-scienti...
The Aussie government apparently didn't listen to its own experts on this 4 years ago.
Worse still, they actively discouraged and fined people for attempting to remove firewood from national parks:
https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/news/removing-firewood-fr...
That's negligence of the highest order.
You've done some exceptional work here cherry picking a world view that matches your own.
Even if I take Roy Spencer at his word, higher rainfall isn't in opposition with some areas of the continent becoming drier, or hot, dry weather systems getting more intense. As with the link I provided from the Bureau of Meteorology, the rainfall patterns are changing and certain places are actually becoming wetter, but some places much drier - particularly the south east of Australia. You might want to read it.
That's hyperbole of the highest order. I'm not sure how you back your claim that local residents taking firewood (which is habitat for many endangered native birds) makes a significant impact on fuel load.
And fuel reduction burns are not a perfect strategy. Even when timed as best as possible, they are often not enough to solve the problem, and won't prevent canopy fires when you have catastrophic level weather patterns.
This article was published today and provides a nuanced view on the topic.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-10/hazard-reduction-burn...