Has local weather change triggered Fraser Island, which is a World Heritage Website, to burn?
Fraser Island. Public domain, link. Two vehicle ferries operate from Rainbow Beach and a second location south of Hervey Bay
Guest essay by Eric Worrall
In mid-October, an illegal bonfire started a fire on the Fraser Island World Heritage Site that is still smoldering. Fraser Island is only eight miles in diameter – so questions are being asked about why a tiny island connected to the mainland by two vehicular shipping services with a large airport that can handle 747 aircraft near Hervey Bay is within a few hours’ drive away from the state is the capital Brisbane, was allowed to burn.
Fight for Fraser Island: How Tourism and Climate Change Endanger an Ancient Environment
Activists who helped end logging and mining in the spectacular paradise of lakes, rainforests and beaches now fear global warming
Before John Sinclair died in February 2019, he fought for Fraser Island for nearly 50 years off the Queensland coast.
In the early 1970s, the world’s largest sand island – an ethereal paradise of lakes, towering rainforests, and ancient dunes – was under the pressure of sand mining and more than a century of logging.
By 1976, Sinclair and his purpose-built Fraser Island Defenders Organization (Fido) had fought the sand miners. It took another 15 years to stop logging.
Two months ago an illegal campfire got out of control on the island. In drier than usual conditions and high temperatures, the fire has so far scorched 85,000 hectares – more than half of the island.
What would John Sinclair have done with the devastation?
“He would probably have said, I told you this was going to happen,” his son Keith tells the Guardian. “He would say, what are we going to do to make sure it doesn’t happen again?”
…
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/11/fighting-for-fraser-island-how-tourism-and-climate-change-put-an-ancient-environment-at- risk
However, some people are not quite ready to blame our climate sins for not having control of the fire.
Queensland Prime Minister defends Fraser Island bushfire management as the fire continues to threaten Happy Valley
By Rachel Riga and co-workers
…
An emergency bushfire warning was issued for the fire on Sunday. The residents of the island town of Happy Valley were advised to “leave immediately”.
The depth charges didn’t start until November 14th – about a month after the fire started.
LNP fire and rescue spokesman Dale Last said the state government needed to answer serious questions about fire management.
“These fires caused shocking damage, but what’s even more shocking is the silence from Fire Department Secretary Mark Ryan,” he said.
“He has to be at the forefront. He must explain what the government knew about fire warnings and why they were ignored.
“Queenslanders deserve to know what the government could have done to keep this fire from spreading.
“This is a World Heritage site that has been treated appallingly by a weak minister who takes no responsibility for this disaster.”
…
Steve Knight, the owner of a retreat in the beach town of Happy Valley, told ABC Radio Brisbane that some residents were frustrated that more resources would not be allocated to fire-fighting sooner.
“I don’t think anyone thought this would get where it is now, and in fact, I really am annoyed that they didn’t amass the resources they are applying to it much sooner,” he said.
“I think they could have stopped this a long time ago, but I’m not a firefighter and it’s not my department.”
…
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-07/qld-fraser-island-bushfire-management/12957056
Fraser Island is a narrow strip of land surrounded by the sea.
A single bulldozer could have started a major fire across the island in a few days. A fire fighting ship in the sea could have flooded the fire with millions of liters of seawater a day, with a maximum hose length of 4 miles (half the island’s width of 8 miles), which is on par with the capabilities of modern mine pumping or fire fighting equipment.
With all of these decisions, however, it would have been necessary to fight green radicals who oppose any fire-fighting measure that could damage or contaminate World Heritage forests.
Instead, decision-makers sat on their hands until the fire got completely out of control and left the island to burn crispy.
Now they are trying to blame climate change for the disastrous consequences of their failure to respond in a timely and appropriate manner.
Note that I am not belittling the efforts of the local firefighters. I heard that as part of their apparently appalling rules of engagement, by which they sought to save lives and homes, at least one was hospitalized for heat exhaustion.
Like this:
Loading…
Comments are closed.