Remembering all the February fires

 

For some, February was a month of staking a claim with the one you love and expressing your love for them. (I have never understood why there must be a special day for this.)

Life for some is not all roses and chocolates this month.

 

February Fires

For many, especially in bushfire-prone areas of Australia, it is a month of worry.

Bushfires are no stranger to Australia. Fire services respond to about 45,000 to 60,000 bushfires each year. Due to its hot, dry climate, Australia is the most fire-prone countries in the world.

February is the peak of the Australian summer. Hot, dry winds fan high temperatures across the country, creating ideal conditions for fires in dry vegetation, often leading to devastating results.

The “Black Summer Fires” (2019-2020), caused great loss. The disaster claimed 33 lives, destroyed over 3,000 homes, and burned more than 17 million hectares, or 30,000 square kilometers, of land. The devastation to lives and regional economies was immense. Of the 33 who died, nine were firefighters.

Many fires burned across the country, especially in the Southeast. This was one of the worst fire seasons in recent history. The flames raged on for weeks until an “Act of God” brought relief. Torrential rain in February helped put out many of the fires.

Many still feel the loss, as some homes have not been rebuilt five years later. Some survivors have rebuilt their homes, but many still live in temporary housing.

It is also hard to comprehend that these fires are thought to have killed about 3 billion animals. About 64,000 koalas died in these fires. This led the federal government to declare the species endangered.

 

February is known as fire month in Australia. Many of the worst fires have occurred in February.

• In 2009, the Black Saturday fires in Victoria claimed 173 lives, destroyed over 2,000 homes, and burned a million acres of land.
• In 1983, the Victorian Ash Wednesday fires claimed 75 lives, 2,400 homes, and over one million acres of land.
• In 1967, the Black Tuesday fires in Tasmania claimed 64 lives, 1,293 homes, and 650,000 acres of land.

Humans cause 90% of bushfires. About 30% are started as a deliberate act of arson, whilst 70% are started accidentally or as a direct result of human carelessness. On Ash Wednesday, people set 149 fires, 28% of the total. At least three of the fifteen major fires from Black Saturday were set on purpose.

The reasons why people light bushfires on purpose are complex. Some like to create excitement, while others seek praise for handling a crisis. For some, it is anger or crying out for help.

 

Bushfires are a key part of a natural cycle that has existed for millions of years. Flames can kill insects and diseases that harm trees. Low-intensity fires burn dead plants and debris, helping return nutrients to the soil.

Eucalyptus (gum) trees are the main trees in the Australian bush. They are well-suited for bushfires and rely on them for some regeneration.

Historically, this regeneration has often been the result of lightning strikes, aided by prolonged dry climates and strong, hot winds.

 

Counting the Loss

I can’t imagine the pain of watching your house and belongings vanish. It’s especially hard to lose important memories.

Bushfires move very fast. During a fire, embers can travel up to 40 kilometers ahead of the fire front, and fire speeds can reach over 25 kilometers per hour. For every 10 degrees of slope, they can double their speed.

Residents have little time to evacuate. They often have to leave everything behind.

 

I have never experienced such a tragedy, but I did see bushfires a month before the Black Wednesday fires in 1983.

At the time, I was doing my PhD, and of all things, I was bleeding sheep and taking fleece samples in Werribee, Victoria. I can remember seeing this enormous brown haze envelop the sky, moving closer and closer to where we were.

The wind was a hot, dry north wind. Before we finished, smoke filled the air with an acrid scent. That was bad enough, so I can only imagine what it is like for firefighters who are at the fire front. How hot and exhausting it must be?

 

We also had a few smaller fires when I lived in country Victoria. My father, who, without being unkind, was not technically minded in any way. He volunteered for the country fire authority. These guys are mostly volunteers and do a great job fighting fires.

My parents had a general store next door to one of the fire tender shelters. Things have changed a lot since then. Back then, the tender was always full of water. Someone hitched it to a vehicle when required and towed it to the fire for much-needed water.

 

I remember one day when the call came through; there was a fire. I don’t know if it was February, but for the sake of completeness, let’s assume it was. My father prepared himself, went out, and hitched the fire tender to the back of his truck.

Since he was not familiar with hitching a trailer, he didn’t quite get it right. When he took off and rounded the corner, he turned left, but unfortunately the tender went straight into a ditch by the road.

Another vehicle had to come and pick it up, but he never asked to tow the tender again.

 

So, while in most of Europe and the United States, the cold and snow are still around in February, consider the fearless firefighters in Australia. They put themselves in harm’s way for their communities. These heroes protect us from bushfires with courage and dedication.

 

For the firefighters that go and light fires so that they can fight them – get a life!

For all the other firefighters, a big February; thank you for the anniversary of so many fires you have helped to control, so many homes you have saved, and so many animals still running around because of your efforts.

Till next time,

Calvin