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Goosey, I can assure you that more bush fires are caused by humans than by lightning. Of course the latter does cause bush fires but some people get great delight in watching them take off to consume hundreds of acres. When I was a young bloke living in the bush we had no rural fire brigade. We had a fire warden. In the event of fire he would phone around and gather as many hands as he could to fight the fire . With knapsack sprays, wet sacks, tractors and back burning. We would create fire break way ahead of the fire by burning a cleared area as best we could and sending the fire back on itself. However, you have to witness a big bush fire to really appreciate what you are up against with flames running up trees and setting fire to the canopy, which in turn has burning leaves carried by the wind yards ahead of the seat of the fire. In front of this of course, animals such as kangaroos and wallabies and will run ahead of it. Others such as Koalas perish and birds such as Kites and hawks will take advantage of small animals and insects driven from the flames. Pine trees will burst into flames as the turpentine vapour in their leaves is like petrol to the flames. One fire we fought for many days was caused by some idiot who had a farm as a spare time hobby. He lit the fire to clear some land and when it got away from him, left it and returned to his home in the city. That particular fire I remember because myself and a 12 year old kid of a neighbour took a tractor to see how the house of neighbour was coping as he was rather elderly. We arrived to find his house just beginning to catch light and he was asleep inside. We got him outside but sadly his house was burned to the ground. As far as our new government is concerned and global warming. Well already we have signed the agreement whereas the previous government wouldnt do it. I, like many others thought we were too influenced by G. Bush. They still have signed.
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