wildland fire use policy

Wildlife and people who live in and love the Otways need us all to place pressure on the Victorian government to use effective fire-fighting, in the form of aerial water-bombing, instead of allowing these fires to burn themselves out whilst consuming our remaining forests and wildlife. Parks Victoria, CFA and DELWP (said DELWOP) use labour hire and equipment companies, and create an emergency bureaucracy and pay themselves massive bonuses during fires giving them a direct incentive to keep them burning - almost invariably making the future landscape more flammable - deprived of the insects and animals that break down flammable fuels. Like children with matches (an a financial incentive) they cannot help themselves and consider wiping parks, wildlife, homes and businesses and tourism out when people are not killed a success!

Act Now write/email to

Dear Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews,

Letter: Spring Street Melbourne 3000. Email (danial.andrews[AT]parliament.vic.gov.au)

The livelihoods of thousands wildlife and the future of water supplies are threatened.

This Otway's fire started on the 19th of December and was left burning, as happened in the Alps in 2003, Wilson's Promontory National Park in 2005 and 2009 and the Grampians National Park. It looks like another case of unauthorised and un-costed application of Wildland Fire Use Policy imported from the USA. See Bruce M. Kilgore: "Origin and History of Wildland Fire Use in the U.S. National Park System".

Where are the the big aerial water bombing aircraft? Can you please explain where the Australian firefighting DC10 is now? It should be deployed immediately or the government should lease equivalent aircraft to blackout and extinguish fires with WATER, not Phos-Check of unknown toxic chemicals [1] when burned.

Blacking out and putting out fires with water bombing aircraft works. Fire breaks don't!

The IL 76 was at Avalon Air Show after Black Saturday, loading 40,000 litres in 15 minutes, as can be seen in the video above. Why not use this if the DC 10 is unavailable?

You need to put a stop to fire agencies prolonging fires by burning 'unburned areas' in the Otways fire zone now. Burning these areas risks further escapes and 'hotspots' and kills wildlife’s obviously less flammable ‘fire refuges’.

[1] What's the WorkCover Occ. Health & Safety advice on smoke from Phos-Check? Please provide this to locals who are currently being exposed.

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cc Ring Vic Parliament on 9651 8911 for the phone number of your parliamentary reps. Ring their after hours answering machines and say if they do not get fixed wing water bombers to put fire out you will do your best to get 5 people who voted for them to vote against them at the next election.

Ring Talkback Radio and ask for water bombers