- May 6, 2022
- 1 min read

10. Burns are done to reduce 'fuel load' - WRONG

Updated: May 23, 2022

Burns are done on a ‘time since fire’ basis, which means that areas such as Wandoo forest are burnt regularly despite there being little to no undergrowth or leaf litter when they are burnt, as the photo below shows. The area in the photo was burnt 10 years prior to the photo and was burnt again the following year

In the 2020-2021 burning program, almost 500 sq km of this type of open woodland was burnt, despite there being little to no ‘fuel’ across the vast majority of the area. The burns had severe impacts on Carnaby’s nesting sites and many other threatened species.

The video below is over Banksia Woodland north of Perth, which hasn't been burnt for over 20 years. The vast majority of the area is very low vegetation (~knee high) and over 30% exposed soil. The burnt area shown in the video is only 1 sq km of 360 sq km burnt in a single year.

Comments

1. Burning is based on latest science - WRONG

The 2,000 sq km per annum ‘indicative target’ for prescribed burns is based on a 2009 study which concluded that this would reduce the...

2. Bush must be burnt to protect us - WRONG

After burning, or other disturbances such as logging, the forest responds with dense understory growth, increasing the 'fuel load' and...

3. Burns are cool fires - WRONG

The over 75% of prescribed burns are done by dropping flammable materials (incendiaries) from the air every 100 - 200 m over large areas....

4. Burns don't harm wildlife - WRONG

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGERY BELOW Many animals can't escape the large areas being burnt rapidly, particularly when the fires are lit from...

5. Burns are like Indigenous practices - WRONG

Traditional burning was nuanced, small scale, selective and seasonal and protected key natural assets. This was ‘right way burning’ which...

6. Burns are done carefully to protect sensitive areas - WRONG

While the prescribed burning program was designed not to burn high value environmental assets (such as wetlands, streams, granite rocks...

7. Burns are a natural part of the ecosystem - WRONG

Burns are done at much higher frequency and in different seasons to the natural fire cycle. The south-west of Australia evolved with...

8. Burning is the only way to protect people and property - WRONG

Existing technology developed in Australia is proven to detect all fires within 10 minutes of ignition, even fires the size of a small...

9. Smoke from burning is necessary to save lives - WRONG

Since 2000, it is estimated that at least 20 people have died from poor air quality due to manmade burns, with hundreds of emergency...

10. Burns are done to reduce 'fuel load' - WRONG

Burns are done on a ‘time since fire’ basis, which means that areas such as Wandoo forest are burnt regularly despite there being little...