As victims of the Victorian bushfires try to grasp what has happened, Victoria's Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) has defended how it manages burn-offs in fire prone areas.
Many of those affected by the bushfires have laid some of the blame with "greenies" and the DSE's management of state forests.
However DSE spokesman Kevin Love says nothing could have stopped the fires that continue to rage across Victoria.
"We've got a program of burning each year. We do it on the basis of priority in terms of burns around towns to protect townships and also the priority areas in terms of reducing fuel load," he said.
"We have a very active program of burning and we have quite significant targets.
"Now we've got 8 million hectares of public land so it's a big task to do burning.
"It's not a panacea and it won't stop a fire like the fire last Saturday.
"It might slow it down a bit but it's not going to stop and the conditions on Saturday were such that nothing would have stopped those fires."
Mr Love says the DSE had revised strategies around burning this year.
"We've revised our strategies around burning and we will be doing more strategic burns, looking for larger burns to stop the run of fires in particular and we are putting a much stronger emphasis on that so that you get major breaks to control the run of fires," he said.
But, as has become all too apparent after the weekend's fires, Mr Love says no amount of preparation can safeguard against all types of fires.
"You need also to match the type of fire and the frequency of fire to the type of vegetation because otherwise you could actually make things more fire-prone if you don't get your burning right," he said.
He says it is too early to say if the DSE needs to revise its management of forests in relation to bushfires.
"For a start we're still fighting the fire so we'll need to review the course of the fire, the way the fire ran and all those sorts of things," he said.
"We will do that as an internal review as we do for all fires.
"There's also the Royal Commission that will be looking into all these things and they will come up with recommendations and we will obviously adopt the recommendations that the Royal Commission comes up with."
The Wilderness Society also believes it is too soon to be criticising how burn-offs are controlled in Victoria.
The Wilderness Society's Gavan McFadzean says it is insensitive to be using the bushfire tragedy as a platform for certain agendas.
"The Wilderness Society thinks that while CFA firefighters are risking their lives putting fires that are still out of control out and that many of the deceased have not been found or identified, we think it's very insensitive and quite inappropriate in fact for any stakeholder in the forest debate including the anti-national parks lobby and pro-logging lobbies to use this opportunistically as a time to push their barrow on a particular issue," he said.
"The Wilderness Society is putting together a report on how the fires started, where they started and what was burnt and at a time we think is sensitive to the victims of the Victorian fires we will be releasing that report in the near future."
Should the U.S. help relieve the fire victims even though we're having our own huge problem with our recession?
This is a tough situation. I think we should help them as best as we can. Even though we have a huge problem with our recession and we dont really have the money available. But some people do. And those that do should be willing to help people..especially in times like these.
HARRAM right? I do think its the US's duty to help other countries but Austrailia can take care of its slef. we have too many issues of our own to take care of right now and plus, they are not incapable.
The fires are devastating but we dont have the ability to help. We need to be in a stable postition before we start spending time and money on Australia...especially since they have the ability to help themselves.
No, the US shouldn't go deeper in debt by sending support to Australia. But if we could, I think we should step up to help right away. And we Californians know how harsh and unhealthy fires can be. But I'm surprised other countries haven't offered help yet...
p.s.
what about all those marsupials? I hope most of them will be saved as Australia is the only continent that has them. That would be so sad if after the fire, there is only a few species left.
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monica vellanoweth v(o_o)v
"First you take the grahm. You put the chocolate on the grahm. Then you roast a mallow. When the mallows' flammin', you stick it on the chocolate. Then you top with the other side."
i don't think that if we help them it would plung us into a deeper recession, i mean if we are spending 8 billion dollars on a stimulus plan we can offer some relieve to Austrialia, but as stated above they should be able to handle it themselfs.
In my opinion I think that we can't afford to give them any aid...but if there are philanthropists who feel for the Australians, then that's their prerogative and kudos to them. If there was any way to help I would be all over that and I'm sure the rest of the United States would be too...we just can't help them at this point in time, as much as that pains me to say.
we cannot afford to help out Australia. They are a fairly prosporous nation in comparasion with much of the world, and even though they obviously are in a tough situation right now they will have to perservere through it. our economic problem in the united states is too severe for us to be helping out other countries whenever they need it.
hummm, i think dealing with the huge economy situation right now, we can't offer our hand out to australia. but maybe the Aussies can call for help to other countries? It's sad, to hear the big fires going on over in Austrialia, but US has problems of their own.
the fires that happen over there reminds me of the fire that happened in november in yorba linda and brea. so sad. :(
we should and we did help incase you're wondering. we sent 60 fire recovery specialists. We have had an agreement with Australia since 2000 to send help to each other during fires. so we're only returning the favor.
i think that the us is in a huge enought debt already, that helping australia wouldn't be a good idea. i know were supposed to help other countries in return that we'll recieve help back but its just were in way to much of a debt at the moment.
I think it is a hard thing for the US to decide to help or not. It would be hard for the US to give money when we dont have any to begin with. But the US likes to give money to other countries to help them. I think it is not good for the times that we are in.
