I assume that I am by your definition an 'armchair expert" and I'll wear that but in the case of the Springwood fire I was at the scene minutes after it started. What I saw was a small fire turn into a big one and a scene of vehicle gridlock and complete chaos along the one road in and out of Winmalee.
I don't claim to know much about bushfires but I do know a bit about aircraft and flying. Given the typical scenario of gridlock it seems to me the best way to deliver a big fire knockdown is aviation based and I dont mean a few small helos with buckets.I mean something that can deliver 20 tons at one go followed by rapid similar drops.
I was having a meal last night with a very experienced Blue Mountains fire fighter and he brought up this subject. He played down our Springwood experience but agreed the Lithgow fire would have been well served by a large water drop.I suspect if he had seen what we saw he may have a different view on Springwood as well.
Again I say if what we are currently doing is so successful, why did we have this series of recent disasters. The Springwood damage bill alone would pay for years of running 3 or 4 heavy fire bombers.I dont understand why big seems to work in the rest of the world but we are different.
I've seen the fires in California and that was definitely deep valleys and eucalypts.Why are we different, maybe the Coriolis effect?
Wunwing