Otaways interim report released:
"...the fire which caused so much damage originated from the lightning strike, not the back-burning.
...burn-out strategy was the best option available to fire crews at the time.
...impacts on Wye River and Separation Creek townships would likely have been far worse than was suffered had the fuel load between the main fire front and Jameison Track not been significantly reduced prior to the spot fire occurring...
...a stronger aerial attack on the fire when it originally started "would have likely had very little impact" because of the dense cover of forest in the Otway Ranges.
Otway Ranges: Dry, difficult fire terrain
And likely the real reason for the dificult fire...
...Otway Ranges ... had not burnt in a major way since 1983...
There are other veiws:
"...Clearly this is an attempt to prevent the coroner looking at the real issues.
...believed more could have been done to attack the fire when it was ignited, with the use of more aerial bombing and repelling crews."
Wye River bushfire: Impact would have been 'far worse' without back-burning, report finds - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
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