MySwag.org The Off-road Camper Trailer Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: achjimmy on January 08, 2013, 10:22:17 PM
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One of the fires in Tas seems to be the result of a negligent camper sadly.
THE use of campfires could come under scrutiny in outdoor mecca Tasmania after one allegedly caused a massive bushfire in the state's Derwent Valley.
Police charged a 31-year-old man after he allegedly didn't completely extinguish a campfire near Lake Repulse.
The fire, in the farming and forested area northwest of Hobart, has burnt out nearly 11,000 hectares with several properties destroyed.
Eighty firefighters in 27 trucks and three aircraft continue to fight the blaze.
The accused man will face a magistrates court in coming months after allegedly committing what is known as a simple offence, similar in magnitude to a traffic infringement or public drunkenness.
Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings said ways to avoid carelessness or accidents would be considered when the horrific fire situation is reviewed.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/campfires-under-scutiny-after-tas-disaster/story-e6freuz0-1226549825519 (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/campfires-under-scutiny-after-tas-disaster/story-e6freuz0-1226549825519)
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Campfires not being properly extinguished has been a problem for decades. For example, the Wonangatta Station residence burnt down in the 1950s, only a couple of years after the Wonangatta Valley became accessible by road.
Having said that, it seems to me that many 'farm houses' are unnecessarily exposed to fire risk. While driving from Melbourne - to Mt Gambier and return, via Nelson and Stawell respectively over the past week, anywhere from 24 hours to 3 hours ahead of our route being closed, including on several days which turned out to be rated as catastrophic fire risk, it struck me that many houses that could easily have had burned fire breaks around the 'house paddock' instead sat in a sea of dry grass / crop stubble.
As an owner of a property in a country town I am expected to have my block slashed. Surely, on a similar basis, there should be a requirement for fire brakes around the 'house acre' of all farm houses.
Now ducks for cover from 'flame war' about individual rights of those who live on the land... :police:
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... the Wonangatta Station residence burnt down in the 1950s, only a couple of years after the Wonangatta Valley became accessible by road.
Coincidently was looking at a bush campsite on the Wonangatta river a week ago (between Bullocks flat and Kingswell bridge) - and there was a huge pile of rubbish still burning on the deserted main campfire. Clearly previous night's occupants piled the rubbish on the embers and drove off. >:( This just ahead of the 1st heatwave and during increasingly high winds. I'll never understand such irresponsibility ???
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For example, the Wonangatta Station residence burnt down in the 1950s, only a couple of years after the Wonangatta Valley became accessible by road.
Kings Hut fell to the same fate few yrs ago...
As said its always been an issue... You wont stop arseholes from leavin fires even smouldering..
The most illogical step is banning campfires or gas fires only - so its probably high on the agenda..
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it will be a sad day indeed if campfires get banned, but i can see the point of it. with the growing popularity of camping its only going to get worse
i can't remember the last time i went camping that i didn't have to go and put out someone elses campfire after they had left
oh well if they do ban them i guess it reduces the amount of stuff i take and frees up time that would of been spent looking for wood
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I put out at least one but average 3 or 4 a day when I patrol on weekends. 3 fires I was involved in last week started from campfires and burnt about 6 hectares all up. I say ban between dec 1 and march 1. People are to irresponsible.
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a ban from december to march wouldn't worry me - most of my camping is done from april to november anyway
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Forget the campfires. The mongo's down here burn everything. Last year we responded to a report of a mongo burning, wait for it, fridges and freezers using tyres as an accelerant :cheers:
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Forget the campfires. The mongo's down here burn everything. Last year we responded to a report of a mongo burning, wait for it, fridges and freezers using tyres as an accelerant :cheers:
Mongo love fire
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The day they ban campfires is the day I quit camping. No camp without a fire IMHO (mid-summer camping notwithstanding)
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The day they ban campfires is the day I quit camping. No camp without a fire IMHO (mid-summer camping notwithstanding)
What other solutions are there?? If anyone has some, post em up...
Fines dont work, threats dont work...
Im still floored that theres actual fines in the 100's for firewood over 1 mtr I think AC posted up... I think the others are cheap fines, but the firewood length :(
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=26970.msg418321#msg418321 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=26970.msg418321#msg418321)
If you think speeding is revenue collecting, infringement notices -
- unattended campfire or out of visual sight = $420
- not cleared around or above for 3 metres = $420
- larger than 1 metre square or fuel is over 1m in length = $420
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Im still floored that theres actual fines in the 100's for firewood over 1 mtr I think AC posted up... I think the others are cheap fines, but the firewood length :(
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=26970.msg418321#msg418321 (http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=26970.msg418321#msg418321)
If you think speeding is revenue collecting, infringement notices -
- unattended campfire or out of visual sight = $420
- not cleared around or above for 3 metres = $420
- larger than 1 metre square or fuel is over 1m in length = $420
Is this just in Victoria?
How do you cut the firewood into smaller lengths when chainsaws are banned nearly everywhere these days too? Surely not by hand :o
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Is this just in Victoria?
How do you cut the firewood into smaller lengths when chainsaws are banned nearly everywhere these days too? Surely not by hand :o
use an axe, machete, hand chainsaw, bush saw, stand on it and break it, any combination of the previous.
what did people use before chainsaws?
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PS.. dont forget this article comes from the people who are trying to ban free camping within ~500 klms of a caravan park.
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What other solutions are there?? If anyone has some, post em up...
Fines dont work, threats don't work...
It depends what you mean by "work". Personally I think fines/threats work just fine but no matter what the solution or the penalty there will always be an element in society that thinks the laws don't apply to them. Even if you ban camping and lock up all the parks there will still be bushfires, including the odd one started by illegal campers.
There are many aspects of our modern world that are dangerous and routinely kill, for example cars kill hundreds every year but we don't ban them even though that might save all of them. Kids die in swimming pools but pools are still allowed. Is a child's life not worth more than the right ot have a pool?
Of course it is but the reality is that to live in a reasonably free society we have to accept a reasonable level of risk, and laws, fines, TFB, etc help to manage that risk. There is also much that rural property owners can and should do to protect themselves, considering it is their property and lives that are directly threatened.
I personally enjoy a campfire and find it integral to the camping experience. The sad thing is that any decision to further restrict or ban campfires would likely be made in some office or by committee of persons who have never experienced real bush camping and with the stroke of a pen wipe away a simple recreational experience enjoyed for generations.
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oh well if they do ban them i guess it reduces the amount of stuff i take and frees up time that would of been spent looking for wood
Don't we already have that choice?
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This was always going to happen. Just a matter of when.
Welcome to the nanny state people. Check all your sharp objects, fluids and plastic bags at the door.
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Relax . . . how on Earth would the Nannies enforce a ban across Australia? They'd need thousands of rangers.
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Tomorrow is another total fire ban, if recent history is anything thing to go by, tomorrow morning will be spent booking people, afternoon will be spent writing briefs of evidence then late afternoon will be spent until late tomorrow night chasing an escaped campfire around some cockies paddocks and a bit of bush.
Fun.not.
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Relax . . . how on Earth would the Nannies enforce a ban across Australia? They'd need thousands of rangers.
I reckon being a ranger would be a sweet job!
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Campfires not being properly extinguished has been a problem for decades. For example, the Wonangatta Station residence burnt down in the 1950s, only a couple of years after the Wonangatta Valley became accessible by road.
Having said that, it seems to me that many 'farm houses' are unnecessarily exposed to fire risk. While driving from Melbourne - to Mt Gambier and return, via Nelson and Stawell respectively over the past week, anywhere from 24 hours to 3 hours ahead of our route being closed, including on several days which turned out to be rated as catastrophic fire risk, it struck me that many houses that could easily have had burned fire breaks around the 'house paddock' instead sat in a sea of dry grass / crop stubble.
As an owner of a property in a country town I am expected to have my block slashed. Surely, on a similar basis, there should be a requirement for fire brakes around the 'house acre' of all farm houses.
Now ducks for cover from 'flame war' about individual rights of those who live on the land... :police:
We do on our farm and it should be in the owners interest, unfortunately not everyone has common sense or adopts approach of it won't happen to me. Saying that though a decent wind will jump a fire break