# Australian Bushfires Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 10, 2020, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214 "2020-01-10T09:40:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/1 "2020-01-10T09:40:59Z")
There’s a lot of misinformation about the Australian Bushfires out there. > **[Were 'Nearly 200' People Arrested for Deliberately Starting Australia Bushfires?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/australia-arrested-bushfires/)** > > Misinformation spread wildly as bushfires devastated Australia in late 2019 and early 2020. And [https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.news.com.au/technology/environment/the-size-of-australia-shocks-america-in-bushfire-map-comparisons/news-story/164589ea8d6e2f339340cc45ae671ebf](https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.news.com.au/technology/environment/the-size-of-australia-shocks-america-in-bushfire-map-comparisons/news-story/164589ea8d6e2f339340cc45ae671ebf) How much do people in other Countries understand about Bushfires in Australia? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/2 "2020-01-10T09:51:26Z")
> [@blueslipper](#): > > How much do people in other Countries understand about Bushfires in Australia? There are fires, they’re pretty bad, about as bad as they’ve ever been. Less people have died than some earlier ones, but huge land areas and, crucially, it’s all happened quite a bit earlier than usual and likely will continue for months more. At least 27 people and hundreds of thousands of animals have died. And ScoMo is probably toast because of his incompetence. Does that about cover it? Full disclosure - I’ve never been to Australia, but my niece did have to evacuate from Bateman’s Bay just after New Year’s, so I’m not completely removed from knowing about the situation ---
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/3 "2020-01-10T10:07:27Z")
As far as I’m aware there’s been many previous years when fires started earlier. I’m no fan of the Australian PM but criticism of him about Bushfires is misguided. Bushfires are managed in Australia state by state with the Federal government almost never involved. Personally I think the bushfire management should be handled by Federal Government but at the moment it is not. That’s why Scott Morrison thought he could go on holiday during Bushfire season anyway. You’re welcome to criticise him for millions of things but not about this. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/4 "2020-01-10T11:01:55Z")
> [@blueslipper](#): > > As far as I’m aware there’s been many previous years when fires started earlier. There are fires throughout the year. What’s unusual (which you’ll note is not the same as _unique_) is having the “main” bush fire season start before summer even arrives. That’s not me saying it, that’s [Australian firefighting professionals](https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/24/australian-bushfires-the-story-so-far-in-each-state). > [@](#): > > I’m no fan of the Australian PM but criticism of him about Bushfires is misguided. Bushfires are managed in Australia state by state with the Federal government almost never involved. Err, the criticism of ScoMo isn’t about how the fires are being _fought_. It’s about his ridiculous handling of the PR (That “best place to raise your kids” bullshit was particularly laughable. His colleague’s comments about dead Greens supporters wasn’t. At all.), and his abscence initially, and his being in the back pocket of Big Coal. > [@](#): > > That’s why Scott Morrison thought he could go on holiday during Bushfire season anyway. You’re welcome to criticise him for millions of things but not about this. If he thought it was no big deal, why all the secrecy, then? No, he’s the leader of a country. When his country is facing a natural disaster, being on the beach in another country is not a good look. That’s leaving aside all the perfectly legitimate criticisms of him regarding government policies re: coal, renewables and climate change. Why is it seeming more and more like this thread wasn’t \*just \*a simple question about what non-Australians know? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/5 "2020-01-10T12:21:18Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > There are fires, they’re pretty bad, about as bad as they’ve ever been. Less people have died than some earlier ones, but huge land areas and, crucially, it’s all happened quite a bit earlier than usual and likely will continue for months more. > > At least 27 people and hundreds of thousands of animals have died. > > And ScoMo is probably toast because of his incompetence. > > Does that about cover it? Regarding your last point I’m personally trying not to set my hopes too high, and also I’d use a different word than incompetence, but otherwise, no argument with that summary. Also, the Liberals are revolting ['Our future depends on it': Young Libs unveil climate change action plan](https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/our-future-depends-on-it-young-libs-unveil-climate-change-action-plan-20191230-p53njr.html) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2020, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/6 "2020-01-10T13:36:33Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Err, the criticism of ScoMo isn’t about how the fires are being _fought_. It’s about his ridiculous handling of the PR He should have me write the slogans: “Austrlia–now with fewer scary-ass spiders.” ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/7 "2020-01-11T00:17:17Z")
One aspect being reported on here in the US is that koalas will go extinct in the wild in the near future due to the fires. In addition to direct deaths in the flames, supposedly enough of their habitat has been destroyed that it’s only a matter of time before they’re all gone. At least according to some of the articles I’ve read. ---
**Author:** ![RedSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/67e7ee/32.png) [@RedSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSky)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/8 "2020-01-11T07:28:55Z")
In the short term koalas will suffer however their habitat loves fire, you can burn a gumtree till its a blackened leafless stump and the next rains bring green leaves. The Aboriginals use to burn at low temps to favour the ground cover, the fire service burn at medium temp to reduce fuel and at the moment high intensity burns will give us more gum trees than ever. How we manage the forest is up for debate but something has to change. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2020, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/australian-bushfires-thread/846214/9 "2020-01-11T10:14:46Z")
I can see koalas going from Vulnerable to Endangered, but thy’re not going extinct just from this fire season. [Chlamydia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgRurZ5gdSw)and Koala AIDS will get them first.