# The Aussies have landed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 12, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607 "2002-08-12T23:14:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/1 "2002-08-12T23:14:17Z")
While looking for an online story about the [fire-fighters](http://webpublisher.lexisnexis.com/index.asp?layout=story&gid=1990000599&cid=110003011&did=46BR-9960-015G-S2H2-00000-00) we promised to send to the US to help fight your wildfires having finally arrived over there, I came across [this](http://www.firehouse.com/wildfires) website which acts as a kind of clearing-house for information on the wildfires. It’s pretty scary to read just how much property and how many lives are still under threat. Here’s hoping that our men and women return safely and quickly in the near future because there’s no longer anything left for them to do over there. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/2 "2002-08-13T02:20:12Z")
Aussies got to the US to fight the 2000 fires. Yanks come down here with helicopters to fight the 2001 Sydney fires. Aussies go back to the States to fight the 2002 fires… Gives me the warm and fuzzies, but it’s just a shame we still have these weirdos _lighting_ them. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/3 "2002-08-13T02:30:00Z")
And unless we get some rain - and lots of it - very soon, we’ll probably have Elvis and crew over here helping us fight fires again come early 2003. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/4 "2002-08-13T03:02:25Z")
Mmmmm… Aussie firefighters _les mrowr_ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/5 "2002-08-13T04:37:57Z")
Yeah, we reckon they’re pretty good too 😉 Treat 'em kindly, please. We’re happy for you to have them for a while, but probably going to need them ourselves come summertime down here. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/6 "2002-08-13T09:23:01Z")
Summertime? The fires have started here already ☹ It’s gonna be a bitch of a summer if the drought doesn’t let up ---
**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/7 "2002-08-13T15:15:41Z")
If I could, I’d send this bloody rain north for a while. We could use the break from it, and it sounds like it’s needed more elsewhere if things have already started burning… ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/8 "2002-08-13T15:29:06Z")
Have I mentioned I am a firefighter? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/9 "2002-08-13T16:02:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skogcat \* > \*\*Have I mentioned I am a firefighter? 😃 \*\* How _YOU_ doin’, **Skogcat**? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![reprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@reprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/reprise)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/10 "2002-08-13T23:47:09Z")
For those non-Aussies on the boards, [New South Wales](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/08/14/1029113944124.html) is currently experiencing the worst winter bushfires in the state for 50 years and with over 60% of the state drought-declared, it’s looking like being another shocking summer for bushfires. Things aren’t a great deal better elsewhere in Australia as we are once again in the grip of _El Nino_. Hey **Skoggy** , where’ve you been hiding? ---
**Author:** ![wyldelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@wyldelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wyldelf)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/11 "2002-08-14T00:33:19Z")
I am glad that our firefighters are over there helping with the crisis but please look after them, we like them heaps and want them back in one (non-charred) piece. And we are definately going to need them here damn soon up in Queensland too. What I don’t want to believe is that some of the people lighting a % of the fires are those that fight them afterwards. It is horrible to think that these few people would possibly want to jeapordise not only their own lives but those of the people they work so closely with. Three cheer for the Fire Fighters!! You guys are amazing!! ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2002, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/12 "2002-08-14T01:28:08Z")
The only good news for New South Wales is the fact that much of the post-1994 ground fuel was consumed by the fires last Christmas. Of course, that’s only in some areas, and the stuff is accumulating all the time, but it may be a help. I’m thinking Queensland (and to a lesser extent, Victoria and South Australia) had better be on its toes this summer. The uncomfortable fact remains that the Australian bush is naturally intended to burn periodically, and it’s only when you’ve just had a fire that you can relax (a little). This is a subject of some debate here, but I for one am in favour of controlled burning operations in areas with high fuel debris. A pox upon _El Nino_. ---
**Author:** ![wyldelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@wyldelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wyldelf)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2002, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-aussies-have-landed/123607/13 "2002-08-17T22:25:37Z")
I am with \*\* TLD \*\* on this one. We have inhibited the natural cycle of the bush by not letting it burn regularly. Regular bushfires is nature’s way of protecting bushland by removing this debris thus protecting the larger trees etc. If we don’t let it burn regularly then this creates a much larger problem as once there is a build up of debris such as we see these days, when it does burn the fires are much larger and more dangerous and place alot of the older bushland in danger as well as just culling the smaller shrubs/trees etc. Controlled burning should be conducted to simulate nature (as much as is possible) and therefore reduce our chances of out of control bushfires that create so much damage.